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Drucilla Winters was an interestingly feisty fictional character in the American soap The Young and the Restless. The character was an essential part of the storyline from 1990 to 2007 and was portrayed by actor Victoria Rowell. Since no other actor has replaced Rowell in the role, the character of Drucilla has not been part of the show since 2007, as Rowell left the show that year. While Rowell later wanted to return to The Young and the Restless, the show seems to have scrapped her character.
For the uninitiated, The Young and the Restless is one of the longest-running American soap operas that has aired on CBS since 1973. The drama includes the alliances, feuds, and highs and lows of the various characters in the show, from the Chancellor family, the Abbott family, the Neuman family, the Barber/Winters family, and the Baldwin-Fisher family. Drucilla Winters was a Barber who became part of the Winters.
Who played Drucilla Winters in The Young and the Restless?
Victoria Rowell has been the face of Drucilla Winters since the character arrived on The Young and the Restless. The actor joined as a young woman in the 90s and has since had a character development in the series. Drucilla’s character had the best rags-to-riches development in the series.
Drucilla Barber was destitute when she came to stay with her aunt Mamie Johnson and gave up her career as a ballerina. From an illiterate person, Dru grows into a glamorous and chic model. While there had been missteps like posing nude for a magazine and getting raped by Malcolm Winters, Dru’s life has been moving up and ahead successfully.
After Drucilla married Neil Winters, she formed friendships with other Genoa City people, including Jake and Ashley Abbott, Sharon and Victor Neuman, and Brad Carlton. After having a daughter in 1995, from her unfortunate encounter with Malcolm, Dru’s marriage with Neil broke down. However, the reason was Neil’s need for a stay-at-home wife, while Dru desired a career.
Why did The Young and the Restless kill off Drucilla Winters?
The plot for the soap showed Drucilla killed after a fatal fall off a cliff. As per the storyline, Sharon Neuman asked Dru to be her maid of honor. As they went to a cliffside for a pre-wedding photoshoot with Phyllis Romalotti accompanying them, Phyllis threatened to expose Sharon’s affair with Brad recorded on her cell phone.
During the altercation, Dru reached for the cell phone, and the ensuing struggle led to Dru and Sharon losing their foothold on the cliff's edge. Dru tumbled down into the waters below, followed by Sharon. While search teams rescued an injured Sharon, they only found Drucilla’s jacket. With neither a body nor any news about her whereabouts, Drucilla was presumed dead in The Young and the Restless.
In reality, Drucilla actor Victoria Rowell was leaving the show and had to be given justifiable closure. Rowell had previously taken breaks from the show, in 1996 on maternity leave and again in 1998. While she had a recurring presence in 2000, she again left the show to work on other projects. At that time, the plot showed Drucilla moving to London with her daughter Lily.
However, after returning in 2002, she became a significant part of the show. She exited The Young and the Restless in 2007 due to her displeasure with how her character was developing and cited racism as one of the reasons.
In an interview with Black Press Magazine, she revealed that a show of this stature did not represent African American people among the writers, producers, directors, hair and makeup artists. She also pointed out that she had never won any Daytime Emmy Awards and had failed to receive many nominations.
Who is the new Drucilla Winters in The Young and the Restless?
As per the production team and CBS, Drucilla Winters's character will have no representation in the show. Presumed dead, Drucilla is not a part of the current storyline and is not expected to be revived in the future.
Actor Rowell is not likely to be back in the show due to the controversies between her and the channel. After leaving the show in 2007, citing alleged racism, the actor further sued Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Young and the Restless in 2015, alleging being blacklisted for speaking out about lack of diversity.
The character's fans consider her one of the best 25 characters from The Young and the Restless and want to see the character back in the show. While they have campaigned to rehire Rowell, the channel has no plans to bring back Rowell or any replacement to fit the role.
