Former Young and the Restless star Shemar Moore honored his late co-star Kristoff St. John at the Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday.
Moore and St. John played brother on screen for years as Malcolm and Neil Winters, respectively. Moore reprised his role for a tribute to St. John on the show last month, and on Sunday he presented the award for Outstanding Drama Series. While on stage, he gave a shout out to his late co-star.
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“I want to thank CBS. I want to thank The Young and the Restless and I want to thank the cast of The Young and the Restless for honoring him the right way,” Moore said.
“The tribute that aired this past week on The Young and the Restless, saying goodbye to Kristoff and his character, Neil Winters, was so beautifully, beautifully done,” he went on. “I know Kristoff is proud of all of us.”
Moore then opened the envelope, revealing that The Young and the Restless had one in the coveted category. This win, too, belonged to St. John, he felt.
“Kristoff, this is for you, baby,” he said.
St. John passed away back in February in his home in Los Angeles, California. The actor had been on The Young and the Restless for nearly 20 years, and Moore played his brother for a full decade. He then left for other TV work, including roles on Criminal Minds and S.W.A.T. However, he returned to his soap opera roots in honor of St. John. After the show, Moore told Entertainment Tonight that he owed his whole career to St. John.
“Young and the Restless gave Kristoff his beginning and Kristoff gave myself, and so many others, our beginnings. And I meant every word I said on stage,” Moore said. “I have a life, but I don’t have this life, and I don’t have this career, without that man.”
“Without Kristoff embracing me, teaching me, rooting for me, always believing in me, I don’t have this career,” he continued. “He was a true friend. He was my TV brother, but it felt so genuine and real in my heart. He’s my real brother in real life and he always will be.”
Moore said that he had “cried a lot” after St. John’s passing, but a few months later “now it’s time to celebrate.”
“Celebrate him, his life, his heart. I’m so happy for Young and the Restless because that’s home for me,” Moore said. “So I’m here to celebrate where I started but I’m here to celebrate an incredible man who deserves to be honored, deserves to be missed and never forgotten.”
The Young and the Restless airs on weekdays at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
