Jerry Douglas, Young and Restless & Incredible Hulk Actor, Dies at 88

Jerry Douglas—an actor that joined one of Marvel’s earliest live-action properties—has died. The actor died Wednesday after what family members call a brief illness, as first reported by TMZ. He was 88, and would have celebrated his 89th birthday on Friday.

While he appeared in The Incredible Hulk opposite Lou Ferrigno, Douglas was most known for his lengthy run on CBS’ long-running The Young and the Restless. On the soap, he played John Abbott, a wealthy man that owned Abbott Mansion and Jabot Cosmetics. For the role, he appeared in over 900 episodes spread throughout 25 years.

“On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas, said Anthony Morina, Executive Producer, The Young And The Restless.

“Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits. Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family,” Morina added. “His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed.”

It was that same role that would eventually be his last. After departing from the show after his character was killed off in 2016, Douglas retired from acting.

Other credits under his belt include Melrose Place, The Greatest American Hero, Baranady Jones, SWAT, The FBI, and Mannix. 

At one point in his life, Douglas was attending law school when he decided to drop his studies in favor of an acting career. He was born and raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Douglas is survived by his wife 0f 36 years Kym, their sons Jod and Hunter, and their daughter Ava.