Leslie told Eva that she wanted to move in her hotel room while Eva moved into her apartment. She told Eva that she bought the building. Changing the subject, Leslie asked Eva about her feelings for Tomas. Leslie suggested that show him that she’s a better option than Kat. She told Eva that she was expecting someone. When Eva left, Peaches showed up. Leslie gave Peaches a check so she could get the treatment that she needed. She also told Peaches that she could move in one of the apartments in the building she bought. Derek and Jacob worked out. Jacob realized that Shanice knew that Derek had feelings in his legs. He told Derek that he wasn’t going to keep the secret for long since he expected him to lie to Naomi. Derek was upset, but Jacob didn’t give in. Jacob thought he was testing Ashley. He advised Derek not to go into the marriage with a secret. Derek said he would tell Ashley the truth if he made any major changes.
Andre showed up at the hospital while Ashley was telling Shanice about Doug. He wanted to tell Ashley that he and Dani got married, but she already knew. Andre tried to explain what was going on, but he noticed an engagement ring on her finger. He told her that Derek was her comfort zone. Andre said they were meant to be together to which she said she was in love with Derek. Marcel went to the casino to tell Joey that he was going to the Caribbean. Joey said he needed him to stay in town because it would look suspicious if he suddenly left town after Doug’s death. Later on, Joey offered to take Vanessa to see her son, but she told him Nicole was going to do it. Nicole walked in and saw them hugging.
Vanessa and Joey spent time together in Puerto Rico. She noticed that Jacob called. When she called him back, she found out that Doug was killed in a car accident. Vanessa broke down and wondered how the twins were going to take the news. She beat herself up for being in bed with another man while her husband was dying. Vanessa asked if Joey had anything to do with what happened with Doug. While Jacob was investigating Doug’s death, he wondered why he was driving drunk when he could have called a ride share. Marcel told him alcohol made people stupid. Later on, Jacob left to investigate the crime. Marcel called Joey and told him that everything went smoothly. He told Joey that as far as everyone knew, Doug’s death was an accident.
Dani and Andre talked about getting a divorce but continuing to be friends with benefits. She said she didn’t want her family to be shocked by the scandal. While they were talking, Nicole showed Anita and Vernon a picture that Anita’s impersonator shared online. Nicole called Andre and asked him to meet her at her parents’ house. When Andre showed up, the family ripped into him. They said they expected Dani to do something like this but not Andre. Andre accepted the blame and defended Dani. Nicole said Dani wasn’t the only one whose life was ruined. She said everyone wanted to take a break from reality. Bill told Hayley that women had a harder time moving on which was why Dani wouldn’t move on right away. Hayley showed him the post about Dani and Andre being married. She was happy, but Bill was furious. He wondered how Dani could do that to their daughters. Hayley wondered if he was more upset about Dani getting married. Bill said he couldn’t spend all of his time reassuring her when Dani didn’t do something. Later on, Bill went to Dani’s place to find out what was going on. He pointed out that she was with a younger man. Dani said her days of explaining herself to him were over. She said it was Hayley’s job to deal with his mess, not hers. While they were arguing, Bill told her to get her marriage annulled.
Joey and Vanessa were enjoying themselves in Puerto Rico even though he was getting texts about Doug losing at gambling. Vanessa believed that it was magical to cheat on Doug from a distance. She wasn’t thrilled when Joey wanted her to take off her wedding ring. Joey wanted her to be with him completely without any reminders of her life at home. It wasn’t easy for Vanessa to give up her life. Doug called Vanessa so she interrupted their moment together. Joey wasn’t happy about that and let it slip that he was with Vanessa. Doug nearly exploded at the idea that Vanessa was with Joey. The couple argued about Vanessa being with Joey. Doug went back to the blackjack table. Vanessa took her ring off and began to make love with Joey. Doug won a lot of money at the table and continued to drink. Marcel took Doug’s money and told him that he wouldn’t need it anymore.
Ashley went upstairs to help a neighbor, so Derek tried to get out the engagement ring he had for her. Derek fumbled with the ring and dropped it. He was afraid that Ashley would find it, so he struggled to get up to pick it up. Ashley showed up unexpectedly and saw the right. Derek proposed to her but didn’t tell her about his progress. Naomi and Jacob ran into Marcel at Orphey Gene’s. The cops had a heated exchange. After that exchange, they ran into June. They talked with her about her conversation with Samantha. After their conversation, Naomi went home. She realized that her rings were missing. Naomi got upset and destroyed her apartment to look for them. She felt like it was a bad sign for their marriage. June met Ted and had a friendly conversation with him. She didn’t realize who she was talking to. June found Naomi’s rings in the bathroom and gave her a call.
Dani and Andre woke up and realize they were married. She said there was no one that she would rather not remember marrying than him. After they finished talking about what they did, they decided it was time to go home and deal with the consequences of their actions. Martin and Samantha went to Orphey Gene’s so she could spend time with June. An upset Smitty said Martin was risking their relationship to get in good with their kid. He said any visits with June and the kids would involve a family member being there. Smitty met with Marcel and warned him that he would release a profile about him if he ever crossed the line again. After he finished talking to Marcel, he let June know that he didn’t like her spending time with the kids. He said he was willing to go through with it if they want to see her. Smitty warned her that he would cut her out of their lives if she hurt them.
Derek and Jacob were alone in Ashley’s apartment. While they were talking, Jacob realized Derek had feeling in his leg. Derek asked Jacob not to say anything to Ashley because he didn’t want to give her false hope. Jacob said he didn’t approve. Derek said he wasn’t looking for his approval. He wanted Jacob’s silence. At Uptown, Doug told Vanessa that he was joining a high stakes poker game. They ended up in an argument. Doug told Vanessa that he would give up his bad habits if she gave up hers. He walked away from her. Joey showed up and invited Vanessa to go to Puerto Rico with him. Vanessa hesitated at first but ended up agreeing to go.
Dani and Andre arrived at a chapel in Las Vegas. She was very drunk when they arrived. They flipped a coin to decide whether they should get married. The coin decided Dani and Andre should get married. An Anita impersonator was at the chapel and ready to marry them. Dani and Andre exchanged cigar bands and exchanged vows. The impersonator didn’t think they would remember that they got married. Andre and Dani arrived at their hotel. He carried her over the threshold. They couldn’t believe they were married. The couple were about to consummate their marriage when Andre passed out. Dani laid by his side. A lot of people were at the club. Doug and Vanessa talked about their marriage. Bill had dinner with Naomi and Chelsea. After the dinner. Kat sat with Chelsea to talk to her about her night with Tomas. Tomas was talking with Eva at Orphey Gene’s. Kat and Tomas told Chelsea and Eva about their nights together. They told them how they had a great evening, but it led to bad sex. Kat thought their sex life would be more instinctual since they had chemistry with each other. Chelsea told her that chemistry leads to the bedroom. She said communication is the key. Kat told her that she read that your relationship was over if you don’t have great sex. Chelsea advised her to get out of her head and go with the moment. Eva told Tomas that she’s pretty sure he wasn’t bad in bed. She advised him to prove that to Kat that it’s about her and not sex. Hayley told Caroline that her plan to make Bill jealous didn’t go as she planned it, but they had a deep conversation about Dani.
At the club, Leslie filled Eva in on her night with Ted. Leslie believed that Ted would come back to her. She didn’t want to Eva to ruin her mood. Anita and Vernon were at the club. After Leslie finished talking to Eva, she went over to Anita. Leslie wanted to know something about her mother. Anita told her to screw herself and warned her that she didn’t want her to take off her earrings. Later on, Anita changed her mind and told Leslie about Barbara. Leslie said the tribute concert was beautiful and thanked her for telling her about her mother. Vanessa didn’t want to leave Joey and Bill alone to talk, but eventually left. She went to Nicole who told her about Ted sleeping with Leslie. Bill warned Joey that Doug was going after him and was willing to throw Vanessa under the bus to do it. Joey said Doug wouldn’t do that. While he was talking, he let it slip that he had feelings for Vanessa. Nicole talked to Vanessa about Ted cheating on her. Vanessa thought Nicole wasn’t being honest about her feelings and suggested that she talk to Ted. Nicole took Ted’s tie to him and asked if Leslie was telling the truth about sleeping with him. Ted admitted to sleeping with Leslie and said it was a big mistake. Nicole said it was a mistake but not the way he thought it was.
Dani and Andre played drinking games at the club. They wanted to take their minds off Bill and Ashley. When the bartender told them they couldn’t have anymore drinks, Andre said they could go on a mystery trip. Dani agreed to go. Bill told Hayley about his conversation with Dani. He said the only thing that connected him to Dani were the children. When they were about to have sex, Doug showed up. At Uptown, Vanessa was excited about the money laundering scheme. While they were talking, Joey suggested that they move in together. Vanessa turned down his suggestion letting him know that she loved her husband. She said she learned years ago that she wanted sex more than Doug and got it elsewhere. Despite their problems, Vanessa said she loved her husband and wasn’t going to leave him. Doug told Bill about Joey’s money laundering scheme. He wanted Bill to handle Joey without hurting Vanessa. Later on, Bill went to Uptown and told Joey that he needed to talk to him alone. Kat and Tomas spent a romantic evening together, but she wasn’t satisfied again. Tomas wanted to talk about it. Kat was offended by the things he was saying. She said she might not be the problem. It was him. While Kat was yelling at him, she told him he was bad in bed.
