William Joseph Bell (March 6, 1927 – April 29, 2005) was an American

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

and

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television show, television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television net ...

, best known as the creator of the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

s '' Another World'', ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' and ''

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

''.

Early life

Bell was born and raised in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

as an

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, Birth, by birth or adoption. Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born con ...

. His father was an accountant for the Link-Belt Company. His mother was primarily a homemaker, with a part-time job with Mrs. Steven's Candies. (In later years, his parents adopted a daughter.) Bell grew up listening to radio soap operas when he came home from school for lunch and late at night, including ''

Life Can Be Beautiful ''Life Can Be Beautiful'' was a daytime drama broadcast on NBC and CBS during its 16-year run. The program was also facetiously known to many as ''Elsie Beebe'', a contrived acronym based on the show's initials. Scripted by Don Becker and Carl Bi ...

'', ''

The Romance of Helen Trent ''The Romance of Helen Trent'' was a radio soap opera which aired on CBS from October 30, 1933 to June 24, 1960 for a total of 7,222 episodes. The show was created by Frank and Anne Hummert, who were among the most prolific producers during the r ...

'' and ''

Our Gal Sunday ''Our Gal Sunday'' is an American soap opera produced by Frank and Anne Hummert, network broadcast via CBS from March 29, 1937, to January 2, 1959, starring Dorothy Lowell and, after Lowell's 1944 death, Vivian Smolen in the title role. The orig ...

''. As a

depression-era The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The Financial contagion, ...

child, he would work at various odd jobs on weekends to help the family. In high school, he participated in the

ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

. After serving in the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

as a

corpsman A hospital corpsman (HM r corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is health services technician (HS) ...

, he attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Career

Chicago radio writer

At the age of 21, Bell worked at WJJD radio as a writer for two shows, with the focus being teen problems. That work led him to seek a job at WBBM radio as a comedy writer; specifically, character-oriented comedy, rather than jokes. He worked there for about three years.

Advertising industry

Bell went to

McCann Erickson McCann, formerly McCann Erickson, is an American global advertising agency network, with offices in 120 countries. McCann is part of McCann Worldgroup, along with several other agencies, including direct digital marketing agency MRM//McCann, expe ...

, then the second-largest advertising agency worldwide. He wrote radio and television commercials for

Standard Oil of Indiana Amoco () is a brand of filling station, fuel stations operating in the United States, and owned by BP since 1998. The Amoco Corporation was an American chemical and petroleum, oil company, founded by Standard Oil Company in 1889 around a oil re ...

, the agency's biggest account; he was subsequently promoted to

account executive Account executive is a role in sales, advertising, marketing, and finance involving intimate understanding of a client company's objectives and products and a professional capability to provide effective advice toward creation of successful promot ...

, responsible for five small accounts. After three years there. Bell was offered an account executive position with Cunningham & Walsh.

Procter and Gamble Productions

During his time as a comedy writer at WBBM radio in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, he made a call to

Irna Phillips Irna Phillips (July 1, 1901 – December 23, 1973) was an American scriptwriter, screenwriter, casting agent and actress. She is best remembered for pioneering a format of the daytime soap opera in the United States geared specifically toward wo ...

' secretary Rose Cooperman asking her if Phillips had an opening for a writer, as she was a well-known soap opera creator and Bell had become aware that Phillips also resided in Chicago. Cooperman said Phillips did have an opening. While Bell was composing a sample script, he was informed that the writer who was supposedly leaving had decided to stay, so the writing job was not available. Later, during the time that Bell was in the advertising business, he ran into Phillips' niece. She mentioned him to her aunt and Phillips remembered who he was; she also knew his wife, who was a well-known celebrity due to her work on local television. He started his writing career on ''

The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' and then moved over to ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

'', working under Phillips; Phillips' other protegee at the time was

Agnes Nixon Agnes Nixon ( Eckhardt; December 10, 1922 – September 28, 2016) was an American television writer and producer, and the creator of the ABC soap operas '' One Life to Live'', '' All My Children'', as well as '' Loving'' and its spin-off '' The ...

. Bell co-created ''Another World'' with Phillips in 1964. In 1965, he co-created the primetime ''As the World Turns'' spinoff ''

Our Private World Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulat ...

''.

