News
Renee Elise Goldsberry Talks The Frustration, Joy & Her Eventual Decision To Leave OLTL!
Photo: The Resident/Goldsberry
Now that Renee Elise Goldsberry (Ex-Evangline Williamson, OLTL) is fast becoming a household name, the Tony Award-winning star of the Broadway smash Hamilton, and who has been cast in two exciting projects: Netflix’s, Altered Carbon and HBO films, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack, opened up about the path of her career for a feature for Cosmopolitan.
In it, Goldsberry who first shot to noteriety on ABC’s One Life to Live, related the inherant struggles of playing an African-American character on a soap opera, and then how being part of a successful soap formula triangle changed that, and why she made the decision to exit Llanview at the time in her career that she did. Here are some key excerpts below from the Cosmo piece:
Goldsberry on the original difficulties she encountered joining One Life: “At the beginning of my time on One Life to Live, I was very frustrated. This was a time in my life when I felt extremely marginalized. The formula of soap operas makes it really hard for an African-American to get any traction. There’s always a family that’s central to the story on a soap opera, and if the show loves you, you will turn into the long-lost brother or you will get married, which is easy to do for a white character. But as an ethnic person, they bring you on to be smart. You get to be the lawyer or the doctor for the family. No one sees where you live, they never bring you home. There might be one episode in February where they talk about your family because it’s Black History Month. Your character might be on once every three weeks. You walk into a room and you say something really smart and noble, and then you walk out. And you only make money when they write for your character. You couldn’t win the game as a person of color, no matter how talented or beautiful you were.”
Goldsberry on becoming front and center on One Life in story: “But after the first couple of years, they put me in a love triangle and it just blew up. The love triangle was interracial, there was drama, there was a war between fan groups — it was the best thing that had ever happened to my career. I was featured in magazines and I was being voted a fan favorite character. I was being asked to co-host, The View. At the same time, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park, being seen by the elite New York theater community and getting unbelievable reviews. I had high visibility and there were moments throughout this period where people said, “This is it.” But it doesn’t necessarily make you A-list. I was probably G-list most of my life.”
Goldsberry on her decision to not renew her contract with One Life: “In 2007, I left the soap. I wanted to evolve and do the next thing in my career. I used to joke that I wanted the Kelly Ripa deal. But I didn’t see that future for me in soap operas. Why would I give up another four years of my life for a new contract if ABC primetime’s not going to call me to do a job?”
So, what did you think of Renee’s thoughts and her experiences at One Life to Live? Share your comments below!
i have been watching soaps for over fifty years and everything she said rings so true for ethnic actors/actresses…………….
i must say she was fabulous on oltl and i was very sad when she left but i do understand her reason for leaving. – i always knew she was going places and i have so much respect her her
So very well said, both by you and by her.
What a treat it was to see her talent on display during her time on the show and how great to see her continuing success.
Great talented actress…i liked when they did introduced her family but their stay was unfortunately short-lived…Days did have the Grants in the 70s-an African American family with parents and a brother and sister-i believe they were daytimes first black family with both parents in the home…there were blacks on soaps befoe-really enjoyed them but other fans did not approve of black Valerie dating white David and the Grants soon came to an end…Tina Andrews should have been a daytime superstar like Debbie Morgan was a few years later and hated it when she left Days…Y&R for years did a fine job writing for the Winters family…B&B doing well with an African American family…what is more rare is an Asian family and Native Americans too!!!
There are no Jewish characters let alone families.
nora hanan buchanan on oltl was very much jewish – she celebrated jewish holidays with her son matthew………………
I know elm1951. Lol, who else? How many Jewish characters are on GH (or any soap…or prime time for that matter). How many characters celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas…Passover instead of Easter?
Kristen Alderson, Sean Kanan, Nancy Grahan, Matt Cohen, Renee Sofer (Lois and now Quinn), Stuart Damon (Alan Q.), Kin Shriner…and so many more are Jewish (Kristen, Nancy, Kin are half) but none of them play Jewish characters. Weddings and prayers take place in Church, not a Synagogue. It’s not as obvious because Jewish people are “white” for the most part but it’s a very under represented “community” on soaps…more so than black people. I’m not talking about behind the scenes writers, producers, etc. I’m talking about people being represented and their religion, holidays, existence acknowledged.
