Is Hunter King returning to The Young and the Restless? Possible comeback explored

Hunter King is an American actress who used to be a part of The Young and the Restless cast. She played the role of Summer Newman before her exit from the soap in 2021. Since then, actress Allison Lanier has played the character of Summer on the soap.

Many fans have hoped that King might return to the soap someday. However, the actress said during the time of her exit that she might be moving on to other opportunities, and since then, she hasn't issued any official statement about her return to the show. Therefore, as of now, she isn't seemingly returning to the soap opera.

Hunter King has gone on to work on many projects after The Young and the Restless. Most prominently, she has been featured in three Hallmark films since then. Even though the actress speaks fondly of her fellow cast members and her journey on the soap, she has stated that it is unlikely that she will make a comeback as Summer.

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Hunter King actress profile and filmography explored

Hunter King started her acting career with small theatrical roles in Agoura Hills, California. After that, she quickly moved to mainstream television and film. She bagged a role in the 2001 movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence, where she played the role of Amanda.

Apart from her stint as Summer on The Young and the Restless, King also played the same character in CBS' sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful. Some of Hunter King's most prominent projects have been listed here:

• Deus Ex Machina (2003) as Mary
• Line of Fire (2004) as Hannah Sorenson
• Dexter (2006) as a teenage Debra Morgan
• Hannah Montana (2009) as Bridget
• Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (2011) as Priscilla Granger
• Hollywood Heights (2012) as Adriana Masters
• A Girl Like Her (2015) as Avery Keller
• The Day of Matthew Montgomery (2017) as a flight attendant
• Hidden Gems (2022) as Addy
• Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths (2022) as Nikki
• A Royal Corgi Christmas (2022) as Cecily
• The Professional Bridesmaid (2023) as Maggie Bailey

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Who plays Summer Newman on The Young and the Restless now?

After Hunter King's 2021 exit, Allison Lanier has been playing the role of Summer on the soap. The actress was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2024 in the category of Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.

In the past week, Summer's storyline has mostly been centred around Kyle and Audra. As Kyle's ex, Summer posed Audra an ultimatum, and thought that it would work. However, with Kyle and Audra reaching a temporary truce, it seems that Summer's strategy may have backfired.

Earlier this month, the character also faced the dilemma of Harrison's custody. Summer even asked Claire to keep an eye out for Kyle at the Abbott mansion. She roped in many other characters like Chance to help secure her place and arrange a living situatiom for Harrison and herself.

Allison Lanier has also spoken out about her character and Summer's motivations in the past. In an interview for FIRST for Women, the actress said:

"[Summer has] matured a lot in these last couple of years and really come into her own, in a lot of ways. She's faced some adversity ... and I think she's attempted to handle those adversities with more tact and grace, even if she's not always perfect."

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Audiences can watch new episodes of The Young and the Restless streaming online via Paramount+.