''Days of Our Lives''

In 1966, he was hired as head writer of the then-struggling soap ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

''. Bell was credited with the show's initial surge of popularity. Bell changed the dynamics of soaps when he began focusing on sexuality. Formerly, soap operas did not delve into the sexual side of their romances. He intended to leave the show around 1972 when he began creating his own show ''

'', but the owners of the show sued him, and he agreed to write long-term story projections for them. He remained as head writer until 1975.

''The Young and the Restless''

In 1972, CBS executives wanted a new daytime serial that was youth oriented. William along with his wife

Lee Phillip Bell Loreley "Lee" June Phillip Bell (June 10, 1928 – February 25, 2020) was an American talk show host and soap opera creator. During her career on Chicago television, she hosted over 10,000 programs and, early in her tenure, worked five shows a da ...

created ''The Young and the Restless'' for the network under the working title, ''The Innocent Years''. However, before the show went into production, he had to rename the series as Bell mentioned...''"We were confronted with the very disturbing reality that young America had lost much of its innocence,"''. ''"Innocence as we had known and lived it all our lives had, in so many respects, ceased to exist."'' They renamed the series ''The Young and the Restless'' because they felt it "reflected the youth and mood of the early seventies." He spent between ten and sixteen hours a day writing stories. ''The Young and the Restless'' debuted on March 26, 1973. Although slow to rise in the ratings (he got very frustrated and asked head of

CBS Daytime CBS Daytime is a division within CBS that is responsible for the daytime television block programming on the CBS' late morning and early afternoon schedule. The block has historically encompassed soap operas and game shows. Schedule NOTE: All tim ...

Bud Grant to cancel the serial), CBS had faith in the show and gave it a chance. ''Y&R'' was credited for breathing new life into the daytime serial, with its brightness, humor and cutting-edge storylines. As he did on ''Days of our Lives'', Bell saw to sexuality also playing a major role in the stories. Bell guided ''Y&R'' as head writer from 1973 until stepping down in 1998, the longest tenure of any head writer in soap opera history. ''Y&R'' has been the highest-rated soap on the air since 1988 in households, and 1989 among viewers.

Controversy

Brenda Dickson Brenda Irene Dickson is an American actress who originated the role of Jill Foster Abbott on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Early life and education Dickson was born in Long Beach, California. As a teenager, she toured Southe ...

, an original cast member of ''The Young and The Restless'', claims that Bell blacklisted her after 15 years on the show after they partook in a secret love affair. He then went on to wreak havoc on her personal and professional life by hiring "Mafia cartel judges and attorneys" to "ruin" her life. As a result, she ended up "broke and homeless" and has been blocked from working ever since.

''The Bold and the Beautiful''

In 1986, he began working on creating another soap for CBS Daytime, but plans were halted until the end of the year when the network decided to cancel the soap ''

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

'' and needed a replacement. He created ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', which debuted on March 23, 1987. ''B&B'' is known for its glamorous look as it is set in the fashion industry. It followed ''Y&R'' and has been a ratings success as well.

Personal life

Bell was married to former talk show host

, who co-created ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' with him. Their three children, William James Bell, Bradley Phillip Bell, Lauralee Bell Martin, and daughter-in-law

Maria Arena Bell Maria Arena Bell (born March 10, 1963) is an American novelist, television and freelance writer. She is the former head writer and executive producer of the CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless.'' Biography Maria Arena Bell grew u ...

have all been involved in their parents' soaps in some capacity. On April 29, 2005, Bell died at age 78 from complications of

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. He is buried at

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Bell acquired the

Wallace Neff Edwin Wallace Neff (January 28, 1895 – June 8, 1982) was an architect based in Southern California and was largely responsible for developing the region's distinct architectural style referred to as "California" style. Neff was a student of ...

designed

Sol Wurtzel House The Sol Wurtzel House at 10539 Bellagio Road is a house designed by Wallace Neff for the film producer Sol M. Wurtzel and his wife, Marian. It is situated on Bellagio Road, in Bel Air, Los Angeles. Neff received the commission in 1930 and the ho ...

Bel Air, Los Angeles Bel Air (or Bel-Air) is a residential neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Founded in 1923, it is the home of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden and the American Jewish Universit ...

in 1991.