Ashley was getting flirty with Derek when Andre texted her. Derek thought about the conversation he heard between Ashley and Andre. He wanted her to tell Andre about their engagement. Ashley told Andre about the engagement, and he was disappointed because he thought they would have a happy ending. While Ashley was with Andre, Shanice visited Derek. Shanice poked him with a sharp object. She suspected that he was regaining feeling in his legs and keeping quiet about it. Derek didn’t want to tell Ashley because he didn’t want to get her hopes up. Shanice thought he was worried that Ashley would call off the engagement once she found out he could walk. Andre and Ashley went to Derek’s bedside. Ashley and Derek were being romantic which made Andre uncomfortable. Andre suggested that Derek take Ashley to Paris since she always wanted to go there. After Andre left the room, Derek reminded Ashley that they couldn’t live together for five minutes. He wondered if they would be able to make long-term. Shanice arrived in Derek’s room again. She wondered if he was going to tell Ashley the truth about regaining feelings in his legs. Unfortunately, he continued to keep Ashley in the dark about his discovery.
Dani and Bill enjoyed walking down memory lane. They bonded while they reminisced about their children’s lives. Hayley wasn’t happy about seeing them bond. Hayley overheard them and called Tomas. After Tomas arrived, she thought they work on the surprise for Bill. He didn’t seem too enthusiastic about it so Hayley put her hand up his thigh. Bill walked in the room and asked if he was interrupting them. Tomas left the place. Bill realized what Hayley’s plan was. He wanted to know what Hayley wanted. She wanted him to make it clear that Dani didn’t have a chance of getting back together with him. Bill went to Dani’s place to tell her what he talked about with Hayley. Dani went to the country club after her conversation with Bill. She ran into Andre, and they talked about their sorrows. They agreed to drink their troubles away. Anita and Kat tried to talk Chelsea into moving forward with the company. Chelsea felt like she would never recover from what Allison did to her. When they were finished talking to Chelsea. Kat went to find Tomas to see if they were still a couple. They talked through their problems and agreed to a fresh start without pressures or expectations. Later, Chelsea and Kat decided to continue with the launch.
While Nicole and Anita were talking about Leslie finding another way to mess with their family, Ted woke up in bed with her. Nicole told Anita that she was thinking about giving Ted another chance. Anita asked if she wanted to get back together with him or was she afraid of life without him. Nicole wondered if they had to break up over a mistake. Ted looked at pictures of happier times with Nicole. Eva showed up at Ted’s room. Ted wanted Leslie to be quiet, but she wanted to tell her that they were back together. He let her know that they weren’t back together and he was going to fight for Nicole. Leslie asked if she was his side piece. Ted admitted that she was. Things weren’t going well for June at Orphey Gene’s. Samantha wanted to get to know her better despite Tyrell’s objections. She told June that she needed a woman’s perspective since she lives with guys. She wanted to make plans for them to spend time together. Leslie met with Eva at the country club and told her that she was in bed with Ted. A furious Eva went to see Ted. He was surprised that she knew about it. Eva said she was surprised the whole world didn’t know. She said Ted was more reckless than her mother because he knew better. Nicole and Anita ran into Leslie at the country club. They asked how she was dealing with having her membership revoked. Leslie said she was still a member despite Bill’s efforts. Before Leslie left the club, she pulled out one of Ted’s ties and asked Nicole to give it back to him.
Leslie went to Anita and Vernon’s place to let the Duprees know that she was going to be their neighbor. She explained that she planned on tearing down the Jarvis mansion to create a place for her. Leslie planned on naming a troll after Nicole. Nicole showed up just as Leslie was leaving. Vernon got on the phone and had Leslie’s membership revoked. Ted was getting drunk when Eva arrived. She told him about herself. Eva helped Ted get into bed and left to meet her mother. She let Leslie know that Ted was drunk. The wheels were spinning in Veronica’s head. She rushed out the door. Later Leslie arrived at Ted’s door. He caught her in his arms. Ashley wanted Derek to accept her proposal. He let her know that he’s not whole, but she didn’t care. Ashley found out that everything on his body isn’t paralyzed. Derek finally gave in and agreed to marry her. Shanice arrived and found out that Derek and Ashley were getting married. She wasn’t happy about the news. It seemed like Shanice didn’t like the idea of Derek pretending not to feel his legs. She realized that he wasn’t going to tell Ashley about the feeling he had in his legs. Naomi and Jacob were shocked to see June at Orphey Gene. She was getting her life together by getting a job. Martin begged Smitty to take him back. While they were talking, they found out that Samantha almost had sex with Nathan. It occurred to Samantha that she needed to talk to her mother.
At the country club, Dani wanted Bill to eat with her so they could talk about Chelsea. Naomi tried to convince Chelsea not to give up her social media career. She told Chelsea that she was giving her power to win over her. At the hospital, Andre asked Ashley about Derek. While they were talking, Derek was listening to them. Ashley said it would have been bad for Derek if she and Andre got together. Derek left while they were talking. Ashley said Derek’s accident made her fall in love with him. After she finished talking to Andre, she went to Derek’s room. Derek kept quiet about her conversation with Andre. He told her that his accident was a mixed blessing since it brought them back together. Ashley talked about different scenarios. Derek said the only world he was interested in was her. Ashley went back to work.
Bill and Dani talked about their daughters. While they were talking, she accused him of using her because he didn’t want to go home. Andre showed up while they were talking. He and Bill got into an argument. Bill ended up leaving. Eva showed up at Orphey Gene’s while Kat and Tomas were there. She tried to apologize for Leslie for buying the house across the street from the Duprees. Kat didn’t want to hear what she had to say. Eva went to a booth. Tomas told Kat that she was a mean girl. Kat ripped into him before she left. Ashley went to Orphey Gene’s to talk to her mother. She told Jan that she couldn’t get over the connection she had with Andre. Ashley told Jan that Derek was who she thought she wanted, but Andre was the one who made her think of a future she never imagined. Jan tried to convince her to stay with Derek. Later on, Ashley went back to the hospital and told Derek that he was the one she wanted to be with. She proposed to him.
Bill told Hayley that she couldn’t go with him to see Chelsea. Hayley was upset. She confronted him about the way he acted like she was in the way while Chelsea was kidnapped. Hayley said she wasn’t invisible and was tired of them acting like she doesn’t exist. Bill told her that he didn’t have time for this. He walked away from her. Later on, Hayley talked to Caroline about the way Bill was treating her. While they were talking, Hayley said Bill would be upset if the shoe were on the foot. Caroline suggested that she pretend to be attracted to someone to make Bill jealous. Hayley had second thoughts about the plan because she felt like she was lying.
Dani talked to Vanessa about coming together with Bill during Chelsea’s kidnapping. She told Vanessa that the ordeal made her think about her relationship with Bill and how he walked out on her and the girls. Dani said it could be a silver lining in Chelsea’s kidnapping if she and Bill could remain cordial with each other. Randy met Doug at Orphey Gene’s. He told Doug that he couldn’t be a part of the plan to bring Joey down. Doug was okay with not selling Joey out since Vanessa let him know that he hasn’t lost her and was going to stop flirting with Joey. Randy warned him to be careful. Vanessa went to see Joey. She asked him not to kill her husband. Vanessa didn’t want things to be awkward between them. Joey accused her of being addicted to him. Later on, Joey and Vanessa made out against the wall. Doug walked in on them. Chelsea told Kat that she shut down her social media. Kat said they should get more security instead of her shutting down her social media. Chelsea said her career as a social media influencer has been dangerous. When Kat tried to fight her on it, Chelsea asked if she thought social media was more important than her mental health. Kat said it wasn’t but wondered how they would sell the purses. Dani showed up and said it wasn’t Chelsea’s social media that attracted Allison. She said it was Chelsea. Dani suggested that Chelsea could retreat but reminded her that Duprees never hide. She said Chelsea’s fame could help them. Bill showed up. The girls told him about their plan to incorporate an anti-violence message in the purses. Chelsea noticed sparks flying between Dani and Bill.
