Jess Walton, Lauren Koslow, and the Y&R Jill Recast

Lauren Koslow is stepping in as Jill Abbott for a temporary recast, and yes… that means Jess Walton’s Jill is going to look a little different.

In this Y&R Chat Headlines video, we’re getting into the quick facts: Is Jess Walton leaving Y&R? Has Jill Abbott been permanently recast? How long is Lauren Koslow playing Jill? And why would Y&R bring Jill onscreen instead of writing around her with another phone call or video call?

But this casting twist gets even soapier.

Lauren Koslow is best known as Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives, but she also has her own Y&R history. In the 1980s, she played Lindsey Wells, a character tied to Jack Abbott, Jill Abbott, and those blackmail photos from the Jack and Jill affair.

And there’s another strange casting wrinkle too: Deborah Adair once played Jill Abbott on Y&R, then originated Kate Roberts on Days before Lauren Koslow became the Kate Roberts most soap fans know.

So now Lauren Koslow is playing Jill.

Soap opera drama pretzel, anyone?

We’ll also talk about the bigger question this temporary recast brings up: if Jill Abbott is still important to The Young and the Restless, but Jess Walton appears less often, would Y&R fans ever accept a permanent recast?

Would you accept another actress as Jill Abbott long-term?

Or is Jess Walton the only Jill for you?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.