Awards and recognition

* In 1992, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th annual

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

Producing and writing credits

'' Another World'' *Co-Creator (with

) *Co-Head Writer: May 1964 – March 1965 ''

'' *Co-Head Writer: 1965–1966 *Writer: 1950s–1960s ''

'' *Co-Creator (with

) *Executive Producer: March 23, 1987 – Spring 1996 (with Lee Phillip Bell) *Head Writer: March 23, 1987 – May 3, 1993 *executive story consultant: May 4, 1993 - June 1, 1993 ''

'' *Head Writer: 1966–1975 ''

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...

'' *Writer: 1950s ''

'' *Co-Creator (with

) ''

'' *Co-Creator (with Lee Phillip Bell) *Executive Producer: March 26, 1973 – 1976, January 2004 – April 2005 *Senior Executive Producer: 1976 – January 2004 *Head Writer: March 26, 1973 – July 3, 1998 *Executive Story Consultant: 1998 – April 2005

Legacy

As of December 2020, Bell holds the distinction of having created the largest number of soap opera characters that are still appearing, with over 25 characters on either ''The Young and the Restless'', ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', or ''Days of Our Lives'' such as: * Doug Williams (''

'') - 1970–1984, 1986–1987, 1993–1996, 1999–present (played by Bill Hayes) *

Jill Foster Abbott Jill Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The longest-running and only remaining original character, Jill was created and introduced by William J. Bell. Originally portrayed by Brenda D ...

(''

'') - 1973–present (currently played by

Jess Walton Mary Jesse Walton is an American actress, best known for her role as Kelly Harper in CBS soap opera ''Capitol'' and as Jill Abbott on the CBS soap opera, ''The Young and the Restless''. She also starred in the 2018 movie ''Christmas with a View'' ...

) *

Maggie Horton Maggie Horton is a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network, played by actress Suzanne Rogers since 1973. The character was created by scriptwriter William J. Bell and producer Betty Corday as a ro ...

(''Days of Our Lives'') - 1973–1984, 1985–present (played by

Suzanne Rogers Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Cecelia Crumpler; July 9, 1943) is an American actress with film and television credits. Her stage name was inspired by Ginger Rogers, whom she cites as a personal inspiration for joining the entertainment industry. ...

) * Paul Williams (''The Young and the Restless'') - 1978–present (played by

Doug Davidson Douglas Donald Davidson (born October 24, 1954) is an American Emmy Award winning television actor. He has portrayed Paul Williams on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' since May 1978, making him the series' longest-serving cast ...

) *

Nikki Newman Nikki Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS daytime soap opera, ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell in 1978, the role was portrayed by Erica Hope, before Melody Thomas Scott took over in 1979. ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1978–present (currently played by

Melody Thomas Scott Melody Thomas Scott (born Melody Ann Thomas, April 18, 1956) is an American actress best known for playing Nikki Newman on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Early life and acting career Scott was born Melody Ann Thomas in Los Ange ...

) *

Victor Newman Victor Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. He has been portrayed by Eric Braeden since 1980. Initially a guest character who was to last for eight to twelve weeks, Victor has evolved ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1980–2009, 2010–present (played by

Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-born film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as Hans Dietrich in the 1960s TV series ''The Rat Patrol ...

) * Jack Abbott (''The Young and the Restless'') - 1980–present (currently played by

Peter Bergman Peter Michael Bergman (born June 11, 1953) is an American actor best known for his portrayals on soap operas, such as Cliff Warner on '' All My Children'' (1979–89) on ABC as well as Jack Abbott on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1989–prese ...

) *

Esther Valentine Esther Valentine is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The role has been portrayed by actress Kate Linder since April 8, 1982. For over three decades, Esther has been known as the long ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1982–present (played by

Kate Linder Kate Linder (born November 2, 1947) is an American actress, best known for her role as Esther Valentine on ''The Young and the Restless'', which she has played since 1982. Life and career Linder was born in Pasadena, California, and graduated wi ...

) *

Ashley Abbott Ashley Abbott is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', two American soap operas on the CBS network. She has been most notably portrayed by Eileen Davidson, who originated the role on June 11 ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1982–1995, 1996–2007, 2008–2012, 2013–present (currently played by

Eileen Davidson Eileen Marie Davidson is an American actress, author, television personality and former model. Davidson is best known for her roles in soap operas as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' and Ashley Abbott on CBS's ''Th ...

