“The Young and The Restless” (Y&R) spoilers reveal that General Hospital star Billy Abbot went into surgery portrayed by Burgess Jenkins but will come out of it a new man with recast portrayer Jason Thompson swathed in bandages. Thompson revealed in a recent interview how GH pal Billy Miller helped him make the YR move.
It’s has been an interesting merry-go-round of recasting as Steve Burton (ex-GH character Jason Morgan) moved to Y&R to play Dylan McAvoy while Miller migrated from Y&R as Billy Abbott over to GH to bring amnesiac Jason Morgan to life.
And now Thompson is moving from GH to Y&R to take on the role Miller once played. While every actor wants to make the role their own, it seemed logical for Thompson to talk with Miller about the lay of the land over in Genoa City and the specifics of Billy Abbott’s past storylines.
Thompson told CBS Soaps In Depth that he and Miller “had a couple of chats about it.” He said that Miller was “very open and very cool.” Since Miller played the role of Billy Abbott from 2008 through 2014, it made sense to consult with him on the ins and outs and history of the character he was taking on.
This is a major adjustment for Thompson who has spent a decade playing bad boy surgeon turned devoted single father to step into a role of someone dramatically different from the part he’s inhabited. Billy is a drastic change of pace – a black sheep, ne’er do well, drinker and gambler.
It’s hard to imagine Thompson transforming from GH’s hottie family man into Genoa City’s least eligible bachelor. No doubt this was a subject of conversation between Miller and Thompson. At least when Miller made the move to GH, he had the shield of amnesia to cushion the blow of a major character shift.
What will also ease Thompson’s transition – aside from a little mano y mano mentoring from Miller on the role of Billy – is that he’s working with Jill Farren Phelps over at Y&R – the woman who created the character of Patrick Drake when she was a showrunner at GH.
In fact, Thompson also queried Phelps and writer Chuck Pratt on character history so that he felt equipped to step into the part with all the background info he needed. With Thompson slated to start “The Young and The Restless” on January 13, we’ll see just how all the prep work played out.
What was especially nice was that GH had Miller’s character Jason show up to Patrick and Robin Scorpio’s [Kimberly McCullough] wedding as they left and there was a handshake and congratulatory moment that seemed like Miller was wishing Thompson the best of luck stepping into his former shoes at Y&R.
What do you think Y&R fans, are you excited to see Thompson take on the role as Burgess Jenkins departs? Do you think he was a solid casting choice or do you wish Jenkins had stuck around or was Miller your favorite Billy?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and check back with CDL often for more “The Young and The Restless” spoilers, news and updates.