Martin talked to Smitty about his parents getting divorced. Their divorce made him want to work harder on his marriage. Martin didn’t want to lose Smitty. They kissed each other. Smitty put on the breaks before they went to the bedroom. but Martin wasn’t ready to stop. They ended up in the bedroom after all. After they made love, Smitty’s attitude was different. Martin was ready to move back into their bedroom, but he was mistaken. He let Martin know that sex wasn’t going to readily fix everything. Smitty loved him, but he wasn’t sure if he trusted him yet. At the Duprees, Ted demanded a round of applause for keeping Leslie from buying the house across from Anita and Frank. Nicole felt like he was reaching too far. She shot down his suggestion that they get back together. Bill arrived and warned him that he was fighting a losing battle. He put money on the counter. After Nicole and Destiney left the tool, Ted went off because the Duprees treated him badly while patting Bill on the back. Everyone with the exception of Nicole found Ted’s comments funny.
Chelsea wanted to confront Allison at the station. She told Allison what she thought of her. Allison felt like she was good for Chelsea’s social media account. She said the worst thing that could happen is if her fans ignored her. Allison felt like Chelsea was the reason she turned into a stalker. She felt like all her posts were designed to create a stalker. After she left the station, Chelsea went home and wondered why people like her and her mother needed people like Allison. Dani explained how things were back her during her modeling days. Chelsea cried because she thought she brought the situation on herself. Dani let her know that she wasn’t responsible for what Allison did. She left Chelsea and Madison so they could be alone. Chelsea assured Madison that she didn’t have sex with Allison. Jacob got annoyed with Allison because she kept humming instead of answering his questions. Allison said it helped her relax like when her wife was separated from her wife. Jacob advised her to find a good lawyer. Allison said her lawyer was walking through the door. Naomi walked in the door and vehemently denied being her attorney. Naomi was ready to strangle Allison. Martin tried explaining to Smitty why he kept the truth from him. He was ashamed of what he did, and he didn’t trust their love enough to tell him. Martin wondered what they could do to get it back. Smitty thought they needed time to get it back. He let Martin know that he had to stay on the couch until they figure things out.
Ted was shocked that Nicole didn’t rush and tell her family that he kept Leslie from moving across the street. Nicole said the family had other things to worry about like Chelsea’s kidnapping. He ended up telling Anita and Vernon what he did. Nicole was upset that Ted told them. Ted realized nothing he did would ever get her to forgive him. Vanessa tried to convince Leslie to buy another house. Eva wanted Tomas to help her mother get the house of her dreams even if it meant he had to go against his boss. While they were talking, Kat showed up. Kat and Eva ended up arguing. When they finished arguing, Eva left. Leslie told Vanessa that she would charge her with discrimination if she didn’t help her. She wanted Vanessa to double the offer she made on the Jarvis house.
Anita and Vernon wanted to plan something for Chelsea, but she got upset and left. Nicole let the family know that they should let Chelsea decide how she moved on from what happened. She advised the family to give Chelsea space. While the family was processing the situation, Naomi noticed how close Dani and Bill were. When Naomi had a moment with Bill, she told him not to toy with her mother’s emotions. He said he wasn’t doing that. Allison posed for her mugshots. She quoted Chelsea’s Instagram feeds. Chelsea showed up to confront Allison. Allison said she loved her. She told Chelsea that her social media metrics were probably going through the roof because of her.
Interview with J. Eddie Peck of “The Young and The Restless” on CBS by Suzanne 7/24/25
It was awesome to speak with J. Eddie! I used to watch him play Cole on “Young and The Restless” 32 years ago when he first appeared in 1993. I’d been watching the show since 1986, when I was in college. Like many young people back then, I picked up the soap habit in college – between classes or while at home on vacation. He’s incredibly handsome and made a good couple with all of the women they paired him up with, especially Victoria (played then by Heather Tom); her mom, Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott); and Ashley (Shari Shattuck and then Eileen Davidson back then). It was wonderful that they brought him back last year, not only to reunite him with Victoria (now played by Amelia Heinle), but to show that they have a long-lost daughter, Claire (Hayley Erin). Heinle and Peck had immediate chemistry; they’d previously played lovers Jake and Mia on “All My Children” in 2003.
Unfortunately, the powers-that-be on Y&R wrote Cole out by killing him off with Legionnaires’ disease in early July. This was very disappointing to fans of his, and of fans of the couple Cole and Victoria, and their family with Claire. That happens quite often on the soaps, and in TV in general, usually do to cutting costs, or contract negotiations, or because of some other reason – they don’t let us know these things. Peck was originally brought in for a short-term return, so it was great when they decided to keep him around longer and give him story. We wish it had lasted longer! Perhaps one day they’ll bring him back. As they always say, you’re never really dead in the soaps.
We had a very nice, long chat. I hope you enjoy it! There are also quite a few other questions that I didn’t have time to ask, but he kindly answered them via email.
TRANSCRIPT (not finished proofreading this yet)
Suzanne: So it’s great to see you.
JEP: Thank you, Suzanne. It’s a pleasure to be on with you today and I, I appreciate you reaching out to do [this].
Suzanne: Oh, yeah. Well, first off, let me get something out of the way that I’m sure all your fans are asking. Do you know why “Young and the Restless” decided to kill off Cole?
JEP: Oh, wow. That’s, uh. Excuse me. Um, that’s a really good question. Um, well first, Suzanne, it, it, it took me by surprise.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: Obviously when Cole– (thank you, son) when Cole got sick, or started with the cough, my first thought was, “he’s gonna have this cough. He’s gonna get sick. He might get really sick ’cause it’s lingering for a long time.” I know the fans, fans, viewers, were very, keen to, Hey, we’ve seen this before. I think they’re gonna write this character off. me, on the other hand, I, I really had a lot of faith, that, um, it was working well for Cole and I. Over at the show, I really felt like, it was starting to really click with, Amelia Heinle, who plays Victoria, and the relationship with Claire. I just thought there was a really nice family dynamic that may have been slightly a different tone than some of the other family. Relationships. I just felt like we, we, we had a certain unique uniqueness to us.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I felt like, all of the goods were there, if you will, all of the history, right….three, you know, good actors, lots of history, lots of stuff to work with. So I felt like this was gonna be something that they were going to utilize to, move Cole into the tack house, which. It seemed as though we were going in that direction.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And then, um, Victoria would nurse Cole back to health and that would, that would quickly speed up their relationship.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: So they could take us to a different place in their relationship.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And possibly even, you know, remarry, that sort of thing.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So, uh. Actually that was not the intent and it never really was the intent. That was me, the wishful actor thinking, Hey, this is working. Yeah, for what it really was. Josh Griffin, our executive producer, head writer, he had given me a call and he was so, so kind and gracious and, and and just, just really a very, very heartfelt conversation that we had. And he says, you know, J. Eddie, we only intended on bringing you back for a couple of days. You know, we saw you at the 50th and everybody got to talk and said, Wow, J. Eddie, you look great.
Suzanne: Gee.
JEP: It was a lot of chatter. And, and the fans have wanted Cole to come back for some time and, you know, due to the 50th, they brought a lot of people back for cameos and things. So I looked as though, Hey, we’re gonna stay back for a couple of days. This might be interesting and fun.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, um. Then he said, but we liked you. You know, we like the dynamic with you and Amelia and Haley. And he said, and we just really liked you. He said, I just, I love what you did and I just continued to write for you. So, and, and so really, um, everything beyond that two days, Suzanne was really a gift. And something, I’m very, very grateful for. And, it’s been really, really nice, you know, at this time in my life to be able to go back and play the role that I love so much. And, so I’m very, very grateful for that. And he did his thing. I think, you know, Josh says, we gotta kill Cole, to take Victoria and Claire where we need them to go.
Suzanne: Ah.
JEP: So I don’t know exactly what that means.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: But I do believe that there’s obviously gonna be a big story, you know, a big setup for those characters. And, and Cole was kind of the sacrificial lamb, I guess, if you will, to propel those characters emotionally, you know, where [it] can take them, so…
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: They’ll do their ride, and I wish that was along for it, but, you know, yeah. Again, I’m grateful for the 20 months that I did get.
Suzanne: Well, even though they did kill him off, they could bring him back because it’s a soap and anything’s possible, right?
JEP: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There’s been, there’s been a lot of chatter , even when, you know, it was first learned, over at the show, I had at least half the directors come to me and say, “Ah, you’ll be back,” but who knows? You know what I mean? Who knows? I mean, that’s fine. I mean, listen, I, I certainly can’t guess any of this stuff.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And so, yeah, who knows.You know, I mean, Josh is very, very creative. If he ever woke up in the middle of the night, says, you know what? And may, Hmm, that might’ve been a mistake. Let’s bring that cowboy back.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: You know, so, yeah.
Suzanne: And I mean, I could say this because people say that about me, but you don’t look your age at all, so….
JEP: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
Suzanne: I mean, they can easily bring you back in 10 years. You’ll still look great.
