The Young and the Restless actor Peter Bergman recently celebrated 30 years with the CBS Daytime drama as Jack Abbott. A special stand-alone episode about the life and times of Jack Abbott is slated to air next week in conjunction with the show’s Thanksgiving storylines.
Bergman took over the role of business tycoon John Abbott’s son in 1989 after actor Terry Lester portrayed the character starting in 1980. Peter Bergman opened up about his on-screen alter ego recently with Soap Opera Digest . Among the many things they discussed was Jack’s lack of a romantic relationship on the show lately.
“Jack’s not a whole man or a whole character without a woman in his life. I think we’re gonna get there. I don’t know who that is, but it will be interesting,” said Bergman.
The SOD interview isn’t the first time Bergman spoke out about Jack’s lack of a romantic life over the past couple of years. He had a brief relationship with Kerry (Alice Hunter) last year. However, she ended up not even being Kerry since she was a spy from Ashley (Eileen Davidson) named Dominique Carroll. That stunning plot twist certainly left Jack floundering when it comes to love.
Earlier this year, when Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Lola (Sasha Calle) got married, fans hoped to see Jack make a connection with Lola’s mom, Celeste (Eva LaRue). While the father of the groom and the mother of the bride seemed to hit it off, nothing blossomed there, and Celeste ended up leaving Genoa City while Jack continued to search for more meaning in his life.
Ultimately, Jack’s search led to him and Traci (Beth Maitland) writing a book about the Abbott family history. Now the book is finally finished, and Jack is ready to move forward into the next phase of his life.
“Jack is now fully available, really honest. Let’s be real clear about this: Most of Jack’s marriages he blew up because he couldn’t be emotionally accessible and honest. These are hallmarks of who Jack is today,” admitted the daytime veteran. “It will be interesting to see how much better he might be at relationships now.”
Jack’s last long-term relationship was his marriage to Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). That relationship blew up when Phyllis cheated with Jack’s younger brother, Billy (Jason Thompson). So far, there are no hints of a reunion between Jack and the woman he called Red. With so much hurt between them, it may take a long while before they revisit that possibility.
Since the demise of his relationship with Phyllis, Jack also had a brief dalliance with Gloria (Judith Chapman). With rumors that Gloria returns to Genoa City soon, they might find something lasting.
Throughout the years, Jack’s been married to at least six women multiple times. His most significant relationships, in addition to Phyllis, were Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Sharon (Sharon Case). Plus, Diane Jenkins is the mother of his son, Kyle. He’s had countless love affairs and even partnered with his former stepmother Jill (Jess Walton), more than once. As he moves forward, it will be interesting for viewers to watch to see if Jack finally finds lasting love.
