Jerry Douglas obit

Jerry Douglas Dies: Longtime ‘The Young And The Restless’ Actor Was 88

 

He was not on the list.

Jerry Douglas, who played patriarch John Abbott on CBS’ The Young and the Restless for more than 30 years, died November 9 after a brief illness, his family announced Wednesday. He was 88.

Born Jerry Rubenstein on November 12, 1932, in Chelsea, MA, Douglas launched his acting career upon graduating from Brandeis University, studying acting with Uta Hagen in New York and Jeff Corey in Los Angeles.

He joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in March 1982 as John Abbott, patriarch of the Abbott family and wealthy chairman of Jabot Cosmetics. When viewers first met him, he was a single father helping children Jack, Ashley and Traci navigate adulthood.

In later years, John Abbott wed Jill Foster and they had a son, Billy. John also had several romantic reunions with estranged ex-wife, Dina Mergeron.

John Abbott was a mainstay in Genoa City until the character’s death in 2006. He later made appearances as the character’s ghost, who continued to check on and counsel his children. He last appeared in 2016.

“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,” said Anthony Morina, executive producer of The Young and the Restless.

“Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits,” added Morina. “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.”

Over the span of his decades-long career, Douglas appeared in more than one 100 productions. He appeared in numerous feature films, including Oliver Stone’s JFK, Avalanche, The Godson, Head Over Spurs in Love and Mommie Dearest.

In recent years, he guest-starred in episodes of Cold Case, Melrose Place, The Christmas Wish, Crash and Arrested Development. Earlier in his acting career, he guested on many classic series such as The Rockford Files, Police Story, Hunter, The Streets of San Francisco, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Police Woman, The Rookies and Mission: Impossible among others. His résumé also included theater and singing engagements across North America. His album The Best Is Yet to Come is available on audio streaming platforms.

Douglas is survived by his wife of 37 years, television host and author Kym Douglas; sons Jod and Hunter; daughter Avra; two grandchildren; and nieces including Kirby Rubenstein and Solo Rubenstein.

Services were pending.

Actor (70 credits)

 2016 The Final Show (Short)

 1981-2016 The Young and the Restless (TV Series)

John Abbott / Alistair Wallingford / Self

- Episode #1.11017 (2016) ... John Abbott

- Episode #1.10838 (2016) ... John Abbott (credit only)

- Episode #1.10837 (2016) ... John Abbott (credit only)

- Episode #1.10836 (2016) ... John Abbott (credit only)

- Episode #1.10835 (2016) ... John Abbott

Show all 862 episodes

 2012 Silent But Deadly

Captain

 2011 The Back-up Bride

Uncle Billy Bob

 2007 Cold Case (TV Series)

Eugene 'Skip' Robertson - 2007

- Family 8108 (2007) ... Eugene 'Skip' Robertson - 2007

 1999 Melrose Place (TV Series)

Mr. Damarr

- Dead Men Don't Shut Up (1999) ... Mr. Damarr (uncredited)

- A Fist Full of Secrets (1999) ... Mr. Damarr

 1998 The Christmas Wish (TV Movie)

Mr. Askou

 1998 The Godson

Freddie Green

 1991 JFK

Board Room Man

 1989 Hunter (TV Series)

Mike Murdoch

- The Legion: Part 2 (1989) ... Mike Murdoch

- The Legion: Part 1 (1989) ... Mike Murdoch

 1982 The Greatest American Hero (TV Series)

Jack Martel

- There's Just No Accounting... (1982) ... Jack Martel

 1982 A Wedding on Walton's Mountain (TV Movie)

 1981 This Is the Life (TV Series)

Williams

- Mr. Big (1981) ... Williams

 1981 Looker

Laxative Spokesman

 1981 Mommie Dearest

Radio Interviewer

 1981 House Calls (TV Series)

Sgt. Ed Fox

- My Son, the Anarchist (1981) ... Sgt. Ed Fox

 1973-1980 Barnaby Jones (TV Series)

Paul Ramsey / Lee Wallace / Harold Murphy / ...