JEP: Oh, well, I don’t know about that, but, um, you know, when I went back for the 50th, I made a big mistake, Suzanne, when I went back for the 50th, I was so anxious to take my wife, you know. We were really excited and whatnot, and she says, “You know what? You don’t want to take me. Take Austin” – my son, my oldest son, and really, Austin’s like, “Dad, I’d love to go. This might be my only chance to ever go with you, you know, for something like that. Sure. I’d love to go.” Well, Suzanne — and he’s not in the room so I can say this — My son is six foot seven, and better looking than [me] on my best day in life. So I take this guy that completely upstages me. I mean, if you can look all over the internet, and there’s all these pictures of him at the 50th, and he’s not an actor, you know, he’s kind of a, I hate to say “struggling musician”, but, you know, somewhat of a struggling musician and he is all over the place. ’cause simply because the people are like, my gosh, who is that six?
Suzanne: Is he the one that was wearing the mustache and beard in the picture you sent me?
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah. You know.
JEP: Oh yeah, yeah. That’s him.
Suzanne: He looked a little bit, and I can’t remember the actor’s name. Don um, Don… something… that used to play Brad on “Young and the Restless.”
Yes. He looks a lot like him. yeah. Yeah. He has a bit of, a bit of a bit of that, a bit of that, that, yeah. He has blackness in his black hair. Yeah, he is very dark. Yeah.
Suzanne: So tell us, um. How it came about. Let’s go back a little bit to 2023, when you returned to as Cole after 26 years.
Hard to believe it was 26 years. You see, I’m gonna interrupt you. Oh, doggie. Hi baby. Aww.
Suzanne: There’s your little baby
is a rescue that I’ve had eight months and I just adore him. He is such a sweet boy. I love him so much.
Suzanne: Boy, he’s so cute.
Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt, Chris.
No, that’s fine. You can always interrupt.
You’re just looking up at me. Daddy, you’re ignoring me. You’re not talking with me.
Suzanne: I put mine in the back room because she’ll bark. She might.
JEP: Oh yeah. Well, I’ve got, I’ve got a house full of dogs here. They must, I’m so sorry. Must than mine. You were asking, you were asking me a question. I’m so sorry.
Suzanne: No, that’s okay. How did it come about back in, 2023 when they asked to come on the show?
JEP: Oh, well, yeah, that’s a good question. Again, you know, Y&R had its 50th anniversary, and they had a special event.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, uh. You know, I’d been off the show at that time. I was off the show about 23 and a half years.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And they hadn’t seen me in a long time. Well, I shouldn’t say that. I mean, they, they have invited me back for anniversaries and things like that. They’ve been really nice to me over the years and always invited me back. But they hadn’t seen me at that in that time. I don’t know, maybe in about five years or something like that. So when I showed up and everything, my son and I, we went… my son’s very western… we went wearing our Western gear. Just, you know, let’s just, let’s kind of go, let’s just go being us, you know, I don’t have to dress looking all soapy. And, and I think it just kind brought more attention and just people went, “Well, who…? Oh hey, that’s J. Eddie. Oh, oh my gosh, that’s Jay Eddie.” And, you know, so a lot of the network people saw me and, uh, and this and that, and they kinda got the idea, “Wow, we ought to bring him back for the Blast From The Past event.”
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: So I got a call maybe a couple of months later, and YR was doing their very first Blast From The Past. And I’d asked Kathy Thomas, “Who else is doing the Blast From The Past?” She says, “Well, you’re the first one we called.” I said, “Oh, great. Okay.” So II did that. They brought back alumni from —
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: From B&B, “Young and the Restless”, and by far, I was the longest person to be off the show, so I really– I told my wife, I said, I don’t really know if I want to go to this Blast From The Past. She says, “Well, why?” I said, “It’s gonna be embarrassing,” I said, “because no one is gonna know who I am.” I’d been off the show almost 24 years at that point. And I said, “No one’s gonna know me. It’s gonna be embarrassing.” So Suzanne, when I showed up, thankfully it was amazing how many fans were our fans back in the nineties and were Cole fans back then. And I got a very, very unexpected reception.
Suzanne: Oh.
JEP: And um, so, uh. You know, um, I guess I didn’t know this, but what I was told by another producer is that before that even happened, Josh already said, I wanna bring J. Eddie Peck back for something. I’ve gotta figure out what it is, right? And then about, oh, a couple of days after this Blast From The Past, one of these soap predictors that we see on YouTube – that predicts what’s going on?
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And a reputable one, said, “J. Eddie Peck is coming back to Young and Restless.” And whenever that announcement came out, my phone lit up.
Suzanne: Oh wow.
JEP: And I was like, “Oh my gosh. I hope Y&R doesn’t think that I’m announcing that I’m going back to Y&R.” I hope they don’t think I’m that guy.
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: And my phone just looks… I immediately get on my social media, and I said, “Hey, not going back to Young and Restless. I don’t know what the rumor is. I don’t know why anyone would say that. I’m not in talks with Y&R. I’m not going back to Y&R. Not happening, but thanks for asking. You know, thanks for inquiring” and so, about two weeks after that… So, I would say it was around, August 18th or 20th, I get a call. I’m sitting on my patio having a coffee. My son was visiting again, so I’m having a coffee with my wife and my son. And it’s Greg Salmon, casting director of Y&R. He says, J. Eddie. this is Greg. Are you getting my messages?” I said, “No, Greg. What messages?” He said, “Well, I’ve been emailing you, and I’ve left you messages. And he says, “Listen. We wanna bring you back to the show.” He said, “Are you interested?” And I just start laughing. I’m laughing and I, and I’m shedding tears. So I said, “Oh, great. This is hilarious.” I said, “This rumor got out a couple of weeks ago .”I said, “I guess it’s true! I’m the last one to know.” See, here I am, Suzanne. I’m the last one to know that I’m going back to the show, and I’m the last one to know, “Hey, stupid, you’re fired.”
Suzanne: That’s funny. But anyway, there are so many rumors out there, all the time about…
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: About soaps and actors.
JEP: Yeah.
Suzanne: Yeah, there are. I mean, I always tell people, Don’t believe anything at all until you see it in a verified publication because you just don’t know, and it’s just speculation most of the time. Even if it turns out to be true, it’s not necessarily true [when you read it] and you shouldn’t depend on it and spread it.
JEP: Well. It’s like you said, oftentimes it’s speculative.
Suzanne: Well, yeah.
JEP: You know, maybe, maybe something is a rumor or a thought, but then, you know, once it gets out there, people may think it’s gonna happen, right?
Suzanne: Yeah, exactly. So, well, so you had a great deal of chemistry with everyone on the show, particularly Haley, who played Cole’s daughter —
JEP: Thank you.
Suzanne: Claire, and Amelia, who plays Victoria, the love of Cole’s life.
JEP: Yes.
Suzanne: Can you talk about working with them?
JEP: Oh, well. Yeah. I will start off with Haley. Haley is — I think she’s about the age or so — she’s somewhere between my two adult sons, and… I don’t have a daughter, but, I mean, for maybe the second day that I worked with her, I just really felt a connection with her in a fatherly way. And I think what that is, is she’s such a special young lady, you know? She’s a mother, a wife. She’s classy, she’s unique. I feel like Haley has a maturity and, almost like a throwback to another era.
Suzanne: Hmm.
JEP: She’s not your typical young lady of her age. She’s not even your typical actor of her age. You know, she has a really wonderful, wonderful quality about her, and I just found it endearing, and I just connected in…when I say connected, I mean, Cole just really connected with what she was giving me [as an actor], and um, I’ve always had in my mind the history of where Cole was, what’s happened in his life, his loves… His disappointments. I knew that Cole never had children over the years. I knew that Cole never had a deep, meaningful relationship when he was gone all of that time. That was truly always the way that I had seen him in my mind. And it was uncanny how the writers picked up on his history exactly the way that I had seen it. And, you know, because they could have easily said, well, Cole was married and divorced and he lost his wife.
Suzanne: Right?
JEP: And, you know, all different kinds of things. I knew that he had never had a deep, meaningful relationship. And, they actually brought that up in a conversation between Cole and Victoria one day. She had said to him, “Well, Cole, you’re a, a professor at Oxford and you must have run across and had a number of relationships and things of that nature,” and he said, “Well, I had a trist or two, but I never really had any deep, meaningful relationship, and that truly is the way I always saw this character. I always saw him… even when he was married to Ashley, [whom] he cared a great deal for, but his true love was always Victoria. And that’s why he went, you know, he went outside his marriage…He, I just, I think so much was just the way I played him, the way that Bill wrote him, that even back in the day, I was always trying to steer it back to Victoria, even when I was working with Ashley.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And, and I really enjoyed working with those actresses, Shari and Eileen… I loved it, and I loved the Ashley character. Wonderful character.
Suzanne: Right. She’s great.
JEP: Yeah. But, um. I felt Cole’s heart was always with Victoria. And so when Amelia took over that role in, [2004], just prior to that, She was on “All My Children” [as Mia].
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And I had several different love interests on “All My Children” for the time that I was there.
Suzanne: Sure.
JEP: But Amelia was my last one. And Cole, or excuse me –Jake and Mia actually got engaged right just before I left the show, so there was a connection there, there was a night, there was a friendship there that Amelia and I had, and I thought we had a really nice chemistry on that show, just from absolutely, from the get go.There was just some nice chemistry there.