As a further example, imagine if it was reversed. That EVERY character on a soap was Jewish, Hannukah was the holiday everyone celebrated and people went to their Rabbi to get married. Instead of the Church in the hospital where our characters go to pray…a Temple. all weddings take place in a Synogogue. Oh. And maybe one non-Jewish character (which GH doesn’t even have one Jewish character).
When One Life to Live started, in 1968, featured families included:
the Lords – the wealthy WASPs
the Siegels – Jewish Dave Siegel who was married to Irish Catholic Eileen and their children
the Woleks – the working class Polish Americans
the Greys – the African Americans – Initially only mother Sadie and her daughter Carla. As the series progressed, more black characters were added, including Police Captain Ed Hall (excellently portrayed by Emmy award winner Al Freeman, Jr.). Laurence Fishburne’s first acting job was as Ed and Carla’s adopted son, Josh.
And…Both Brandon Barash and Bruce Weitz are Jewish yet their characters aren’t. There are Jewish people in the mob, see Bugsy Siegel. But instead they went for the two Jewish characters I now recall…Bernie and Benny…the accountants. Lol…nah, that’s not stereotyping.
I love how you just took a topic that had nothing to do with you and make it all about you. I’m so tired of the “what aboutism” when black people talk about their experiences. It really shows your true colors when you do that.
What helped her break the mold is that she really is a very good actress as well as being beautiful. I thought she was great on OLTL but I thought everybody was because the show was done brilliantly.
I remember the hoopla from her character on One Life being break-out to hosting the View and give the lady huge credit for being bold enough to leave the soap…and speak up about it today in Cosmo. I heard there may have been contract things at the time, too (she wasn’t offered enough), and that wonderfully in leaving, she had time to have kids (via her Tony speech)…so I have been following because to “walk away” is of interest to me–when should we, when should we “compromise”….it’s a quintessential life question. It worked for this exciting actress, and now her resurgence, her truly big-time is here. Her talent, her choices, set a great example on many levels.
This interview kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It comes off as REG thinking she was too good for soaps (which is probably true) but there have been other soap actors who’ve found breakout fame but still manage to be gracious in acknowledging the genre as a great training ground and find some good words to find about their co-stars as. REG comes off as sounding like fame didn’t come fast enough for her so screw this. As an OLTL watcher I can say her character was front burner, paired with two of the most popular leading men and had a sister added to prop her. I’m not really sure what she’s complaining about.
Did we read the same excerpts? She clearly said that being in that JoVan/JoLIE triangle was the best thing for her career. I think she was being pretty gracious about her time on OLTL.
Did you just not like her honesty? Is that what offended you?
Well said.
I agree with you KM, she does sound stuck up and not very thankful for what she had there. I don’t remember her much on OLTL, she didn’t leave that much of an impression on me.
When she first started out she was barely featured at all. When she was originally with RJ (a black male), she had a smaller role. It wasn’t until they paired her with John (a white character), that she finally got attention. We never even saw where she lived prior to that.
Nothing she said made her sound stuck up at all. Is she not allowed to voice the way black actresses on many soaps were treated if they weren’t paired with a white main character?
She said she loved the attention she got from being in a bigger storyline. She doesn’t sound ungrateful at all. She left because they refused to negotiate with her in terms of her contract. They refused to pay her more even though she was popular at this point. It again shows the worth they placed on her. She handled it pretty graciously in my opinion. It worked out because now she is a huge Broadway star with a Tony award.
I recall with joy Ms. Goldsberry’s time on OLTL. OLTL was often at the forefront of social justice and social causes, a show with a genuine pulse on contemporary life. And it was based in New York, giving the program a feel that was exciting and alive. This is a lovely interview with a lovely woman, deserving of her post-soap success. I do hope casting agents will continue to see her beauty and talent for films, television, and stage.
Her frustrations with her character sound like most of the characters on General Hospital nowadays-many, the viewers see every few weeks and storylines are lost and never heard of again. The Kelly Ripa deal? Good Grief. I, for one, cannot watch Kelly’s show; can’t even watch her Colgate commercials.
Great interview. Her take on her stint @ OLTL and her character’s limitations and shelf life is sad, but true. Good for her for realizing it and moving on. Goldsberry was excellent and underused on The Good Wife as well. Bigger and brighter things for this beautiful and talented lady – films, stage and television!
