The Young and the Restless Head Writer on Jess Walton’s Jill Future, Lauren Koslow Recast (Excl)
When news broke that Lauren Koslow would temporarily step in as Jill Abbott on The Young and the Restless while Jess Walton was unavailable, fans immediately wondered what it meant for Jill going forward. The show’s head writer, Josh Griffith, spoke to Soap Opera Digest about how the short-notice swap came together, previews what Jill’s return sets in motion and addresses Walton’s status with Y&R.
How Lauren Koslow’s Jill Casting Came Together
Griffith says the decision to bring Koslow in as a temporary recast for Walton together quickly once the show learned that the Daytime Emmy winner would not be able to make the trip to Los Angeles from her home in Oregon to tape a series of pivotal Y&R episodes.
“When we got the sad news that Jess wouldn’t be able to make it down here for this, we were just so close to when we needed to do it,” Griffith recalls, “and [Y&R’s publicist] and I just sat and brainstormed for two seconds.”
From there, he says, the solution became obvious. Griffith had written for Koslow, who plays Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives, when he was on that show’s writing team, and he notes that the characters of Kate and Jill have “a lot of similarities.”
Because both soaps are produced under the Sony umbrella, arrangements were made to accommodate Koslow’s schedule.
“We reached out to her,” Griffith explains. “She was contracted on DAYS, but because of Sony we were able to reach out to them, and they very graciously agreed to let us work out a scheduling thing so that we could shoot when she wasn’t shooting over there.”
Everything ultimately fell into place, and Griffith is pleased with the results.
“It all just aligned,” he says. “When it airs, you’ll see. It works very well.”
What Jill Is Doing Next in Genoa City
As for Jill’s upcoming story, Griffith previews that the matriarch arrives with a mission: bringing her son Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) and her stepson Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) together.
“She wants them to get along,” he explains. “She wants him to accept that Cane will be running this company that Billy has coveted for so long.”
But Jill isn’t just playing peacemaker. Griffith hints she’s also guarding information that could have major consequences if Billy finds out.
“She wants these two semi-brothers to come together and stop bickering,” he says. “And she also needs to keep a huge secret that she can’t afford for Billy to find out.”
So will Jill succeed?
“It’s going to be an up-mountain battle,” Griffith teases.
Is Jess Walton Still Jill Abbott?
As for whether Koslow’s appearance signals a permanent change, Griffith stresses that Walton remains the definitive Jill.
“We love her,” he says of Walton. “She is Jill to the masses.”
Looking ahead, Griffith expresses hope that Walton will return to the show as she is able to make the commute.
“I hope that as we move forward there will be opportunity [to see more of Walton’s Jill] based on her availability,” he nods.
Will you be watching Koslow’s Jill — and are you glad Walton will still pop in when she can? Let us know in the comments below.
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