Suzanne: So yeah, I watched that one too, so I–
JEP: Oh, good. Oh, wonderful. Well, thank you for even remembering. It was so long ago.
Suzanne: It was a long time ago.
JEP: Yeah, it was, it was long ago. But, but anyway, um, yeah, I absolutely believed that all the goods were there. You know, if they had chose to go more that direction and for a longer period of time, I just really believed that Cole’s relationship with Claire, and the chemistry, that the three of us had, which is, eh, it was fun.
Suzanne: It was, it was unique, I think, and I think it worked.
JEP: The other thing too, Suzanne, is that I hate to use the word designed, but I guess you could say that I saw a path for Cole. Um, his personality, his history, his love and devotion. He’s a hopeless romantic. He has a sense of humor. He’s a strong male who will fight for the deaths for his family and anything he believes in. I knew I had the fire in the belly, if you will, as an actor, just like I do as a father and a husband in real life. And, I knew that I could make that character very, very interesting if I had the opportunity to do more with it. And especially at this time in my life. You know, this time in my life, I’m a very different person
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: Than I what I was 20, 25 years ago. You know, fatherhood and life and ups and downs, and reinventing myself – as I had to do when I left acting. All these kinds of things, you know, have deepened me as a person, and it’s kind of shaped me into a different person than who I was in the 1990s.
Suzanne: Well, that’s, I guess that’s the best of what happens to us as we get older and mature and we–
JEP: Yeah. Fully become better people.
Suzanne: Absolutely.
JEP: Absolutely. And I think that’s what makes it so interesting, you know, for all actors, as we all get, get older, I think…motherhood, for the ladies that I’ve worked with, whether it was Amelia, whether it was Heather Tom, you know. I know, as Heather, whom I worked all those years ago, she was just this young– this young lady with this tremendous amount of talent. I know that she, she’s a different person today. You know, she’s had a very long, successful marriage and she’s a mother and all the years of experience and her close relationship with her mother and things that she had, and all these things really shape all of us. And I think that’s what makes daytime such a dynamic medium is that we see these characters grow and evolve from their youth and through their trials and tribulations to hopefully [become] seasoned, mature, interesting people.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And it’s not just the characters, it’s us, too, [and] that’s what makes the storylines so much more compelling and more interesting in this medium than anywhere else. And that is, that we see and experience the life that these characters go through and how that changes them.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And generally for the better character.
Suzanne: The character development is great… has always been great on soaps. Anyway, is there anything else that you’d like to tell us about working on the show, and if you have any funny behind-the-scenes stories?
JEP: Well, let me think here. Funny and behind-the-scenes…
Suzanne: You know, anything you’re allowed to tell.
JEP: Yeah, exactly. Well, you know, at Y&R, I think I grew up a lot. By the time I got toY&R, even in the nineties, you know. When I was on Days of our Lives, we were stinkers, you know, and especially me. I had to be one of the worst. (Bye honey. My wife’s checking out. ) I had to be one of the worst when it came to just doing stupid pranks, stupid stuff. But my fellow actor buddies on the show. Oh gosh. I hate to even tell some of the stuff I used to do. But anyway, yeah, over there, there was a lot of, you know, we were just young, younger guys and, just a lot of crazy stuff. I know we did have showers in our dressing rooms, and, of course, why not? We always had a shower in the dressing room, so if you choose to shower at work and shower in the dressing room… “All My Children”, we did not have showers in a dressing room.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And at days, most of the time I was there.. actually, I was one of the few people who did have a shower in a dressing room because I had Redd Foxx’s dressing room, which meant you had to walk through a whole ‘nother empty stage to get to the main stage. And a lot of the actors went, “Mike, I don’t wanna walk that far. Just, just gimme one of the close rooms.” And I was like, “Wait a minute. That room’s got a shower, and it’s got a steam. I take it, I want that room. I don’t care how far I gotta walk.” But before I took that room, Suzanne, there was a downstairs area that– most of us guys were downstairs. Most all of us were. And we’d have to shower, you know, down in the community shower and whatnot. You didn’t have a separate stall, but, and I think there was just two showers. There might have been one. I think there was two. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. There was two. And, so when, you know, Michael Easton or Robert Mailhouse, when they would be in their showering or whatever, man, I’d, I’d sneak down there. I’d sneak in there and I’d grab, they’d have freezing cold water. I could get that outside in the hallway, not the tap, but really, really cold stuff. They’d be in their shower and I’d be dousing them with the cold water — just mean, stupid stuff, you know?
Suzanne: Yeah, yeah.
JEP: And then a lot of other funny stuff that I, I really can’t tell, but, we were always cutting up and doing things. What it was at Y&R, you know, for whatever reason, it wasn’t as juvenile as what I was allowed to be on some of the other shows. Again, I was more mature, so where by the time I went to “All My Children,” I wasn’t doing any shenanigans. And then, you know, after I left Days and went to Y&R, there were no shenanigans. I’m trying to think of, if the other folks did stuff.
Suzanne: You know, I heard that the actor that plays Nick, um…
JEP: Oh yeah. He is a practical joke. Nick is, yeah, Josh is, Josh is hilarious. He’s, he’s very, very funny. He’s, he’s a very special individual. Um, I just have so much respect for Josh because I remember when he came in his very first day, and he, Josh, was originally from Oklahoma, and he had been living out in the LA area in the valley for a short amount of time.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, going to school, playing basketball for our junior college. (And I got Pilgrim saying, he’s just handing me his ball, handing me his bosses. Come on, dad’s ball time.) Hopefully he’ll stop. But anyway, I remember when Josh first came in and. I wanna say he was 19, I think he was 19 years old. He was pretty young. You know, those first scenes, I was doing those first scenes with him. He [played] Victoria’s brother…But I was gonna say, he’s just a great guy with a tremendous sense of humor. All of the younger guys on the show are all super special. I mean, they’re just, they’re great guys. They’re great individuals. Um. Pots of gold. Everybody’s a just a really good person. Everybody’s so solid. I’ve said to my sons, when I look at my cast members, these are people that are fortunate, but these aren’t people who got lucky.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are people that are so special and unique. [They] have a multitude of gifts and qualities, which put them in a position to where they could win that special job. And then when they won that special job, they grew from there and they improved and they were professional and they’ve hung on, you know, to those roles. And trust me when I tell you that these are not just lucky people who happen to land on a soap. I think that. Sometimes there were those people maybe 30 years ago or more. But, I really think, especially with our cast over at Y&R
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: These are really talented, deserving, people that have these coveted jobs and roles and characters that we love. You know, they’re wonderful. I’m a huge fan of my cast on that show, as it was every cast that I ever worked with.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: They’re just really special talented people that don’t take anything for granted. They’re professional. People know their stuff. They show up prepared. There’s no slacking, they’re good. I have seen people that, I don’t wanna say slacked off, but maybe weren’t as professional prepared, you know?
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And that’s not slacking. It’s just like some people just have a problem getting that material down, Suzanne. It’s hard to deliver it. Well, and the people I work with are a lot better at it than I am. They’re really, really good at it. And they’re tremendous and, anyway, but funny stories…Let’s see. Do I have anything? I’m sure you know that there are, um. But I can’t. I can’t.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: No, they cannot for anything. You know, I will say that, in the nineties and everything, um, I used to socialize a lot more with a cast.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And, you know, we’d go to the Emmy’s and we’d all go hang out and go out to dinner and go out dancing and all those kinda things and–
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: And even over the show, you know, I used to socialize a lot with the cast and, and maybe, I don’t know what it is now, but… This time coming back? I’m friends, but I never really socialized, you know? Probably ’cause most of the people who do the socializing, you know, were younger than me, and I’m that guy that would finish up with work and, say, “Oh my gosh, I’d love to go do this. Or I’d love to go meet a friend for a while. I gotta race home…” Because I was always rescuing dogs, you know?
Suzanne: Right, right.
JEP: Oh, I can’t leave my wife with. 15 million dogs at the house. I gotta, I gotta rush home.
Suzanne: And how long have you been doing the dog fostering and rescue?
JEP: Um, well, my mother had an animal rescue, when I grew up as a boy in Joplin, Missouri. So, she kind of initiated me with that when I would get home from school. If I didn’t have sports after school, then I was, I was racing home to bottle-feed, to clean up after the puppies, or clean the kennels or do something, or, she’d say,” Hey, I need you to go with me. We’re gonna go pick up a doll.”
Suzanne: She trained you and all that.
JEP: She trained me with all that. Exactly. That’s good. But what she really did was that she opened my eyes to the plight of the dogs. You know, we have the same issues today that we did in the 1970s, which is spaying and neutering, educating – get getting people to spay and neuter their animals. We have overpopulation.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm
We have dogs that are going in the shelter situations, and the shelters are overrun all over the country. And obviously, a lot of shelters euthanize, and that’s what we have out here inL.A. You know, most euthanize. And what I try to do is I try to help find the homes, and place, and bring attention to the dogs that are on the 72-hour list. So, you know. My time is limited.