- Focus on Fear (1980) ... Paul Ramsey

- A Simple Case of Terror (1977) ... Lee Wallace

- Final Burial (1975) ... Harold Murphy

- Forfeit by Death (1974) ... Ross Kemper

- Fatal Flight (1973) ... Bill Claymore

 1979 Eischied (TV Series)

- Spanish Eight (1979)

 1978-1979 The Rockford Files (TV Series)

Al Haluska / Hugh Wexler

- No Fault Affair (1979) ... Al Haluska

- A Good Clean Bust with Sequel Rights (1978) ... Hugh Wexler

 1976-1979 Police Story (TV Series)

Investigator Johnson / Emil Becker / Alex Kosta

- A Cry for Justice (1979) ... Investigator Johnson

- Three Days to Thirty (1976) ... Emil Becker

- Open City (1976) ... Alex Kosta

 1979 The Incredible Hulk (TV Series)

Frank Malone

- A Solitary Place (1979) ... Frank Malone

 1978 Crash (TV Movie)

Miami Approach Controller

 1978 Avalanche

Phil Prentiss

 1978 Lucan (TV Series)

Yates

- Pariah (1978) ... Yates

 1978 Good Guys Wear Black

Joe Walker - The Black Tigers

 1978 Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (TV Series)

Alex Farmer

- The Framing of Perfect Sydney (1978) ... Alex Farmer

 1977 The Feather and Father Gang (TV Series)

Dorsey

- Welcome Home, Vince (1977) ... Dorsey

 1977 Cover Girls (TV Movie)

Fritz Porter

 1977 Quincy M.E. (TV Series)

Johnson

- An Unfriendly Radiance (1977) ... Johnson

 1977 Most Wanted (TV Series)

Ross Shaeffer

- The Parasite (1977) ... Ross Shaeffer

 1974-1976 The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series)

Ethan Prince / Bill Benson / Ofc. Murphy

- Child of Anger (1976) ... Ethan Prince

- Ten Dollar Murder (1975) ... Bill Benson

- Rampage (1974) ... Ofc. Murphy

 1976 The Quest (TV Series)

Jensen

- Welcome to America, Jade Snow (1976) ... Jensen

 1976 The Secrets of Isis (TV Series)

Inspector Bryce

- Now You See It... (1976) ... Inspector Bryce

- ...And Now You Don't (1976) ... Inspector Bryce

 1976 Police Woman (TV Series)

Leo Patri

- The Trick Book (1976) ... Leo Patri

 1976 The Bionic Woman (TV Series)

Connors

- Fly Jaime (1976) ... Connors

 1976 Brinks: The Great Robbery (TV Movie)

Dennis Fisher

 1976 The Blue Knight (TV Series)

Timekeeper

- The Pink Dragon (1976) ... Timekeeper

 1975 S.W.A.T. (TV Series)

Ryan

- The Swinger (1975) ... Ryan

 1975 Bronk (TV Series)

Ritt

- The Fifth Victim (1975) ... Ritt

 1975 The Wide World of Mystery (TV Series)

Ward

- Please Stand by for Murder (1975) ... Ward

 1975 The Dead Don't Die (TV Movie)

Ralph Drake

 1974 The Rookies (TV Series)

Red Tivoli

- Vendetta (1974) ... Red Tivoli

 1974 Harry O (TV Series)

Dave Struder

- Material Witness (1974) ... Dave Struder

 1974 The Manhunter (TV Series)

Proctor

- The Deadly Brothers (1974) ... Proctor

 1967-1973 The F.B.I. (TV Series)

Agent Munger / Rex Lynn / S.A.C. Jim Russell / ...

