The Young and the Restless premiered on March 26, 1973, and has been the number-one daytime drama for 33 years. Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, the storyline revolves around the Abbott, Newman, Baldwin, and Winter families.
In November 2014, Justin Harley stepped into the role of Adam Newman, the son of Victor Newman and Hope Adams. He continued to play the character until September 2016. The actor was widely praised and quickly became a fan favorite.
An article released by RadarOnline on June 21, 2024, mentioned that Justin Hartley was reportedly on his way to becoming the highest-paid TV star following the success of his series Tracker. This has not been confirmed yet and other details regarding this information are yet to be disclosed.
His storyline in The Young and the Restless revolves around the Newman family members, one of the most powerful families in the American daily soap opera. The role was originally played by Chris Engen in 2008, who left the show in 2009. Many actors have been recast for the role: Michael Muhney (2009–2014), Justin Hartley (2014–2016), Dane West (2020), and lastly, Mark Grossman (2019–present).
Justin as Adam on The Young and the Restless
When Justin Hartley took over as Adam Newman, he was presumed dead in a car accident. However, he survived and underwent facial surgery. He returned to Genoa City as Gabriel, the man who had died saving his life. As Gabriel, Adam was all the while surveilling his family and his enemies with great care, as he secretly was setting up to wreak his vengeance.
In 2015, still portraying Gabriel, Adam began manipulating situations to his advantage in hopes of regaining control of Newman Enterprises and winning back his estranged wife, Chelsea Lawson.
Thereafter, Chelsea discovered his real identity, which led to a sentimental reunion. As Adam had kept his identity a secret for a long time, it always put some sort of strain on his and Chelsea's relationship because Chelsea could not believe that her husband lied. However, they reconciled and got married.
Simultaneously, he also became involved in a rather fierce battle for custody over their son, Connor, with a mind only to protect his family. His life took a turn for the worse in 2016 when his father, Victor Newman, betrayed him by framing him for the murder of Constance Bingham, which led to his capture, arrest, and trial.
Adam was sent to prison but managed to escape with help from Victor. It was a very brief escape, and he found himself in even deeper trouble with Victor's ulterior motives.
The storyline of the serial peaked when it was believed that Adam had met with death ultimately in a cabin explosion, fixed by his enemies. However, his unclear way of dying in 2016, which marked the exit of Justin from The Young and the Restless, remained a subject for viewers to wonder when he might return.
More about The Young and the Restless fame Justin Harley
Justin Hartley is an American actor best known for his television work, especially on soap operas and primetime dramas. He was born on January 29, 1977, in Knoxville, Illinois, United States. He portrayed Fox Crane from 2002 to 2006 on Passions and next played Oliver Queen, also known as Green Arrow, in the superhero drama Smallville from 2006 to 2011.
Another memorable role for Hartley was playing Adam Newman on The Young and the Restless from 2014 to 2016. His work was critically acclaimed, culminating in a Daytime Emmy Award nomination.
Hartley found his career reaching new heights when he was cast as Kevin Pearson in the critically acclaimed NBC drama This Is Us from 2016 to 2022. His performed realization of Kevin, a character riddled with personal and vocational problems, reaping appointments to many award nominations.
The show itself became a cultural phenomenon, further underlining Hartley's status as a leading actor in television. In addition to his work on television, Hartley has had a film career and has directed some episodes of This Is Us.
Fans can enjoy watching all the new episodes of The Young and the Restless on CBS.