Suzanne: Mm-hmm.
JEP: And there’s a lot of things that I want to do at this time in my life. I’m 66 years old, and I wanna make the best use of my time while I have my health and things. But to be honest with you, Suzanne, my wife and I are up every single night, following the plight of these dogs. We get alerts and things of the situations and dogs that are critical. We just can’t– you can’t turn your back on it.
Suzanne: Right.
JEP: You know, it’s just not something that I can just walk away from and, oh gee, that’s a bad problem. And I can’t, and I just feel compelled to try to, to do more, to try to help these animals, to educate people more, too. So I am trying to, more so than, “Hey, I’m gonna try to place and find a home for this particular dog,” which I do a lot of, but I’ve exhausted my Rolodex. I’ve exhausted every friend, family [member] — people see me coming, you know, on area over area. So place the dog, can we help it? Can we keep it? Can we foster it? You know?
Suzanne: Yeah.
JEP: So what I’m trying to do now is, I’m trying to do fundraising. I’m trying to expand more on the education of people throughout my entire area and things. We have a lot of folks in Los Angeles that are from all over the world, and folks from all over the world have different cultures, and different cultures that the way in which they view spaying and neutering and things of that nature. So there’s an educational campaign, that I really think that we need to do. And I’m working with that. I’m working with raising money, particularly for my shelter here in Santa Clarita. I did a fundraiser here about four months ago that, thankfully, I had some really nice people that did the heavy lifting.
Suzanne: Good
JEP: That really did the most of the work for me. But we were able to raise some good money. Then I’m involved with another, philanthropist-type of person here, within my community. And we have a big gala coming up on November 1st.
Suzanne: Well, thank you so much.
Here are the rest of the questions that we didn’t have time for:
Suzanne: How did you get into the Airbnb business? Have you ever booked any soaps fans (either inadvertently or on purpose)?
JEP: I had remodel and resale experience. One son is in commercial real estate, the other has history in residential. At the beginning of the pandemic we set our sights on finding the worst house in a nice neighborhood with a great location. Within a few weeks, we found it: a corner lot with a city view.
My son, Austin, created the interior and exterior design, and I got to work—taking the house down to the studs and rebuilding what we call a rustic mid/century farmhouse—remodeled inside and out, including re-plastering the pool and landscape.
The house is very quiet and private. A nice alternative for those looking to avoid hustle and bustle of Los Angeles while being just 7 minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain, 25 minutes to Universal Studios and an hour from Disneyland during low traffic times.
Last year the house was booked 92% of the time, and we’ve met some wonderful people from every continent in the world. To your question: Yes, I have been recognized a few times. A few months ago I dropped-in to clean the pool. The female guest walked outside, I waved “hello,” she took a long pause then ran back inside the house. After a few minutes a man comes out and shyly says: “I know this is crazy, but my wife is convinced you’re the actor, JEP on the Young and the Restless?” I think even he was surprised when I said, “Yes.” I was pretty sure they were both wondering why an actor on her show is cleaning the pool? I said, “It’s a family biz and we are very hands on. I’m the guy who fixes everything and does the pools.”
The B&B business takes a lot of work. When something breaks—and it will, it’s gotta be remedied right away. There are days when I rather be acting on B&B than be the AirBnB biz. But this is about doing business ventures with my sons, and nothing is more rewarding than that.
Suzanne: I saw a video on your Instagram where you said something like, you would like to go to another soap. Are you going out for auditions in general?
JEP: I think what I mentioned was I’d love to work on another soap. It’s hard to beat the daytime medium when it comes to finding roles with depth. So yes, I love to work on any of the daytime shows. Whether it be B&B, GH, reprising my role of Hawk Hawkins on Days, or creating a new one on “Beyond The Gates.”
Suzanne: Some questions from fans:
Monica wants to know what your favorite storyline on Y&R was?
JEP: Without a doubt, my favorite storyline on the “Young and the Restless” was the early days when Cole and Victoria discovered one another, fell in love, only to marry and find out that they were half brother and sister.
I got a call from Bill Bell one night telling me that he loved the chemistry between Heather Tom and I (when Cole and Vic first met in the tack house where Cole lived). I said, “Oh that’s great. I really enjoy working with her, but we are brother and sister.” Bill followed with: “Hey, you don’t worry about that. That’s my job. You just keep doing what you’re doing—I like you two together. You’re the first actor to have chemistry with the kid, and I’ll figure out how to make it work.” Of course, we know the rest of the story, Victor exhumed Cole’s mother (Eve) from the grave, did a DNA test, and as it turned out, Cole was NOT Victor’s so,n and he and Victoria were reunited. That made much of the audience happy and I was glad to be working with such a brilliant young lady. Heather’s depth was far beyond her years, and I loved working with her. Bill Bell’s stories through the 90s were wonderful, and I was honored to be a part of that era.
Suzanne: Eva writes Y&R recaps for our site. She asks if you have any kind of message for the fans that miss you on Y&R?
JEP: When I got the call from Josh Griffith that he was going to kill Cole, it caught me by such surprise that all I could think about was how grateful I was to have the opportunity to come back and play the role for 20 months. And now, after some time has gone by, it’s really hit me on how much I enjoyed Cole’s return and sad to see it end in his death. Reading viewer comments—some of which are fans from the 90s—touched me deeply. It made me feel I’d left some kind of mark on the show, and at the end of the day, that’s what all of us actors are hoping for.
I think I had over 7,000 comments for two short posts that I put out on my departure. I announced I was going to read every one of them, and I did. It took me about 3 1/2 weeks to read them all. So my message to the fans : Thanks so much for your kind, heartfelt words of support that have helped me feel a little better about Cole’s demise. Wishing you and your family the very best! ❤️
Suzanne: Janet asks, “Where does your next adventure take you to?”
JEP: I’m not sure…and it’s kind of exciting not knowing, really, what lies ahead. I do know that whether it’s on another show, a Lifetime movie, or my own YouTube channel—which I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, I promise I will bring heart, depth and worthy content that our Y&R viewers deserve.
Suzanne: Chris wants to know where you would have liked to see the dynamic of Claire, Victoria and Cole go in the future?
JEP: Hey Chris, thanks for your question. Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the story go exactly in the direction that me as the actor and Cole as the character were hoping and pushing for since Cole’s return to GC. Obviously, Cole’s first priority is the health and well-being of his daughter, Claire, followed by his unconditional support for helping Victoria reach whatever goals she was after in her life. As far as Cole, Victoria was the love of his life since leaving Genoa City 24 years earlier. He never forgot about his one true love and was never able to move on and find a fulfilling relationship. As Cole once told Victoria, “Yeah, sure, I had a tryst with a colleague every now and then, but nothing that ever went anywhere.” Cole’s wish was to remarry Victoria and become the family unit that he always wanted with his daughter, Claire.
Suzanne: Chris also asks, “If you have a dream job or role to play, what would that be?”
JEP: Chris, I became an actor because I wanted to tell stories. I wanted to play characters with depth, heart, and passion. Characters that were appealing, unpredictable, within stories that inspire people to hopefully become better people.
I also have a rather deep sense of humor. I like to bring some level of humor to all my characters . Unfortunately, this time around there wasn’t much room for humor, romance or courtship. The depth of Claire’s story, Aunt Jordan, and Victoria dealing with it all, left little opportunity for Cole’s personality to shine. If there was room, I would have brought it, and it would have been a lot harder for them to get rid of me, I can promise you that.
A veteran actor of eight television series; actor, producer, writer, director and host, J. Eddie Peck has both domestic and international appeal. Once known by millions of viewers around the world due to his thirteen-year stint in daytime television as Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless, Hawk Hawkins on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, and as Dr. Jake Martin on ABC’s, All My Children. In addition, his starring roles on Dallas and Dynasty are still aired throughout the world. In fact, J. Eddie is one of the very few actors to have a front-burner storyline on two primetime series simultaneously.
Peck has also starred in fourteen films and several hit Movies-of-the-Week. One being the major release dance movie, Lambada, a Gene Siskel “top ten” rental pick-of-the- year. The film was an idea J. Eddie pitched and sold to the studio as a writer, and was later cast as the film’s lead. Peck also starred with the Olsen Twins in the lighthearted comedy, To Grandmother’s House We Go, one of ABCs most successful TV movies of the 90’s, and still a holiday classic today.
Eddie recurred as the world’s “second” smartest human in the role of scientist, Adam Baylin on ABC Family’s all-time highest rated series, KYLE XY. Originally hired for a two-episode guest star, the show opted to bring Peck’s character back from the dead enabling him to return in seventeen of the last 27 episodes.
Once voted by “Teen Magazine” as “TV’s Sexiest New Star,” JEP is one of a small few daytime male stars to shoot the cover of “TV Guide” magazine. He also appeared on eleven daytime covers within his first twelve months on The Young and the Restless, as well as over 75 National magazine covers throughout his daytime career.
