‘The Young and the Restless’: Every Actor to Play Nate Hastings
With the amount of focus and screen time the Newmans and Abbotts receive on The Young and the Restless, it’s easy to forget that the show also revolves around another powerful family. The Barber/ Winters family were introduced a few years after the show began but, over the years, have been pushed to the back burner.
Nate Hastings is one of the members of the family who has much to offer. The character has been recast a few times over the years, so let’s take a look at all the actors who have played Nate Hastings since his introduction to the show.
Nate Hastings is Olivia Barber’s son
Nate Hastings was born to Olivia Barber Winters and Nathan Hastings. When Olivia was pregnant, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was warned that keeping Nate would endanger her life. She insisted on continuing the pregnancy, but Nate had to be delivered early to save his mother’s life.
Nate’s father cheated on his mother with a woman with HIV. When Olivia found out, she was furious because she felt betrayed and also that Nathan Sr. had endangered her and Nate’s life. She tried to keep Nate away from his father, but Nathan kidnapped the child. Life on the run wasn’t easy for Nathan, who eventually returned Nate to Olivia.
However, Nate wandered away, and when Nathan went out to look for him, he was struck by a car and died. Olivia moved on with Malcolm Winters, and the two tied the knot a few years later. Malcolm loved Nate, but Olivia began growing distant.
When she was hospitalized, she had a change of heart about Malcolm and allowed her son to see him. Malcolm’s joy was short-lived as Olivia got close to his brother Neil. Neil raised Nate for a while, and Nate went to boarding school, not to be seen again until he was an adult.
Sean Dominic (2019- present)
When Josh Griffith joined Y&R as its head writer in 2019, a few changes were made to the cast. Actor Sean Dominic was announced as the new version of Nate Hastings that year. The actor debuted as Nate on April 10, 2019.
Brooks Darnell (2018- 2019)
Brooks Darnell began playing Nate as a series regular in 2018. The actor made his debut as the character on July 3, 2018. Darnell continued playing Nate for one year, but on March 28, 2019, news broke that he had exited Y&R.
Walter Fauntleroy (2011)
Walter Fauntleroy played the first adult version of Nate Hastings after the character rapidly aged. However, Fauntleroy wasn’t able to showcase his soap opera chops as he was mainly kept on as a guest star, appearing in a handful of episodes for one year. His departure in 2011 saw a brief break on Nate before Darnell took over years later.
Bryant Jones (1996-2002)
Aside from Dominic, Bryant Jones, a child actor, is the second person to play Nate Hastings for an extended period. Jones first began playing the character in 1996 as a child. He held on to the role for six years before leaving the show in 2002, after which the character was only mentioned and never seen.
Malcolm Hunter (1995-1996)
Malcolm Hunter was one of the three child actors who played Nate in his childhood. Hunter played Nate from 1995 to 1996, when he passed the baton to Jones that year.
Christopher Pope (1995)
Christopher Pope was the first Nate Hastings viewers saw. The character who was written into the show in 1992 didn’t appear onscreen until 1995 when Pope brought him to life. Pope only played Nate for one year before Hunter replaced him.
