Jerry Douglas has died. The actor, best known for playing John Abbott on The Young and the Restless, died on Nov. 9 after a brief illness, ET confirms. He was 89.
"On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas," Anthony Morina, the Executive Producer of The Young and the Restless said in a statement. "Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits. Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family. His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed."
Born in Massachusetts in 1932, Douglas launched his acting career after graduating from Brandeis University, where he played football and earned a degree in economics.
He studied acting in New York City with Uta Hagen and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles, and also pursued screenwriting and playwriting, developing projects with Josh O'Connell via O’Connell/Douglas Productions.
Douglas joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in March 1982, as the wealthy chairman of Jabot Cosmetics and beloved single father who helped his children navigate adulthood. His character died in 2006, but Douglas went on to make appearances on the soap as his character's ghost, with the last one coming in 2016.
Throughout his career, he starred in more than 100 productions, including films like JFK, Avalanche and Mommie Dearest. On TV, he guest starred on shows including The Rockford Files, Cold Case, Melrose Place and Arrested Development. He additionally worked in theater and sang, releasing an album, The Best Is Yet To Come, in 2007.
When he wasn't working, Douglas donated his time to Variety Club and the Salvation Army charities. He was also a lifelong golfer and avid reader.
Douglas was married to his wife, Kym, for 37 years. He was additionally a dad to three children — Jod, Hunter, and Avra — and a grandfather of two.
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