‘The Young and the Restless’: Peter Bergman Gets Choked Up Talking About His Co-Stars
Daytime soap actor Peter Bergman has spent the majority of his career portraying the Abbott family patriarch, Jack Abbott, on The Young and the Restless.
During a recent appearance on The Talk, Bergman got emotional about what his time on the CBS soap has meant to him, especially regarding the friendships he has formed with his castmates. Here’s a look at Bergman’s emotional confessions.
Peter Bergman got candid about his experience on ‘The Young and the Restless’
While on a recent appearance on the CBS daytime talk show The Talk, Bergman got emotional about his experience on The Young and the Restless. Bergman, joined by his onscreen Abbott sibling in the likes of Beth Maitland, Eileen Davidson, and Jason Thompson, shared how special his relationship was to them all.
The actor emotionally commented, “Now I’m going to get choked up. I am literally here with three of my favorite people on Earth. I mean that. This is the job of a lifetime because of people like this … We have this well of understanding and history and friendship underneath every scene we do. It’s fantastic.”
Following Bergman’s emotional speech, Beth Maitland, who plays his onscreen sister, Traci Abbott, commented, “There is something magical about this group.” Eileen Davidson, who portrays Ashley Abbott, revealed, “Beth and I started, we were in our twenties, and we grew up together, and we went through so much together. It’s been an amazing journey.”
Peter Bergman has portrayed Jack Abbott for nearly 35 years
It’s no surprise Bergman feels so attached to his onscreen siblings. He’s portrayed Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless since 1989. Bergman did a ten-year stint on the ABC soap All My Children as Dr. Cliff Warner before joining Y&R. When Bergman did join Y&R in 1989 and took over the role of Jack Abbott from Terry Lester, Davidson and Maitland had already been on the show as the Abbott Sisters since 1982.
According to Fandom, the oldest three Abbott siblings, Jack, Ashley, and Traci, are the children of John Abbott Sr. and his first wife, Dina Mergeron. Their father, John, was a business mogul and the founder of the Genoa City conglomerate Jabot Cosmetics. Their mother, Dina, left the family when the three Abbott children were young. So they were raised by the family housekeeper, Mamie Johnson, and their father.
Years later, it was revealed that Ashley was not John’s biological daughter but the result of Dina’s affair with tennis pro Brent Davis. However, Ashley has always remained a part of the Abbott family and family business.
During adulthood, the three older Abbott siblings gained a younger brother, Billy Abbott, when their father married a much younger woman, Jill Abbott, and had a child with her. Despite the age gap, the older three Abbott siblings have a close bond with their little brother Billy.
While actor Jason Thompson has portrayed the character of Billy since 2016, the role has been filled by numerous actors since the late ’90s. Some more notable actors to play Billy over the years include David Tom, Billy Miller, and Burgess Jenkins.
What’s next for Jack Abbott?
The last few years have been quite eventful for Jack Abbott. After the death of his oldest son, Keemo, Jack was devastated. It was not only Keemo’s death that affected Jack so deeply but the fact that he had been estranged from his son for many years. However, out of the pain came something beautiful.
After Keemo’s death, Jack found out that Keemo had a grown daughter, Allie Nguyen, whom he had never told his father about. Jack has been able to form a great relationship with his granddaughter, who decided to leave California and move to Genoa City to get to know her family better.
Along with gaining a granddaughter, Jack also gained a grandson, Harrison, when his younger son Kyle Abbott discovered that he was the biological father of his ex-girlfriend’s son. Kyle has since gained custody of his young son and has moved Harrison into the Abbott family mansion.
Another recent high point for Jack has been the fact that he has been able to rekindle a romance with Kyle’s mother, Diane Jenkins. However, there is now trouble in paradise as Diane has been arrested for the murder of Jack’s ex-wife, Phyllis Summers.
While fans know that Phyllis is alive and well, it’s hard to say what kind of an impact this will have on Jack and the Abbott family. Only time will tell what’s next for Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless.