I love Renee. And as someone who has been a soap fan for most of my life, she’s absolutely right. I like McBain and Evangeline, I loved Todd and Evangeline, but if she wasn’t getting where she needed to go career wise, I don’t blame her one bit for moving on.
Love her and always loved her. So glad she spoke out about how she felt at the time. Such a good actress on OLTL, she had amazing chemistry with both Trevor St. John and Michael Easton. Was such a fan of Evangeline and Todd and very disappointed when they cast her aside for Todd and Blair. Was so pissed the way they killed her character off too… was it a coma or a catatonic state? Anyway, it was ridiculous! I’m glad she spoke out about it and thrilled she’s seeing the success she has earned!
So glad she “evolved” and seems to be happy and *really* so glad she made the decision to leave.
Very dissapointed that she plays the race card when does it stop ? She has had a very successful career I don’t get it somebody enlightened me! The same thing with Victoria Rowell I don’t get it we are so in this country wound tight like a dorm about every word that is uttered out of our mouth every gesture we might do every movement we are drowning in political correctness and we are lost.
How was she playing “the race card” when what she said was TRUE???
Are you saying that black people on soaps aren’t typically “the doctor,” “the lawyer,” “the judge,” etc.? Or are you saying that because she got do to more than just be “the lawyer,” she shouldn’t speak out about how black characters aren’t typically developed on soaps?
What exactly is your issue? Would you have preferred that she lie?
Do you always feel the need to control? You must do that at home and in every day life.
Trophy Lady, it’s a soap. EVERYONE is playing a relatively stock role. To your list I’d also add “the cop”, “the born wealthy”, “the scrappy or screwed up long lost kid deprived of their birth right by their wealthy family” and so on. They’re all stereotypes.
REG’s talents are obviously theater and musical theater in particular and good for her in that respect. She’s done well for herself but to make it sound like she was held back on soaps because of racism when she was actually pushed forward (her character, besides being cast as the brilliant lawyer, also got to sing now and then) comes off as a little bitter.
So she didn’t get “the Kelly Ripa deal” but what did she REALLY want? To be a talking head on The View? A “gimme” role on an ABC primetime show? What?
That’s show biz. Not everyone gets to the star of the show. But she has been in Hamilton so I’m not why she’s even mentioning her soap roots if she can’t say something nice about how she got her start.
KM — c’mon! Are you kidding me??? When was the last time a black person on a soap was part of the “wealthy family”? When was the last time the black family was “the wealth family” so that when a black person comes on the show they can actually be “tied” to said wealthy family? Seriously, now, you MUST understand that, by default, since these types of black families don’t exist on soaps, Renee was absolutely telling the truth.
And, I think you missed the point of what Renee actually said. She said that, initially, Evangeline was portrayed as the stereotypical black female attorney — no home, no family, just on air three times a month to say something noble, only to vanish until needed again. She then said that she got put into a love triangle (with John and Natalie) and that’s what got her exposure. By being in that love triangle with Michael Easton — that’s what made Evangeline a “main” character, because she was now FRONT AND CENTER in a HOT romance with the show’s heartthrob. That made all the difference in the world. She was with John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega. Three HOT guys, and none of them black. When have you seen that on daytime before? Have you seen it since Evangeline on OLTL? The answer is NO. NEVER.
Her point was that, typically, that doesn’t happen for black actresses on daytime. If you disagree with her personal assessment, PLEASE give me examples of where black women have been front and center in daytime with white men who are the centerpiece of the show? And I’m talking REAL DEAL ROMANCES — not a kiss here and there, and then the storyline gets dropped or they are NEVER on screen together. I’m talking leads that are portrayed as such. And please, don’t mention Maya and Rick Forrester on B&B. That entire story is BEYOND ridiculous.
Not the same as VR at all.
And as for “playing the race card”, I guess you’re saying you’d rather she not speak honestly about the reality of being a woman of color in the entertainment industry. Too bad. Why the truth offends you, I don’t know….but you probably do.
k/Kay…I there are PC topics that I should be addressed, but I get tired of them being overused for what seems as anything and everything as well. But when you look at the demos of soaps compared to % of US demos there is certainly a big case to be said for under-representation in a meaningful way with all racial groups in soaps. Actually “real life” does a better job than soaps…just look at the President. 🙂
I agree k/kay, it’s never ending. even after you win a tony award. Stop playing the victim and make changes.
