Jill Abbott
Jill Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The longest-running and only remaining original character, Jill was created and introduced by William J. Bell. Originally portrayed by Brenda Dickson, when Dickson departed in 1980, the role was first recast with Deborah Adair. Dickson returned in 1983 and, although she stated that she would never leave the role again, she was replaced by Jess Walton in 1987, who continues in the role to present time.
When she debuted, Jill was an 18-year-old manicurist working to support her struggling family. The character is known for her rivalry with Katherine Chancellor, which is the longest feud in the history of American soap operas. Their rivalry began when she fell in love and slept with Katherine's husband Phillip Chancellor II and became pregnant. Following Phillip's accidental death, the women fought over custody of Jill's son, Phillip Chancellor III, as well as numerous of Katherine's other husbands. A 2003 plot twist shockingly revealed Jill to be Katherine's long lost biological daughter, although in 2009, former head writer Maria Arena Bell rewrote their history, reversing that decision. In 2010, Jill discovered she is the daughter of Neil Fenmore.
The character is considered an icon on the soap opera, and has been described as an integral part of the series. Both Dickson and Walton have characterized her as "manipulative". Walton, who classes her as a "savvy businesswoman", has opined she is similar to Gone with the Wind character Scarlett O'Hara. Critics have described her as both vindictive and a vixen. John Goudas of The Miami News said that the show "flourishes when her character takes center stage," while Nekeeta Borden of Zap2it noted that Jill has always craved a sense of belonging despite her personality. Walton's portrayal has been met with acclaim, having garnered her two Daytime Emmy Award wins.
Casting
Dickson debuted as the character on the second episode of the series. Footage of Dickson as Jill appears in the film Taxi Driver. On January 9, 1980, Dickson left the role. In May 1980, Bond Gideon briefly took over before Adair portrayed the character for an additional three years, from 1980 to 1983. Dickson returned to the role on September 8, 1983. Melinda Fee served a temporary recast also in 1984, and Adair briefly reprised the role in 1986 as a fill-in for Dickson. In 1987, when asked if she would ever leave the character of Jill again, Dickson stated: "I'm planning to branch out, maybe even a miniseries. But only means shooting here at night to fill in. I can't give up Jill. I'm having too much fun with her. Besides, it's all so easy." Despite this, Dickson was later replaced by Walton: first serving as a temporary replacement on June 19, 1987; then as a permanent recast airing on June 25, 1987.Dickson briefly vacated the role on June 18, 1987, due to illness. Dickson returned on June 22, 1987 and ultimately made her final appearance as Jill on June 24, 1987.
In March 2009, speculation arose that Walton had taken a medical leave; however, Nelson Branco of TV Guide Canada reported that she had been asked to accept a salary cut and had decided to leave. The soap opera issued a casting call for Jill, describing her as "late '50s, Caucasian, female. This woman is a smart and confident CEO of a successful company. She is a mother and grandmother who wants what is best for her family." However, soon after, Walton was able to sign a new contract to continue her portrayal of Jill. She later clarified her departure as having to do with "family and this economy". She stated: "I felt so bad that so many people have lost their jobs, that, all of a sudden, I thought: 'This is really silly. I have a wonderful job and I really think I owe it to myself and my family to continue on.'" In February 2012, Walton signed a new contract with the soap opera, which would continue her portrayal of the role for an unspecified amount of time. The actress was then announced to be taking a leave of absence beginning that April, slated to last six months. She made her return on November 2, 2012. After her return, Walton announced in an interview with Soap Opera Digest that she had voluntarily dropped to recurring status to allow for more time with her family.
Development
Characterization
describes Jill as "driven and ambitious". Lilana Novakovich of the Toronto Star stated she was "one mean lady", and later noted her to be manipulative. Dickson was "delighted" when viewers compared Jill to Alexis Colby on the television series Dynasty, and believed that Jill could give "lessons in rottenness" to Alexis. While Jill, still portrayed by Dickson, was in a middle of a custody battle for her son, John Goudas of The Miami News said: "Jill is hot again this winter. In a court battling for her son she never gave a darn about, quixotic Jill Foster Abbott gives The Young and the Restless a few heady jolts." Additionally, he described Jill as a "two-timing, self-absorbed, vindictive little witch" who fans always sympathize with. In 1992, Donna Gable of USA Today described Jill as volatile.In 1994, Walton described her character as, "Very much like a latter-day Scarlett O'Hara. She is very manipulative and feels she is strongly justified in her actions. Jill is an individual who has a lot of difficulty in seeing what she truly is." Additionally, she said that once Jill "she gets a plan in her head, nothing will divert her." In 1998, Walton's co-star Jeanne Cooper described Jill as "Wile E. Coyote". Walton conceded that the analogy is true, saying that Jill is in "constant turmoil". She stated: "She gets the anvil dropped on her head and falls off the cliff. She cries and then tells everyone her new plan and how she's going to rule the world. Then it's off the cliff again." Walton has said that Jill "can be such a shrew" and "gets her happiness where she can, and she certainly is not going to contain her anger. She lets it out, so it does not fester in there. She is on a roller coaster though, I will say that much." In 2009, Walton stated that she had "really missed Jill being bad", but upon the character crashing Katherine's wedding to Patrick Murphy, she said that "this is pretty bad". Walton stated in an interview in 2003 that she does like portraying the "dark side" of Jill, but rather her comedic side. She also described Jill as being "so strong" and "such a survivor".
