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Jerry Douglas, Beloved 'The Young And The Restless' Actor, Dies At 88

LOS ANGELES (CBSNewYork) -- Longtime soap opera star Jerry Douglas passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 88. He played patriarch John Abbott on the CBS daytime drama "The Young and the Restless."

"On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas," Anthony Morina, the Executive Producer of The Young and the Restless said in a statement per ET Online. "Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits. Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family. His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed."

Douglas was on "Y&R" for more than 30 years after joining the cast in 1982 as the head of Jabot Cosmetics. Though his character eventually died in 2006, Douglas still occasionally appeared on the show as his John Abbott's ghost. His last appearance came in 2016.

Douglas starred in more than 100 productions over his career, including the popular movies "JFK," "Avalanche" and "Mommie Dearest." On TV, he guest starred on shows including "Cold Case," "Melrose Place" and "Arrested Development". He additionally worked in theater and sang, releasing an album, "The Best Is Yet To Come," in 2007.

Douglas is survived by his wife, Kym, whom he was married to for 37 years. He leaves behind children -- Jod, Hunter, and Avra -- and two grandchildren. His passing comes just three days before his 89th birthday.

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