Wow, Blake — You must LOVE me because you’ve commented everywhere that I have.
Are you starting to agree with me? It’s okay. You can admit it. And if you just want to comment on my post to say “hello,” you can do that, too! I’m not trying to control you, dear; I just want to “encourage” you to see the light. See the truth! 🙂
I remember being very disappointed when she left, and disappointed with her as well. OLTL knew what they had, that is why they put the character into a coma. If anyone could have broken through Elise was the girl. Who knows, maybe OLTL would still be, had she not bailed. Glad she’s doing good, but she lost me as a fan a long time ago. The same way Oprah lost me as a fan 6 years later. OLTL should have recast the character.
I will reply ! I think the actress is awesome she is a great singer etc! Just worn out that Hollywood and Washington, D.C. Have the answers they are no where in the realm of what is going down in this country ! We are in deep trouble our answer is a criminal HC and a blow heart! Our family has decided we back off we slide into the wood work and hope we can live our final days at oeace
Peace ! Never intended to insult her she is phenomenal but she has no idea what is going on in the AA community
So if I insulted her in anyway I apologize just worn out we are drowning and I wish someone anyone would throw a life jacket
Wow, I don’t think she sounds very appreciative of OLTL. They gave her a start to her career. It kind of ticks me off that she so down on daytime soaps.
Same here, it is annoying.
If you have not, please read the whole Cosmopolitan article for a better perspective.
Agree. I wrote that as well further down the page. Perhaps she says more positive things in the full interview.
Smart girl. I respect REG on her decision to leave OLTL. I am so looking forward to The Henrietta Lacks movie. The book is fantastic. I highy recommend it.
Wow she sounds like a big narcissist. Her Tony win was a big upset. The Tony’s just caved into the PC crap.
I’m sorry — EVERYONE EXPECTED that she’d win that Tony. Were you not aware that she was on everyone’s talk show/couch because of her role in Hamilton?
She won her Tony because she deserved it. What “PC Crap” are you talking about? If she shouldn’t have won, then who should have?
Well said
do you have to comment on everyone’s post that you don’t agree with? people have the right to voice their opinion. You must always control people in life, huh?
And it’s not true that everyone expected her to win. every award show is now caving in to the Oscars protest of nominations. it’s why the Emmys went crazy with nominations in the same way. throw a dog a bone.
Must be hard to see your prejudices take a knock.
LOTS to love about Renee Goldsberry. At the top of the list is that we GH fans can breathe a sigh of relief she will not be the next friend of FV’s to join the cast! Seriously, I also loved seeing her as one of the three backup singers on Ally McBeal.
If she has won a Tony in Hamilton, she won’t ever be around a daytime soap again. Kudos to her!
she also “won” a grammy for “Hamilton”… as a cast member
she’s an emmy nominated actress
I don’t know… for me… I think winning a Tony award is the crème de la crème
with the Oscar that close
she’s certainly known in the inner circles of her peers
Kudos to her… I can certainly understand how she felt … about being a supporting player… ie: OLTL
that’s a lot of patience and time .. to get to where she is currently
plus she has a bachelors and a masters degree
wow and woah
she’s got her two children… and a loving husband
moment of silence
peace
I just LOVE Renee’s honesty! Her frustrations were not only felt by her, but by her fans as well. We all knew she was better than what they were giving her. I was a tried and true JoVan fan, and I loved every minute of it. What I didn’t love was how they eventually acted like JoVan NEVER existed! Anyone with good eyes could see that John and Evangeline were great together — that they made total sense. To belittle their storyline and their connection was a slap in the face to viewers.
I still hate that we never got to fully see all that JoVan could’ve been. But I must say that I’m glad we got have John and Evangeline for the short time we did. Evangeline Williamson was a groundbreaking black character for daytime. She wasn’t pigeonholed. She wasn’t just a lawyer; she was a woman with a full life, family, friends, and romance!
What other black woman on daytime gets that???? She dated John McBain, Todd Manning, and Cristian Vega! What other black female on daytime gets that kind of diversity and exposure to white A-List love interests? NONE!!! We hadn’t seen anything like Evangeline Williamson before, and sadly, we haven’t seen anyone like her since. That really needs to change ASAP!