) *

Traci Abbott Traci Abbott is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera, ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, the role has been portrayed by Beth Maitland since 1982. Traci is the daughter of John Abbott and ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1982–1996, 1999, 2001–2002, 2006, 2007–present (played by

Beth Maitland Beth Maitland (born May 12, 1958) is an American actress who is best known for her portrayal of Traci Abbott in the CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' from 1982 to 1996 & since 2001 on a recurring basis. She also stars as Glo ...

) *

Victoria Newman Victoria Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell, she is currently portrayed by Amelia Heinle. Victoria was born onscreen in 1982 and was portray ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1982–2003, 2005–present (currently played by

Amelia Heinle Amelia March Heinle (formerly Weatherly and Luckinbill; born March 17, 1973) is an American actress best known for her roles in American soap operas. Early life Amelia March Heinle was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and has four younger siblings. Sh ...

) *

Lauren Fenmore Lauren Fenmore is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Introduced by William J. Bell, the character made her debut during the episode airing on January 25, 1983, portrayed by Tracey ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1983–1995, 2000, 2001–present (played by

Tracey E. Bregman Tracey Elizabeth Bregman is an American soap opera actress. She is best known for the role of Lauren Fenmore on ''The Young and the Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. Early life Bregman was born May 29, 1963, in Munich, Germany to A ...

) *

Christine Blair Christine Blair is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, portrayed by Lauralee Bell, the daughter of series creators William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell. "Cricket" (as the character ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1983–2001, 2002–2006, 2009–present (played by

Lauralee Bell Lauralee Kristen Bell (born December 22, 1968) is an American soap opera actress. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended The Latin School of Chicago. The only daughter of soap opera creators William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, and sis ...

) *

Eric Forrester Eric Forrester is a fictional character from the American CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', played by John McCook. He made his debut screen appearance on March 23, 1987, the show's first episode. The character appeared brief ...

(''

'') - 1987–present (played by

John McCook John Thomas McCook (born June 20, 1944) is an American actor. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of the character Lance Prentiss on the television soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' (from 1975 - 1980)''.'' Since March 1987, he h ...

) *

Ridge Forrester Ridge Forrester is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera, ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. The character was introduced in the series premiere on March 23, 1987 and has been a regular fixture ever since. Ronn Moss played the role s ...

(''The Bold and the Beautiful'') - 1987–2012, 2013–present (currently played by

Thorsten Kaye Thorsten Kaye (born Thorsten Ernst Kieselbach, 22 February 1966) is a German-British actor. His best known roles include Patrick Thornhart on ''One Life to Live'', Dr. Ian Thornhart on ''Port Charles'', Zach Slater on ''All My Children'' and R ...

) *

Brooke Logan Brooke Logan is a fictional character from ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. She has been portrayed by Katherine Kelly Lang since the series's debut in March 1987. The character is part of the original fou ...

(''The Bold and the Beautiful'') - 1987–present (played by

Katherine Kelly Lang Katherine Kelly Lang (born Katherine Kelly Wegeman; July 25, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Brooke Logan in the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' of the CBS Daytime programming block. Personal life Lang ...

) *

Donna Logan Donna Logan is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. Casting The character was played by Carrie Mitchum on a contract basis from 1987 to 1991, who made guest appearances from 1994 to 1995 and 2001. In 2001 ...

(''The Bold and the Beautiful'') - 1987–1994, 1996–1998, 2000–01, 2004, 2006–present (currently played by

Jennifer Gareis Jennifer Gareis (born August 1, 1970) is an American actress and former beauty queen. She is best known for her roles as Grace Turner on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1997–2000, 2002, 2004, 2014) and as Donna Logan on ''The Bold and the Beau ...

) *

Katie Logan Katie Logan is a fictional character from ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Portrayed by Nancy Sloan for much of her duration on the series, she is currently portrayed by Daytime Emmy Award winning actress ...

(''The Bold and the Beautiful'') - 1987–1989, 1991–2004, 2007–present (currently played by

Heather Tom Heather Marie Tom (born November 4, 1975) is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her acting work on various soap operas. Her best known roles are Victoria Newman on ''The Young and the Restless,'' Kelly Cramer on ' ...

