Actress Lauren Koslow returned to the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless on Monday, June 29, 2026, temporarily stepping into the iconic role of Jill Abbott.
Koslow filled in for longtime portrayer Jess Walton, who could not travel from Oregon to Los Angeles due to a scheduling conflict.
This marks Koslow's first appearance on the show in 40 years since playing Lindsey Wells from 1984 to 1986.
Last-Minute Opportunity
Koslow, who has portrayed Kate Roberts on Days of Our Lives for three decades, secured the temporary role after a last-minute scheduling coordination between both production teams.
"They were asking if I could step in and help out," recalled Koslow.
"It was crazy because I heard on a Friday and it was for the next week, but I was thrilled."
The actress prepared for the role by researching recent character developments on online fan forums to master the extensive script material before filming began.
"It's so funny because I do know Jill because I blackmailed Jill as Lindsey, but that was Brenda Dickson's Jill," Koslow pointed out.
"I've seen Y&R with Jess on it, but it's been a while, so I wanted to get up to date because there's a lot of history."
Filming required balancing complex schedules, with Koslow recording for Days of Our Lives on Tuesday and Wednesday before filming for the CBS daytime drama on Thursday and Friday.
"I had forgotten how word-intensive Y&R is," Koslow admitted. "And that's why I got very concerned about it.
They're really, really good scripts and they just threw me into what is going on in Jill's life right now."
Nostalgic Return to Studio
The return to the studio triggered nostalgic memories for the actress, who met her husband, makeup artist Nicky Schillace, at the facility during her initial 1980s run.
"It was like a trip back in time," Koslow shared. "Just turning in the gate, I was flooded with memories.
It was emotional for sure."
Koslow shared her first scenes alongside Billy Flynn, who portrays Cane Ashby, and Jason Thompson, who plays Billy Abbott, noting that a familiar history with Flynn eased her transition.
"The entire cast and crew are so gracious, and everyone's so supportive," Koslow praised.
"I think everyone knew it was a big thing to do, to have to step in there and honor Jess and her performance."
During production, Koslow also encountered former colleagues Stacy Haiduk and Lucas Adams on the studio sets.
"The only problem I did have is I kept calling Cane 'Billy,' but of course, Jason's Billy," Koslow mused.
"Jill and Billy have a very complex relationship."
The stint provided an emotional full-circle experience for the actress, who expressed gratitude for the network's confidence in her ability to manage the intense storyline on short notice.
"It meant a lot to me that they trusted me to walk into a heavy storyline in terms of its emotional content, last minute, and memorize all this dialogue and do it," Koslow explained.
"It's the best validation of your work and your career."