While at CBS, the network approached the actor about an “at home special” featuring Peck and his family on their California horse ranch. Originally slated for daytime viewing, CBS later decided to air the show as a prime-time special. The show caught the attention of the network’s executives, and as a result J. Eddie was soon hired by the network, and approved by the pageant owner, Donald Trump, to host the Miss Teen USA, and later, the Miss USA, which proved to be the highest rated USA Pageant in CBS history.
Eddie has also been a guest on over 50-television talk shows, including The Today Show, GMA, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Good Day LA, Regis and Kathie Lee, and Donahue. The former disc jockey also enjoys holding the mic, having hosted for E-Entertainment’s Pure Soap and Along for the Ride with J. Eddie Peck, an equestrian lifestyle show which he created and executive produced. In addition, Peck served as guest correspondent for Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Crook and Chase, as well as a celebrity panelist on 22 episodes of the syndicated game show, Match Game.
Eddie’s created scripted and unscripted programming as well. He’s sold or optioned several feature scripts; a one-hour scripted drama, as well as a one-hour pilot for Animal Planet. Currently, he is in development with “Flippin’ The Bird,” a reality pilot featuring an interesting cast of characters and their vintage-aircraft restoration business out of Ozark, Missouri. Also in 2023, J. Eddie co-stars in Bright Ideas, a Ronn Head-directed, independent comedy currently hitting film festivals and expecting a distribution deal within the year.
From the executive level in entertainment, J. Eddie was brought on by TAMD Multimedia Corporation from 2009 to 2010 as Senior VP of Acquisitions. Mr. Peck expanded his executive level work outside the studio realm when he was hired from 2012 to 2016 as the CEO & President of the national financial services company, AmeriPrem LLC. In addition, he served a five-year term as consultant and national spokesman for the healthcare company, AmeriPlan USA.
Outside of entertainment J. Eddie’s lifelong passion for building and remodeling to restoring old cars and trucks, J.Eddie is usually juggling several projects at a time. Most of all, he enjoys doing all of the above with his wife, Sonya, and their two adult sons. The kid who booked a national commercial within his first 24 hours in Hollywood because they liked his “Ozark Twang,” is still the same guy today — only a little less accent, and a few more credits.
In October of 2023, J. Eddie Peck reprised his role of Cole Howard on CBS’s number one daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Cole’s managed to rekindle his relationship with his former wife and long-time love interest, Victoria Newman, played by Amelia Heinle.
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, the #1 daytime drama for over 30 consecutive years, is a continuing drama revolving around the loves, enmities, hopes and fears of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Genoa City.
The series, currently in its 52nd season, airs on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
After Allison and Chelsea said their vows, Allison gave her the wedding ring. Chelsea tried to avoid kissing Allison but ended up kissing her. Jacob read Allison’s journals and found a clue about her inheriting her grandmother’s property. Kat, Madison, and Jacob went to the cabin. When Chelsea rejected Allison, she snapped. Allison told her that no one would have her if she couldn’t have her. She put a knife to Chelsea. Martin went to see Nicole. He told her that he and Smitty were close to reuniting. Martin was hopeful that she and Ted would get back together until she told him that she filed for divorce.
Ted went to see Leslie. He tried to talk her out of buying the house across the street from the Duprees. Ted suggested that she move in with him. He let her know that he wasn’t talking about them living together. Ted wanted to give Leslie the house so Nicole wouldn’t get it in the divorce. Leslie was suspicious about the offer. Ted said he was grateful to have Eva in his life. He said he might move in after his divorce was final because he wasn’t living in a hotel for the rest of his life. Leslie thought he was leading her on, but he said he was ready to give her the house. Late on, Leslie went to Nicole’s place to let her know that she was moving in.
Naomi told Dani that they might have gotten the break that they needed to find Chelsea. Jacob told Kat the same thing. Allison told Chelsea that they were going to be bound for life by getting married. Chelsea told Allison that she was already married. Allison said her husband was an escort. She told Chelsea that she could make Madison disappear. Chelsea said things were going too fast. Allison said she was willing to give her time but not much since they were getting married that day. She let Chelsea know that she was ordained online so she could marry them. Chelsea asked about witnesses to which Allison said God was their witness. Allison put a knife to Chelsea to force her to say yes.
Jacob told Kat that he didn’t want her going with him when he searched the address to where Allison was getting her packages but ended up agreeing to let her go. Kat said she could give Chelsea support if she was traumatized. Jacob ended up regretting letting her go when she said she put Allison’s storage unit key in her pocket. Jacob said she tampered with the evidence. Madison told Shanice that she wanted to marry Chelsea. While Madison was sharing her dream, Allison began the ceremony with Chelsea. Leslie and Eva met with Vanessa to talk about renovations to the house. Vanessa told her that she wouldn’t be able to move in the house for three months because the owners wanted to find a new place to live. Eva and Vanessa suggested that Leslie move to another house. Leslie said Fairmont Crest had something no other place had. Andre told Ted that he wanted to be friends with benefits with Dani. Bill told Nicole that Ted was delaying the divorce with an audit. He said Ted was doing this because he needed time to win her back. Vanessa went to the Duprees to let them know that she was able to put off having Leslie move in the house for a few months. Dani wanted Bill to stop Leslie from moving in the house for good.
Kat went to Joey for help. He wasn’t sure he wanted to help her at first, but Kat convinced him to do it. Joey said that he would give her Allison’s info if she would set up a meeting with Martin. What happened to Chelsea made Martin want to pass legislation for black girls that go missing. He let Smitty know that he wanted a law to make all missing girls equal. Kat arrived to tell Martin about Joey’s proposal. Martin agreed to the meeting. He was getting ready to meet Joey when Smitty hugged him.
Later Martin met with Joey. Joey would help the family find Chelsea if he agreed to be in debt to him. They talked and Joey gave him the information he needed on Allison. Martin sent messages to Kat and Jacob letting them know that he got the information Joey had about Allison. Nicole asked Hayley how she was doing. Hayley was worried about Bill because of his health condition. Nicole was concerned about her condition. Hayley was so moved that she hugged Nicole. Naomi walked in while they were hugging. Bill and Hayley walked in on Dani ad Andre hugging at the Dupree mansion. Ashley arrived and saw them hugging too. Everyone at the Dupree mansion talked about Chelsea’s situation. Bill was shocked to find out that Chelsea was involved with a couple and that she had a girlfriend. Leslie arrived pretending to be sympathetic about Chelsea. Leslie put on a performance and was literally carried out of the mansion by Bill. Allison rambled on about her delusions. The woman admitted that she was out of mind. She felt like Chelsea would eventually give in to her. Allison decided to get something to eat to celebrate their love together. Chelsea struggled to get the chains off and started crying.
Allison was upset with Chelsea for not being grateful that she made sure they had a romantic reunion. Chelsea accused Allison of being crazy to which Allison said she hadn’t seen crazy yet. Allison picked up a knife. She ended up putting the knife down. Allison said the only thing they needed to do was make love. She gave Chelsea lingerie in her favorite color. When Chelsea tried to pull away, Allison told her they could play roughly. Anita and Vernon met with an FBI friend to find out what happened with Chelsea.
Kat got in touch with Allison’s husband Craig who was willing to meet her. Craig met with Allison and told her that he and Allison were never married or involved. He said he was an escort who worked for Joey. Craig said Allison hired him to pose as her husband in order to make the throuple happen. Jacob tried to get a warrant. Kat went to follow a clue. Vanessa told Joey that they shouldn’t see each other anymore. Joey wasn’t willing to break things off. He thought she wanted the danger without the consequences. Joey said what they had was more real than she realized. Andre went to the Dupree mansion to help Bill and Dani make a video pleading for Chelsea’s return. Hayley showed up at the mansion and interrupted the video. The Duprees were upset with Hayley and wanted her to leave. Hayley refused to leave. Bill tried to convince Hayley to leave, but she said she wanted to be there for him and was tired of being pushed aside whenever the Duprees snapped their fingers.
The Duprees were worried about Chelsea. Chelsea woke up chained to a bed in a cabin. She tried to reach for her phone, but it was out of her reach. Chelsea had fantasies about her family giving her advice to get to Allison. She angered Allison when she reminded her that she broke up with her when she wanted to be with her. Allison thought it would be fun to make her love her again. Jacob found Chelsea’s phone. He said that she might have forgotten it. Kat told him that she was attached to her phone. Once they realized that Jacob found Chelsea’s phone, the family became more worried about her. Naomi said Chelsea would jump over the couch to get to her phone.
Dani called Bill, and he arrived at the Dupree mansion. She fell into his arms. Dani wanted him to bring their daughter back to them. She didn’t care how much it cost. Madison thought that Allison was the main suspect. Martin told everyone who was at the country club that the launch was cancelled, and he told them why. He wanted them to use their social media contacts to help the family with the search. Vernon arranged for Dani and Bill to have a press conference at the mansion. He went with Anita to talk to their FBI contact. Allison revealed to Chelsea that she was stalking her for a while. She admitted that their relationship wasn’t accidental. Allison set up the dinner with Chelsea’s favorite things. Chelsea made a toast about what would happen when her family found her. She threw her drink in Allison’s face and flipped over the table.
