‘Young and Restless’ Star Eileen Davidson Says Goodbye to the Series

The Young and The Restless star Eileen Davidson has officially said goodbye to the soap opera series.

According to Soaphub, Davidson has filmed her final scene, but since soaps tend to film weeks in advance there is a chanced that fans will still be able to watch her as Ashley Abbott on the daytime series until into late October or possibly even November.

Notably, the actress has been playing the role for about 25 years off and on, first taking it on in 1982 and leaving in 1988. She then returned in 1999 and left again in 2013 for a short time until coming back the following year. She’s remained on the show since that time.

It stands to reason that there is a chance she could return again in the future. There is also a chance the show could recast the Ashley Abbott role as it has been played by two other actress in the past (Brenda Epperson and Shari Shattuck).

In addition to her time on The Young and The Restless, Davidson also starred in other iconic soap operas such as Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful.

She was also a cast member of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during season five through seven, and turned up as a guest star in season eight.

In a 2017 interview with Soap Opera Digest, Davidson opened up about returning to Days of Our Lives after a roughly two-year hiatus and how the producers had wanted her but were worried that her contract with The Young and The Restless would be an issue.

“It was actually kind of a weird thing. I called Marnie [Saitta, casting director] because I knew her when she was casting at Y&R, and I asked if she could read my stepson, Duke, because he’s been studying acting and had just moved back here from New York,” Davidson began.

“So I asked her, ‘Do you mind calling him in?’, and she said, ‘This is so weird. We were just talking about you. Ron [Carlivati, Days of Our Lives head writer] was thinking about doing a story arc for you, and they wanted me to call.’ Marnie said, ‘I can’t call her, she’s under contract [at Y&R as Ashley]. I don’t feel comfortable.’ So I told Marnie, ‘Well, I’m on the phone now, so you didn’t call me,” and that’s how it happened,” she explained.

“At first, they didn’t think it could happen, and I said, ‘I know. It probably won’t work out.’ But then I said, ‘You know, Y&R is dark on Mondays.’ After that, a week or two went by and I got a call that they wanted me to start,” Davidson added.

Check you local listings to find out when The Young and The Restless airs in your area so you don’t miss Davidson’s final episodes.