Jill is known as a businesswoman, after working as a manicurist during her youth. Walton has said that she wants to see Jill's business side incorporate into the storyline more, stating: "That's what Jill has always done, and she does it well. She was a really successful businesswoman. Jill did a lot of foolish things, but she was a savvy businesswoman." Additionally, Walton described Jill's business as the "core of the whole character", stating: "Jill is really a part of me – this is a unique job in that part of me does live as Jill, and I know Jill is a very savvy businesswoman."
Relationships
Walton said that "Jill is attracted to powerful men" but is a "bossy little lady" who isn't going to "buckle under" to them. She romanced many of Katherine's husbands, including Rex Sterling. Walton said that their romance was "great" but "he only fell in love with her because the real Katherine had been spirited away and a fake Katherine was in her place". Walton described Jill's romance Sean Bridges, who was a young web designer, as a "boy toy". Jill is known for infidelity, Nekeeta Borden of Zap2it noted that she has slept with Katherine's husbands and had an affair with Jack Abbott while she was married to his own father, John Abbott. Former head writer Kay Alden called her affair with Jack "massive" and it was "devastating to both of them" when it broke up her marriage to John. Lydna Hirsch of Sun Sentinel noted that after the affair, John threw Jack out of the house and divorced Jill; he forgave them years later but it took "Jack being paralyzed and Jill dealing with the death of her son Philip to get him to come around". Several years later, Walton said that John was one of the character's "best matches" because "Jill had a real love and respect for him – I just don't think she had the physical passion for him so she got restless." Of her relationship with ex-con Larry Warton, Walton said: "Larry Warton was hilarious; he was really, really fun. I loved doing that, because that was almost all comedy, all the time."After years of not having a relationship, Jill has a brief romance with district attorney William Bardwell in 2007, which ends when Gloria Abbott schemes to have him for herself. She later has a relationship with businessman Ji Min Kim, who became her fiancé, however, he was murdered before they were able to marry. Jill's most recent relationship was with Cane Ashby's father, Colin Atkinson. He had a criminal past, angering Katherine, who was protective of Jill. Allison Waldman of AOL TV wrote: "Is he sincere, or is Colin just using Jill to get to Cane?" Jill accepted his "insane marriage offer" and considered eloping. Walton said that Colin was a "good match" for Jill and she hoped that she could "reform" him. Amid everyone telling Jill that she should stay away from Colin, Walton said: "She's only seeing the good in him. I really believe there's a real love between those two, and we're playing it like there is." Their marriage was later declared invalid after Genevieve Atkinson revealed that she and Colin were still married.
Feud with Katherine
Jill is known for her feud with Katherine Chancellor, which took place over four decades. BuddyTV wrote that, "Nothing spells rivalry like the on-going feud between Jill Foster Abbott and Katherine Chancellor." In 1993, Katherine was diagnosed with breast cancer and shared several tender scenes with Jill. Nancy Reichardt of the Los Angeles Times noted that the characters were acting out of character; she wrote: "Katherine's breast cancer scare was touching and seeing Katherine and Jill come together added an intriguing new dimension to their relationship. To confuse us, the show has thrown out this budding friendship as if it never happened. How much more moving it would have been if these two women faced Katherine's request for Jill to name her child Phillip as former adversaries trying to put the past behind them instead of as bitter enemies of days gone by." Of working with Cooper, Walton has stated: "I thank God every day for that woman. She feeds me. She is like a shot in the arm when you see her in the morning. She is funny and sharp and I love her."In 2003, Katherine and Jill were believed to be mother and daughter after Katherine's friend, Charlotte Ramsey, provided factual proof. Of the storyline, Walton stated: "She's going down a bad road. In looking back over the past 16 years, she's gone down a lot of bad roads, for a lot of different reasons. She'll survive this one and, hopefully, maybe this time she'll learn something from it." She also described Jill as being in a "soul-searching period" during the storyline, saying: "Now she's numbing herself with the alcohol because all those feelings of love are coming up for her mother, and she doesn't know how to deal with them." Walton said she felt Jill had been "shaken to the very foundation" upon the revelation that Katherine is her mother, stating: "A big part of who she has been all these years has to do with her anger towards Katherine. She always shoved any feeling of love down. Now, she's questioning everything about herself. That's why she is in such pain and why she is drinking. That hate thing is baseless now." While admitting to having been surprised with the maternity revelation, Walton thought it was "fabulous and rich, and it's opened up a whole new facet to the story". However, in 2009, the characters' history was rewritten by Maria Arena Bell; Charlotte had made up this information for revenge against Katherine, and they were not mother and daughter.
A writer from the Jamaica Gleaner noted that viewers had been getting restless with Jill's newfound closeness to Katherine, noting that, "Katherine and Jill are at their best when they are at each other's throats." Of the storyline where she returned to Jabot Cosmetics, Cooper stated: "Since I went back into the business of business, I've been taking away some of Jill's power. You wanna go broke? Leave your company in the hands of Jill! The other day, we were filming some confrontational scenes, and Jess says, 'Doesn't it feel good?' And the crew is like: 'Good! The girls are at it again!'" Lilana Novakovich of The Record noted that the rivalry between the two women has "outlived most marriages". Cooper stated: "The audience – both young and old – relate to the Kay/Jill relationship". Walton describes their relationship as "incredible" and said: "The love and the hate is so mixed, and there is never any telling when it will bubble out now. It used to be, “This month I like her... this month I hate her.” Now, it's more from moment to moment."