The recent turn of events on The Young and the Restless has fans wondering if Paul (Doug Davidson) will soon be back on our TV screens.
It’s been nearly four years since Paul was seen in Genoa City.
Paul played a pivotal role on the hit CBS soap for over 40 years before the character went MIA.
In the final couple of years, Paul was placed on the back burner, with the character off-canvas for months at a time.
The death of Paul’s daughter Heather (Vail Bloom) has Y&R viewers hoping that he will return to the show.
So, should The Young and the Restless fans get their hopes up for a Paul return?
Let’s take a look at what we know.
Is Paul coming back to The Young and the Restless?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Paul isn’t coming back to Genoa City, probably ever.
Instead, he remains in Portugal. Even after Heather and Lucy (Lily Brooks O’Briant) return to Genoa City, he stayed behind.
The Young and the Restless fans learned about Paul and Christine’s (Lauralee Bell) divorce only when Christine came clean to Lauren (Tracey E. Bregman). Yes, a fan-favorite couple was torn apart off-screen, much to our dismay.
Doug has spoken out more than once on social media regarding the way he was treated by the powers that be after calling Y&R home for 43 years. In 2021, he used social media to declare he was done being a “day player” on a show.
After clearing out his dressing room at Television City in 2023, Doug revealed why he was no longer on the CBS soap. It should surprise no one that the answer had to do with money.
“Paul is more expensive than Danny. That’s what it’s all about,” he shared with Soap Hub, referring to Christine now being paired with Danny (Michael Damian).
The actor made it clear there was no going back for him, which raises the question of whether the role will be recast with a less expensive actor.
Will Paul be recast on Y&R?
There’s a chance that Paul could return to mourn his daughter with a new face in the role. However, the odds of that happening are slim.
The Young and the Restless fans already have issues with how Doug was treated, so putting a new face in the role would cause a lot of backlash.
Plus, Paul isn’t really needed on the canvas after being away for so long and missing so much. It’s not like Y&R viewers saw Paul and Heather together during her recent Genoa City return or have seen him with the newly aged Lucy.
All of this means that Paul has faded into the background off-screen, where he will stay.
Do you miss Paul?
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.