Lauren Koslow Is Coming to Genoa City! The Days of Our Lives Star Steps In as Jill Abbott on Y&R for a Brief Run This Summer

LAUREN KOSLOW RETURNS TO THE SOAP THAT GAVE HER HER FIRST BIG BREAK

TL;DR: Lauren Koslow, the longtime Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives, is heading to The Young and the Restless for a brief stint as Jill Abbott. The temporary recast fills in for Jess Walton, who was unable to travel from Oregon for the upcoming arc, and Koslow’s first scenes air Thursday, June 25.

Lauren Koslow Is Stepping Into the Role of Jill Abbott

Lauren Koslow, best known to daytime fans as Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives, is returning to The Young and the Restless for a brief run as Jill Abbott. The temporary recast was first reported by TV Insider, which noted that a scheduling conflict prevented Jess Walton, who has played Jill since 1987, from traveling to Los Angeles for an upcoming story arc. Walton has been based in Oregon since 2011 and has continued to appear on the soap for short runs and remote video appearances over the years.

Koslow’s first episode airs Thursday, June 25, and her time in Genoa City marks an extraordinary full-circle moment for the actress, whose career began on Y&R more than four decades ago.

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A Full-Circle Return for the Actress Who Got Her Start on Y&R

In 1984, Koslow was discovered in an acting class by then-producer Ed Scott, which led to her audition for the role of Lindsey Wells on The Young and the Restless. One of her primary scene partners at the time was Brenda Dickson, who was playing Jill before Walton took over the role in 1987. In a 2019 interview with the Dishing with Digest podcast, Koslow remembered Dickson as being something of a nemesis on screen. The detail makes her return to the very same role decades later all the more poetic.

Koslow exited Y&R in 1986, telling the podcast it broke her heart at the time, but she remained firmly inside the William J. Bell soap universe. In 1987, she joined the launch of Bell’s new soap, The Bold and the Beautiful, as Margo Lynley, where she stayed until 1992. She was cast on Days of Our Lives as Kate Roberts in 1996, and she has been a fixture in Salem ever since.

Jess Walton Remains the Heart of Jill Abbott

Y&R executive producer Sally McDonald and head writer Josh Griffith made it clear that Walton is going nowhere. In a joint statement, the pair thanked Koslow for stepping in and credited the support of Days of Our Lives executive producer Ken Corday and co-executive producer Noel Maxam for the temporary loan. They went on to call Walton an enduring cornerstone of the show and said they look forward to celebrating her extraordinary 40th anniversary as the iconic Jill Abbott when her schedule permits.

A Days spokesperson also confirmed that Koslow’s status in Salem is unaffected. The actress is currently filming in Genoa City but continues to tape regularly as Kate Roberts, which means fans are not losing her on either canvas.

The crossover loan also follows the pattern set by Stacy Haiduk, who is currently pulling double duty as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on Days of Our Lives and Patty Williams on Y&R. The cooperation between the two Bell-universe soaps has become one of the most charming stories in daytime this year, and Koslow stepping in as Jill is the latest extension of it.

Are you excited to see Lauren Koslow as Jill Abbott this summer? Drop your thoughts in the comments because we know you have feelings about this one!

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