Ted asked Eva to go to Chelsea and Kat’s show with him, but Eva turned him down. Eva decided to go to the club with Leslie who bought a membership to the club. Chelsea and Kat’s show is going to be at the club. Kat was furious when she saw Leslie and Eva walk in the club. She told them that they didn’t belong there. Leslie and Eva were escorted to their seats. Kat continued to be upset about them being at the club. Ted told Bill to stall the divorce. Leslie went to their table to let Bill know that she wasn’t the same person she was before. Bill said he would get her kicked out of the club, but Leslie wasn’t afraid.
The Duprees got together for a drink before the show. Anita told them about Leslie and her new fortune. The family couldn’t believe that Leslie was Barbara’s daughter. While they were processing the information, Vanessa showed up to let them know that Leslie made an offer on the house across the street. Dani asked Vernon to make a counteroffer. She asked what was money for if he couldn’t use it to stop his daughter’s ex-husband’s baby mother. Anita said they needed to be prepared because Leslie would just buy another house. When Kat showed up, she was upset about being kept in the dark about everything. Leslie got a message that her offer was accepted. Eva wasn’t happy, but Leslie was thrilled. The Duprees were upset that Leslie’s offer was accepted. Everyone wondered what happened to Chelsea. While the Duprees were waiting for Chelsea, Chelsea was putting the finishing touches on her outfit. Someone showed up behind Chelsea and covered her mouth with a rag. Later on, Chelsea was chained to a bed.
Anita was upset with herself for hitting Leslie. Vernon told her he had a plan for Leslie. Bill ended up showing up at the Dupree mansion to deal with the situation. He told them that there was nothing they could do to get the money back and that Leslie would most likely use the money to come after them. Bill said she could hire anyone to come after the family. He said he would keep an eye out for them. They wanted to know what it would cost them. Bill said he wanted their respect for him as well as Hayley. Vernon agreed to what Bill wanted. Later on, Anita told Nicole why Barbara died and why she set up a trust fund for her family. She told Nicole that Leslie inherited the money. Eva told Leslie not to spend all the money at once. She asked how much it was. A lawyer showed up to give Leslie her first payment for a million dollars.
Leslie ended up going to see Ted. She reminded him that he considered being with her as slumming it but things were different now. Leslie said she was as rich as he was now. Ted let Leslie know that she would never be like rich people because of her attitude. Leslie offered to give Ted back the money she took from him, but Ted refused to take it. She ended up throwing money at him. Later on, Leslie went to Vanessa to buy a house near the Duprees. Dani saw Andre talking to Ted. She insulted Ted and told Andre not to take advice from him. She took him back to her place to help him get over Ashley dumping him. While they were talking, things got heated. Dani decided to stop things and told him that he would have to work hard at getting back to being friends with benefits.
Leslie couldn’t believe she was going to be rich courtesy of Dupree money. She was thankful that the Duprees were responsible for her money. Leslie talked about being black royalty and enjoy her life beyond the gates. She accused Anita of being responsible for Barbara’s death. Since the group thought of themselves as sisters, Leslie wondered if she could consider her an aunt. Things got heated between them women, and Anita slapped her. Vernon showed up while they were arguing. Leslie told him that Anita slapped her. She played the victim, and Vernon threw her out. Anita got sick at the idea of what happened.
Shanice was ready to start physical therapy with Derek, but he wasn’t ready for it. He wanted to watch television. After their session, Derek thanked her for her help. He wondered if his condition would scare her if they were more than friends. Shanice said it wouldn’t scare her, and it wouldn’t scare Ashley. Madison told Ashley that she and Derek need a support system. Andre showed up and hugged her. Ashely didn’t want to be bothered with him hugging her. She confronted him about kissing Dani. Ashley wondered if that was a different type of break up. Andre told her that he did break things off with Dani. After Ashley left, things changed between him and Dani. Unfortunately, Ashley didn’t care about that. After everything that happened, she realized that she belonged with Derek. Kat went to the police station to talk to Jacob about busting Leslie. While they were talking, they discussed her love life. Kat admitted that Tomas was hot, but the sex wasn’t. She wasn’t sure if she was the problem or if it was Tomas. Jacob joked that the best way to find out was for her to sleep with another guy. He told her that things took time. Tomas was bonding with Eva. She was struggling to figure out her identity.
Leslie wanted to meet with Anita. Anita agreed to meet with her. Vernon wondered if Anita wanted him to stay around. Anita said that Leslie wasn’t a threat since he never slept with Leslie or had a child with her. Eva tried to talk Leslie out of meeting with Anita but it didn’t do any good. She suggested that Leslie be careful. Leslie went to the Dupree mansion to meet with Anita. She said good things about Barbara and then accused her of driving Barbara of killing herself. While they were talking, things got heated and Anita wanted her to leave. Leslie said she wasn’t as easy to get rid of as her mother was. She told Anita that Barbara was her mother. Anita was shocked to learn that Leslie was telling the truth. Leslie let her know that she would be getting the money from her mother’s fund. Anita was furious. Leslie wondered why Anita was upset since the money wasn’t coming from her. Anita said the money did come from her.
Martin and Smitty were happy that Tyrell and Samantha weren’t interested in seeing June again. Samantha appeared to have second thoughts about not seeing June. Once June accepted that her children didn’t want to see her, she blamed Naomi for what happened. She ripped up the picture of her children. June blamed Naomi for getting her hopes up for nothing. She said she wished she never saw them. June said Naomi ruined her life. Martin was happy that Smitty said he could spend the night even if he had to sleep on the couch. Naomi wanted Jacob to find June who was at Martin and Smitty’s house. They tried to get rid of June, but she tried to reach out to the children. Tyrell and Samantha came in the room to listen to what June had to say. June looked at the children before she left. Later on, June asked Naomi and Jacob to help her get a job and a place to stay. She said her kids were going to need her one day and she wanted to show them that they could be proud of her.
Leslie thought Peaches lied to her about her mother being an Articulette because of Nicole. Peaches told her that she didn’t know Nicole. What she did know was Leslie was going to be very rich. She took out different documents to show her. Peaches told her that a mystery donor set up a trust fund for Barbara’s relatives, and Leslie was her last survivor. Leslie didn’t understand so Peaches kept explaining it to her. After her conversation with Peaches, Leslie talked to Eva about what she told her. Eva thought she lost her mind so Peaches confirmed the story. After Peaches left, Leslie and Eva tried to process what she just said. Leslie planned to get Peaches the best medical care if there was any truth to what she told her. Shanice was shocked when Ashley asked her to be Derek’s physical therapist. She vowed to push Derek to his limit despite their issues. Shanice wanted to get Derek walking again. Ashley checked on Derek, and he thought he had feeling in his legs. It turned out he was suffering from phantom limb syndrome. Shanice went to his room and let him know that she would be his therapist. Madison went to Derek’s room and told him that he had a long recovery. She informed him that he would be in a wheelchair when he left the hospital. Madison didn’t know when he would walk again.
Nicole advised Vanessa to cut ties with Joey. Vanessa avoided responding when Nicole was summoned to meet Madison at Uptown. She met with Madison at Uptown. Madison wanted to know about getting emotionally involved with her patients. Vanessa showed up too and saw Doug meeting with Jacob. He talked to Jacob about bringing down Joey. Madison told Nicole that being in love with Chelsea was messing with her head. Nicole gave her good advice about separating work from her relationship. Vanessa overheard Doug and Jacob’s conversation about bringing down Joey. After Jacob left, Vanessa warned Doug to keep her happy or he could kiss their lifestyle goodbye since he quit his job. Ted was at Uptown too and saw Nicole at the club. Peaches arrived and struck up a conversation with Ted. He talked to her about what happened with Nicole. She advised him to get off the barstool and go after Nicole. Every minute he wasted was time he wouldn’t get back with her. After Peaches and Madison left the club, Ted approached Nicole. She made a joke about him being with an older woman. He apologized for his behavior. She suggested that he give up expecting a reunion.
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Suzanne: Claire, and Amelia, who plays Victoria, the love of Cole’s life.
Suzanne: And how long have you been doing the dog fostering and rescue?
JEP: So what I’m trying to do now is, I’m trying to do fundraising. I’m trying to expand more on the education of people throughout my entire area and things. We have a lot of folks in Los Angeles that are from all over the world, and folks from all over the world have different cultures, and different cultures that the way in which they view spaying and neutering and things of that nature. So there’s an educational campaign, that I really think that we need to do. And I’m working with that. I’m working with raising money, particularly for my shelter here in Santa Clarita. I did a fundraiser here about four months ago that, thankfully, I had some really nice people that did the heavy lifting.
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