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The Young and the Restless has been home to many veteran actors portraying their roles for decades—and among them is Kate Linder. The actress is known for her portrayal of Esther Valentine.
Linder first appeared as Esther in 1982 and instantly became a fixture in Genoa City. The character was originally intended as a one-off role, but she quickly became a fan-favorite on the show.
Esther started her journey as a housekeeper at the Chancellor Estate, working for the powerful Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper). Over time, she became her trusted friend, turning into more than just a maid for the prominent family.
Esther Valentine's most memorable storylines on The Young and the Restless
One of the most notable storylines of Esther Valentine on Y&R was about her daughter. She once had a one-night stand with a plumber named Tiny and got pregnant. It was later revealed that Jabot Cosmetics's fashionista, Chloe Mitchell, is her daughter.
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Esther attempted to have a mother-and-daughter relationship with Chloe, but it was not easy. Chloe was embarrassed by her mother's status, particularly her career as a maid. Eventually, with the help of Cane Ashby, the two slowly became close again.
Another highlight of Esther's time on The Young and the Restless was when it was revealed that she inherited 1/10 of 1 percent of Katherine Chancellor's 1 billion dollar estate, approximately 1 million dollars. She also got the rights to Katherine's half-ownership of the Chancellor Estate. This made her financially secure for life.
More about Kate Linder
Kate Linder was born on November 2, 1947, in Pasadena, California. She grew up alongside her younger brother, Randy, raised by a CPA father and a homemaker mother.
Linder's love for entertainment started young as at age 3, she started taking dance classes. By the time she graduated high school, she already had major roles in Promises, Promises, Three Penny Opera, L'il Abner, Jesus Christ Superstar, and more.
Linder has a degree in Theater Arts from San Francisco State University. Around the same time, she also began working as a flight attendant for Transamerica Airlines. Shortly after graduation, she landed television roles on Archie Bunker's Place and Bay City Blues. In 1982, Linder was cast as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless.
Her contribution to television earned her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2008. Linder is the third actor to earn the much-coveted star solely on the merits of acting on a soap opera.
Outside of acting on television, Linder also played a huge role behind the scenes. She was elected as the Television Academy's Governor of Daytime Programming Peer Group twice and as a SAG-AFTRA board member multiple times.
As for her movie credits, Linder had roles in Hysteria, Erased, Miss Meadows, Garry Marshall's Mother's Day, Voice from the Stone, and The Charnel House.
When she's not working as an actress on The Young and the Restless, Linder is busy with her day job as a United Airlines flight attendant.
