With J. Eddie Peck heading back to Y&R as Cole Howard, here’s a quick refresher on Cole’s previous Genoa City action.
1980-81
Victor’s former secretary, Eve Howard (Margaret Mason), showed up in Genoa City with her 6-year-old son, Charles, who she claimed was conceived from a one night-stand with her then-boss. Victor paid Eve $50,000 to leave town and send Charles to boarding school in Switzerland.
CBS
1993-95
Eve returned to Genoa City accompanied by her 18-year-old son, an aspiring novelist, who was going by his middle name, Cole. He was hired to work on the Newman ranch, where he attracted the attention of both Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victoria (then-Heather Tom); the scandalous triangle landed on the cover of Soap Opera Digest. Although he slept with Nikki, he decided he was in love with Victoria, which he shared in a letter to his mom. Eve passed away before she could apprise her son that Victoria was his half sister. Cole and Victoria eloped, and after consummating their marriage, Victor informed them they were siblings. They obtained an annulment. However, a DNA test later revealed that Cole and Victor had no bio connection (Cole’s father proved to be the late Rick Daros), so he and Victoria married again in 1994. Cole’s book editor, Jeri, put the moves on him but he resisted her.
1996-99
Cole and Victoria’s marriage hit rough waters when she flirted with ex-husband Ryan while Cole stole kisses with his new assistant, Nina, Ryan’s wife. Nina and Cole hit the sheets, but he decided to work it out with Victoria. In 1997, Victoria caught Cole smooching with Ashley and they drifted apart. The Howards split the following year and Cole became engaged to Ashley. Victoria confessed she was pregnant with his kid, but Cole tied the knot with Ash as planned. Victoria and Cole named their prematurely born daughter Eve, and were devastated when she tragically passed away. When Ashley left for Europe in 1999 to contend with family drama, Victoria hoped she and Cole would grow close again, but he followed his wife to Spain. Ashley hoped to fix the problems in her marriage by having a baby, but Cole balked. He relocated to England to teach writing at Oxford, and later wrote to Ashley (Eileen Davidson) asking to make their separation permanent.
John Paschal/JPI
