‘The Young and the Restless’ Star Brett Hadley Dead at 92

Brett Hadley, who starred as Genoa City detective Carl Williams for two decades on The Young and the Restless, has died. Hadley passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills on Wednesday, June 14, his friend Darcy Lee confirmed, telling The Hollywood Reporter that Hadley died of sepsis.

“He has been my friend since I was 19 [y]ears old. We were in an acting class and were the bad kids in the class. We sat in the back and giggled” Hadley’s friend, Mary Ann Halpin, wrote in a Facebook tribute. “I will miss his playful and deep conversation, his funny flirty giggle and twinkling eyes. He took his last bow and gracefully left us yesterday. Thank you to my dear sweet soul sister Darcy Lee Caplan for midwifing him out.”

Born on Sept. 25, 1930, in Louisville, Kentucky, Hadley studied drama at the University of New Mexico before he began his acting career at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He made his onscreen debut on a 1969 episode of NBC’s The Name of the Game and went on to appear on ABC’s Marcus Welby, M.D. in various roles 10 times. He joined The Young and the Restless in what would become his most well-known role in 1980, starring as Carl Williams, the father of Doug Davidson’s Paul Williams and a Genoa City police detective. He remained on the long-running soap opera until 1991, though his character was kept alive off-screen, always said to be “in the other room.” Hadley returned to the soap in 1998 and made an appearance in 1999.

Throughout his decades-long acting career, Hadley added dozens of credits to his name. Along with The Young and the Restless, the actor also appeared in Room 222, Ironside, Police Story, Kojak, The Waltons, The Rockford Files, The Colbys and Highway to Heaven, The Mad Bomber (1973), Funny Lady (1975), Next of Kin (1989), and The Babe (1992), among many others. He most recently starred in Anthony Lawrence’s comedy short Dreamcatchers in 2015. Outside of acting, Hadley tended bar at the Palomino nightclub in North Hollywood.

Amid his passing, many of Hadley’s Y&R costars have paid tribute to the actor. Beth Maitland told Soap Opera Digest that Hadley’s passing “is such sad news,” adding that the actor was a delight to work with and was an upbeat and happy presence in the halls and on the set.” Jess Walton added, “I was so sorry to hear of Brett Hadley’s passing. Although I did not share many scenes with him, I always found him to be a very kind and generous man. It’s always sad to lose one of our beloved castmates and he will be very missed.”