- Rules of the Game (1973) ... Agent Munger

- The Disinherited (1973) ... Rex Lynn

- The Target (1970) ... S.A.C. Jim Russell

- The Executioners: Part 2 (1967) ... Brit Hancock, senior FBI resident agent, Morristown, New Jersey

 1973 The Stranger (TV Movie)

Steve Perry

 1973 Hunter (TV Movie)

General Rollins

 1970-1972 Mission: Impossible (TV Series)

Danny Moore / Marvin Rogers

- Movie (1972) ... Danny Moore

- Lover's Knot (1970) ... Marvin Rogers

 1971 Travis Logan, D.A. (TV Movie)

Officer Francis Erwin

 1971 Dan August (TV Series)

Stan Palmer

- The Worst Crime (1971) ... Stan Palmer

 1969-1971 Mannix (TV Series)

Lt. Mitch Webster / Ed Barkley

- Round Trip to Nowhere (1971) ... Lt. Mitch Webster

- The World Between (1970) ... Lt. Mitch Webster

- Return to Summer Grove (1969) ... Ed Barkley

 1970 Ironside (TV Series)

Carl Fenton

- This Could Blow Your Mind (1970) ... Carl Fenton

 1969 Land of the Giants (TV Series)

Fielder

- A Place Called Earth (1969) ... Fielder

 1967 Bonanza (TV Series)

Jeremiah

- False Witness (1967) ... Jeremiah

 1967 Gunn

Dave Corwin

 1967 Dragnet 1967 (TV Series)

Sgt. Eugene Zappey

- The LSD Story (1967) ... Sgt. Eugene Zappey

 1965 Gunsmoke (TV Series)

Clark

- Seven Hours to Dawn (1965) ... Clark

 1965/I Harlow

Bit Role (uncredited)

 1964 Broadside (TV Series)

Seaman Curly Smith

- Ranakai Flips Its Wig (1964) ... Seaman Curly Smith

 1964 The Rogues (TV Series)

Harcourt

- Two of a Kind (1964) ... Harcourt

 1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series)

Lieutenant

- The Turncoat (1964) ... Lieutenant

 1964 Combat! (TV Series)

Kohler

- The Glory Among Men (1964) ... Kohler

 1964 Arrest and Trial (TV Series)

Howard Aubrey

- Modus Operandi (1964) ... Howard Aubrey

 1963 The Outer Limits (TV Series)

Tom Evans

- Tourist Attraction (1963) ... Tom Evans

 1963 Black Zoo

Perkins - Lab Technician

 1963 Empire (TV Series)

LeRoy

- Seven Days on Rough Street (1963) ... LeRoy

 1963 The Donna Reed Show (TV Series)

Officer Larson

- The Chinese Horse (1963) ... Officer Larson

 1963 The Untouchables (TV Series)

Officer Harrison

- Search for a Dead Man (1963) ... Officer Harrison

 1962 Shannon (TV Series)

Larry Engstrom

- The Florentine Prince (1962) ... Larry Engstrom

 1961 Blast of Silence

Gangster

Hide Hide Self (6 credits)

 2016-2019 Home & Family (TV Series)

Self

- Danica McKeller/Damaris Phillips/Nancy Fuller (2019) ... Self (uncredited)

- Cast of "The Young & The Restless"/T.C. Stallings/Chloe Temtchine (2018) ... Self

- Alyssa Milano/Beth Grant/The Newfangled Four (2017) ... Self (uncredited)

- Morgan Fairchild/Home Free/Gail Monaghan/Fran Berger (2016) ... Self (uncredited)

- Jessica Lownes/Deana Martin/Rachel Delato (2016) ... Self (uncredited)

Show all 6 episodes

 2013 The 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (TV Special)

Self

 2011 Kenny Hotz's Triumph of the Will (TV Series)

Self

- Take My Mom, Please (2011) ... Self

 2006 SoapTalk (TV Series)

Self

- Episode dated 23 August 2006 (2006) ... Self

- Episode dated 7 March 2006 (2006) ... Self

 1984 Dance Fever (TV Series)

Self

- Ed Begley, Jr. & Terence Knox, Jerry Douglas & Nicholas Walker, Michael Gross & Justine Bateman, Lita Ford (1984) ... Self

 1983 Tattletales (TV Series)

Self

- Soap Opera Couples Week (1983) ... Self