) *

Nicholas Newman Nicholas Newman is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Created and introduced by William J. Bell, he was born onscreen in 1988 as the second child of supercouple characters Victor and Nikki New ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1989–present (currently played by

Joshua Morrow Joshua Jacob Morrow (born February 8, 1974) is an American actor. In 1994, he began his career when he was cast in the role of Nicholas Newman on ''The Young and the Restless''. In 1998, he joined the soul-pop group 3Deep; the group disbanded in ...

) *

Chloe Mitchell Chloe Mitchell is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Introduced by former executive producer Edward J. Scott as the daughter of trusty Chancellor family maid, Esther Valentine ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1990–1991, 1994, 2008–2017, 2019-present (currently played by

Elizabeth Hendrickson Elizabeth Hendrickson (born July 3, 1979) is an American actress. Her big break came when she was cast as character Frankie Stone on the daytime drama '' All My Children''. Her equally popular role of Maggie Stone, the character's identical twin, ...

) *

Rick Forrester Rick Forrester is a fictional character from ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. He was born in 1990 as the son of Brooke Logan and Eric Forrester. Portrayed by several adult actors, he is currently portray ...

(''The Bold and the Beautiful'') - 1990–2006, 2007–present (currently played by

Jacob Young Jacob Wayne Young (born September 10, 1979) is an American actor and producer. He is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 2002 for his role as Lucky Spencer in the soap opera ''General Hospital'' (2000–2003). He is best know ...

) *

Michael Baldwin Michael Baldwin is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. The role is portrayed by Christian LeBlanc, originally from November 26, 1991 to July 7, 1993, and again since April 25, 1997. Michael has had relat ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1991–1993, 1997–present (played by

Christian LeBlanc Christian Jules LeBlanc (born August 25, 1958) is an American actor, best known for his role as Michael Baldwin on ''The Young and the Restless''. Career LeBlanc currently plays Michael Baldwin on ''The Young and the Restless''. He was born in F ...

) *

Nate Hastings A list of notable characters from the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' that significantly impacted storylines and debuted between January 1990 and December 1999. Lillie Belle Barber Lillie Belle Barber first appeared in 1990 as ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1992–2002, 2011, 2019–present (currently played by Sean Dominic) *

Billy Abbott Billy Abbott is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell as the son of John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) and Jill Abbott (Jess Walton), the character is currently ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1993–2003, 2006, 2008–present (currently played by Jason Thompson) *

Sharon Newman Sharon Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network, currently portrayed by Sharon Case. Created by William J. Bell as a love interest for Nicholas Newman, the character debuted o ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1994–present (currently played by

Sharon Case Sharon Case (born February 9, 1971) is an American actress and former model. At the age of 17, Case began working as a model, relocating briefly to Japan, before pursuing an acting career. She is best known for her roles on daytime television so ...

) *

Phyllis Summers Phyllis Summers is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', an American soap opera on the CBS network. The character was created and introduced by William J. Bell, and debuted in the episode airing on October 18, 1994. Phyllis was ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1994–1997, 1997-1999, 2000–2013, 2014–present (currently played by

Michelle Stafford Michelle Stafford (born September 14, 1968) is an American actress, screenwriter and producer. She currently plays Phyllis Summers on the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', for which she has won two Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2013 ...

) *

Adam Newman Adam Newman is a fictional character from ''The Young and the Restless'', a soap opera on the CBS network. Adam was created by William J. Bell as the son of Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Hope Wilson (Signy Coleman) and was introduced on Ap ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1995–1997, 2002, 2008–2016, 2019-present (currently played by Mark Grossman) *

Lily Winters Lily Winters is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Created by William J. Bell, the character appeared as a child for her first five-year period. In 2002, Christel Khalil began portraying Lily as ...

(''The Young and the Restless'') - 1995–1998, 2002–present (currently played by

Christel Khalil Christel Adnana Mina Khalil (born November 30, 1987) is an American actress. Background Khalil was born in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, to a mother of Native American, African American, and European descent and a Pakistani ...

)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, William J. 1927 births 2005 deaths Daytime Emmy Award winners Soap opera producers American soap opera writers Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery United States Navy corpsmen University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American screenwriters United States Navy personnel of World War II Deaths from dementia in California Deaths from Alzheimer's disease