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Jerry Douglas (actor)
Encyclopedia
Jerry Douglas is an American television and film actor. For 25 years Jerry Douglas reigned in fictional Genoa City as patriarch John Abbott
on the daytime television serial The Young and the Restless
. In 2006 his character was killed off, however, he has made special appearances since then.
to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe
. He was raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts
, Douglas went to Brandeis University
to earn a degree in economics. Eight months into law school in Manhattan, he gave up the books and started auditioning. However, his lack of training frustrated him, and he eventually moved then-wife, actress Arlene Martel
, and their daughter Avra Douglas to California
.
, Douglas sold insurance by day and took acting classes at night. Although he still struggled, he received encouragement after appearing in the play, John Brown's Body. A critic said he was terrific, which inspired him to hire an agent.
For several years, Douglas appeared on TV shows like Mission: Impossible
, often playing the villain. At the same time, his wife decided to move herself and their children—including son Jodaman Douglas (aka the L.A. Times journalist, Jod Kaftan)—up to Carmel.
In an attempt to save his marriage to Arlene, Douglas quit acting and followed her. Despite this, the couple eventually divorced and Douglas returned to Los Angeles
to continue his career.
Soon after, he found himself embroiled in a custody battle for his son Jod, which he won.
Today, Douglas is remarried, to Kymberly Bankier, whom he met at a Muscular Dystrophy Association
event. Although she is over 26 years younger than he, they've been married since April 6, 1985 and have a young son, Hunter, together.
In March 2006, after 25 years on the show, Douglas departed The Young and The Restless in a storyline-dictated exit revolving around his character's involvement in the Tom Fisher murder case. Jerry Douglas claims that much reviled former headwriter of The Young and The Restless, Lynn Marie Latham
, killed his character because she could not understand why a man would run a cosmetics company.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/olivia/2009/03/21/JERRY-DOUGLAS-GENOA-CITY-PATRIARCH To viewers' surprise, he continued to recur
on the show for the next few months and was put back on contract
with the show in June to play his now deceased character's ghost. He left the show for good on August 18, but continues to make appearances once in a while. In March 2008 he began appearing as a new character Alistair Wallingford, a drunken hack actor involved in a gaslighting
plot, but was written out a few months later.
In 2007, Douglas released a CD, The Best Is Yet to Come, a collection of jazz standards, and is performing around the USA and Canada
.
John Abbott (The Young and the Restless)
John Abbott, Sr. is a fictional character on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is the patriarch of the Abbotts, one of the core families that was introduced to the show in 1980. The character was originated by Brett Halsey from May 1980 to March 1981...
on the daytime television serial The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
. In 2006 his character was killed off, however, he has made special appearances since then.
Early life
Douglas was born as Gerald Rubenstein in Chelsea, MassachusettsChelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. He was raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea, Massachusetts
Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
, Douglas went to Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
to earn a degree in economics. Eight months into law school in Manhattan, he gave up the books and started auditioning. However, his lack of training frustrated him, and he eventually moved then-wife, actress Arlene Martel
Arlene Martel
Arlene Martel is an American actress and acting coach. Prior to 1964, she was frequently billed as Arline Sax, Arlene Sax, or sometimes as Tasha Martel....
, and their daughter Avra Douglas to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Career
Settling in the San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, Douglas sold insurance by day and took acting classes at night. Although he still struggled, he received encouragement after appearing in the play, John Brown's Body. A critic said he was terrific, which inspired him to hire an agent.
For several years, Douglas appeared on TV shows like Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, often playing the villain. At the same time, his wife decided to move herself and their children—including son Jodaman Douglas (aka the L.A. Times journalist, Jod Kaftan)—up to Carmel.
In an attempt to save his marriage to Arlene, Douglas quit acting and followed her. Despite this, the couple eventually divorced and Douglas returned to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to continue his career.
Soon after, he found himself embroiled in a custody battle for his son Jod, which he won.
Today, Douglas is remarried, to Kymberly Bankier, whom he met at a Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
event. Although she is over 26 years younger than he, they've been married since April 6, 1985 and have a young son, Hunter, together.
In March 2006, after 25 years on the show, Douglas departed The Young and The Restless in a storyline-dictated exit revolving around his character's involvement in the Tom Fisher murder case. Jerry Douglas claims that much reviled former headwriter of The Young and The Restless, Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer. Her initial foray into writing for television was as a story editor for the short-lived series Berrenger's in 1985...
, killed his character because she could not understand why a man would run a cosmetics company.http://www.blogtalkradio.com/olivia/2009/03/21/JERRY-DOUGLAS-GENOA-CITY-PATRIARCH To viewers' surprise, he continued to recur
Recurring status
In the U.S. soap opera world, recurring status is a term used to describe the status of a performer who consistently performs in less than three episodes out of a five-day work week, and is therefore let out of their multi-year contract in order for the show to save money...
on the show for the next few months and was put back on contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
with the show in June to play his now deceased character's ghost. He left the show for good on August 18, but continues to make appearances once in a while. In March 2008 he began appearing as a new character Alistair Wallingford, a drunken hack actor involved in a gaslighting
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt his or her own memory and perception...
plot, but was written out a few months later.
In 2007, Douglas released a CD, The Best Is Yet to Come, a collection of jazz standards, and is performing around the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.