I like Renee. I’ve mentioned this before but I met her on my lunch break in Manhattan; we were shopping in the same organic market. Spoke to her just for seconds but she was very nice and seemed down to earth. I loved her character Evangeline; one of my favorites and I actually preferred her over Natalie. Liked her with Michael Easton and Trevor St John.
With that said I have mixed feelings about the excerpted interview above. What I took away from it was that even though she broke through in the soap, had a great storyline and a huge fan following, she left because, “why would I give up anothe four years of my life if ABC wasn’t going to offer me prime time?” (Computer’s freezing on and off as I’m typing so that’s as close to verbatim as I can get without scrolling up. Point is there was a way to phrase that that wouldn’t come off like she didn’t want to “waste her time” which can make the viewer feel like an idiot for “wasting his or her time watching if soaps are so inconsequential. As for the race card that a few have mentioned, I’m not sure if Renee was implying they didn’t offer her prime time because she was black. ninety-nine percent of soap actors are white an how many of them are on heading their own time time shows? Not everything is about race. On the other hand, maybe she wasn’t attributing that part to race and I misinterpreted.
Selective excerpts can be a disservice. I read the whole Cosmopolitan article and came away with a better perspective of her viewpoint.
Hi Lillian…yes, I acknowledged that might be the case. It’s sort of like being taken out of context in many instances if it’s just a fragment of what someone said. Still, I think it could have been worded differently other than “why give four more years of my life if I’m not going to be offered prime time…” An actor can want to leave the genre or get into others but the way she said it puts a negative, insulting spin on soaps, which I think actors and fans are trying to get away from. As for the race thing, again, I don’t know, (as we both said) maybe that’s not what she meant in terms of being offered a prime time show. Again, not many white soaps actors are heading those spots either.
Does no one remember that when OLTL began on the late 60s it centered on three diverse families? The Lords rich Wasp family, the Woleks, a working class Polish family and the Greys, an African American family. This went on for about 10-15 years before the focus moved to the rich and powerful Lords.
I don’t think OLTL ever left its multicultural roots and in its last years made a real effort to bring Destiny and Matthew together to begin a future together In fact that was one of the beautiful last stories when Destiny gave birth the Bo’s grandson.
I think Ms Goldsberry knows what she is talking about, but a hat should be tipped to this Soap!
I agree, and it is not unusual for soap actors to feel like they are in a box.
There should never be a ‘black’ storyline just for the sake of diversity, because that would be pandering…
What OLTL was great at doing was showing all sorts of people, living and reacting to a diverse world.. And most of the stories grew out of decades long attachements to their characters and situations (just like life).
While there is no denying she is a fabulous and brilliant actor, Miss Goldsberry might have seen more stories about the black culture in American society had she stuck around a bit longer. and maybe we would have discovered that she was actually one of Victor Lords long lost child, or Asa Buchanon’s? The possibilities were endless.
I liked your well thought out response . You are obviously a big fan! Still miss our days in Llanview.
I am a big fan. But I do find this story ironic in that one of the main stories that drew me to OLTL and blew my five-year-old mind was the story of the Gray family. OLTL was a soap known for its diversity. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.
Always wishing her well and continued success!
Lol, maybe abc wrote the story and paid her to say it, to tarnish our memories of OLTL.
OLTL made strides and had many epic stories, talented cast, and memorable characters. As a 30+yr fan, I agree – she broke an invisible ceiling – not too many people of color in Llanview… first there was Hank, Rachel, then a really boring Sheila, maybe a few others…. and then came Evangeline – she had hot romances with John and then Cristian,even though she had came to town as just the smart lawyer, but we fell in love with her – and were heartbroken when her character ended up in a permanent coma. She and her sister (Tika Sumpter, another talented actress who could sing) were on for just a week together before Renee left the show. She paved the way and I’m so happy to hear of her deserved success.
I love Renee..She is a star, a good actress, and wonderful singer. She is right about black people on soaps. On OLTL they brought on Tika Sumpter and BARLEY used her in any story-lines until her last year on the show, and now Tika is doing hit shows and movies. #BlackGirlMagic
Well said Renee. The fact is, day time soap was not ready at that time to have a black women in a leading role. Renee was smart, beautiful and sexy. She was paired with a lot of the leading male characters, therefore she soon became a fan favorite. Thankfully they have learned, by having Kerry Washington the leading lady of colour in Scandal.
