<P> The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera, created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS . It first aired on March 26, 1973 . The longest - running current cast member is Doug Davidson, who has portrayed private investigator Paul Williams since May 23, 1978 . Jeanne Cooper, who portrayed the soap opera's matriarch Katherine Chancellor, holds the record for the series' longest - running cast member, airing from November 1973 until her death in May 2013 . Melody Thomas Scott and Eric Braeden, who portray Nikki and Victor Newman, are the second and third longest - running cast members, having joined in February 1979 and February 1980, respectively . Kate Linder has portrayed Esther Valentine since April 1982, and rounds out the series' top four longest - running cast members . The following list is of cast members who are currently on the show: both main and recurring members, as well as those who are debuting, departing or returning from the series . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Actor </Th> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Duration </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Peter Bergman </Th> <Td> Jack Abbott </Td> <Td> 1989--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Marco Annicelli </Td> <Td> 2015 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Eric Braeden </Th> <Td> Victor Newman </Td> <Td> 1980--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Sharon Case </Th> <Td> Sharon Newman </Td> <Td> 1994--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Doug Davidson </Th> <Td> Paul Williams </Td> <Td> 1978--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Eileen Davidson </Th> <Td> Ashley Abbott </Td> <Td> 1982--88, 1999--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Melissa Claire Egan </Th> <Td> Chelsea Newman </Td> <Td> 2011--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Cait Fairbanks </Th> <Td> Tessa Porter </Td> <Td> 2017--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Noah Alexander Gerry </Th> <Td> Charlie Ashby </Td> <Td> 2017--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Daniel Goddard </Th> <Td> Cane Ashby </Td> <Td> 2007--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Caleb Atkinson </Td> <Td> 2011 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Camryn Grimes </Th> <Td> Cassie Newman </Td> <Td> 1997--2007, 2009--10, 2013--14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mariah Copeland </Td> <Td> 2014--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Amelia Heinle </Th> <Td> Victoria Newman </Td> <Td> 2005--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Bryton James </Th> <Td> Devon Hamilton </Td> <Td> 2004--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Christel Khalil </Th> <Td> Lily Ashby </Td> <Td> 2002--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Tristan Lake Leabu </Th> <Td> Reed Hellstrom </Td> <Td> 2016--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Christian LeBlanc </Th> <Td> Michael Baldwin </Td> <Td> 1991--93, 1997--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Kate Linder </Th> <Td> Esther Valentine </Td> <Td> 1982--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Thad Luckinbill </Th> <Td> J.T. Hellstrom </Td> <Td> 1999--2010, 2017--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Mishael Morgan </Th> <Td> Hilary Hamilton </Td> <Td> 2013--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Joshua Morrow </Th> <Td> Nicholas Newman </Td> <Td> 1994--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Melissa Ordway </Th> <Td> Abby Newman </Td> <Td> 2013--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Melody Thomas Scott </Th> <Td> Nikki Newman </Td> <Td> 1979--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Kristoff St. John </Th> <Td> Neil Winters </Td> <Td> 1991--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Lexie Stevenson </Th> <Td> Mattie Ashby </Td> <Td> 2017--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Jason Thompson </Th> <Td> Billy Abbott </Td> <Td> 2016--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Gina Tognoni </Th> <Td> Phyllis Summers </Td> <Td> 2014--</Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Actor </Th> <Th> Character </Th> <Th> Duration </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Peter Bergman </Th> <Td> Jack Abbott </Td> <Td> 1989--</Td> </Tr>

Who plays on the young and the restless