I think she is a very talented actress. But by the time she left I think they finished her role by having her involved with almost all of leading men on the show. just took away from the character
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
The Young and the Restless enduring favorite and two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actress, Jess Walton (Jill Foster Abbott) is set to release her memoir!
Kensington Publishing has revealed on their website that Walton’s book The Young and the Rest of Us is now available for pre-order while listing an April 27, 2027 release date. In addition, in June of 2027, Walton will mark her 40th anniversary with The Young and the Restless and her debut as Jill.
The official log lines for the memoir share, “Emmy Award-winning actress Jess Walton, known to millions as the iconic Jill Abbott on the #1 soap opera The Young and the Restless, shares her extraordinary journey to stardom, sobriety, true love, and self-discovery in this startingly candid, intimate, and star-studded memoir.”
Photo; Kensington Books
CAKE FIGHTS AND CORPORATE INTRIGUE
The book description for The Young and the Rest of Us adds, “In June 1987, Jess Walton walked through the artists’ entrance at CBS for her first day on The Young and the Restless,where she had just been hired to play the recast role of Jill Abbott. Two Emmy awards, four decades, and countless onscreen affairs, marriages, corporate takeovers, and cake fights later, she’s a beloved icon with an astonishing tale to tell.”
“In her refreshingly candid style, Jess shares her journey as a young actress from Toronto theaters to Los Angeles, where she found herself at the center of a Laurel Canyon circle that included the likes of Neil Young, David Geffen, Laura Nyro, and Joni Mitchell. Landing a Universal contract and a steady stream of guest starring roles, Jess embraced everything 1970s L.A. had to offer—including Hollywood parties fueled by limitless booze and drugs, and trysts with stars. She recounts with candor and gratitude the surprising path that eventually led her to sobriety, true love—and ultimately, to fictional Genoa City, Wisconsin, and the role of a lifetime.”
“Brimming with behind-the-scenes drama and celebrity cameos to delight fans, The Young and the Rest of Us is also rich in personal, relatable truths about marriage, motherhood, empty-nesting, self-discovery, and finding the courage to start over—as often as it takes. In a voice as fearless and frank as Jill’s, but with, humor and grace all her own, Jess Walton looks back on a life as unpredictable, and adventure filled as anything she has portrayed on screen.”
WHO ELSE PLAYED JILL FOSER ABBOTT?
Fans of The Young and the Restless know that Walton became the fourth actress to take on the role of Katherine Chancellor’s original nemesis Jill Foster back in 1987. The OG Jill was played by Brenda Dickson, also Deborah Adair, Bond Gideon and Melinda O. Fee played the part.
This year, Days of our Lives star Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) filled-in for several episodes for Walton who was unavailable to travel from her home in Oregon to Los Angeles where Y&R was taped. Walton is still with the long-running soap opera as Jill.
So, excited to learn of Jess Walton’s upcoming memoir, ‘The Young and the Rest of Us?’ Will it be it a must-read for you? Drop a comment below.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali Song ‘Pray’ Now Available on Major Streaming Platforms with Music Video Forthcoming
‘General Hospital’ Icon Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy Tells Carter She’s Pregnant, But He Has a Way ‘Out of This Situation For All of Us’
‘Beyond the Gates’ vs. ‘The Young and the Restless’ in a Soap Opera Showdown on ‘Flip Side’ Season 3 Premiere
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Heather Tom Talks Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and What’s Behind Katie’s Deep-Seated Issues with Dylan (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Did Brook Lynn Deserve Chase Walking Out on Her?
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ to Rebroadcast Special Episode in Tribute to Anthony Geary
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Tabyana Ali Song ‘Pray’ Now Available on Major Streaming Platforms with Music Video Forthcoming
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Icon Genie Francis to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
-
News7 days agoVivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
-
News1 day agoJess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
-
General Hospital6 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Braedyn Bruner Reveals Her Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes and How Emma is Getting Her ‘Edge’ Back
-
General Hospital5 days ago‘General Hospital’s’ Bluesy Burke Marks 1 Year as Charlotte Cassadine: ‘It’s The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received’
-
News4 days ago‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Drops First Look 40th Anniversary Opening Title Sequence
