Who is Denise on The Young and the Restless and who plays her?

Denise on The Young and the Restless has fans buzzing about who she is and who plays her.

The new character has been making waves on and off-screen for an excellent reason. There’s an off-screen connection that makes the addition of the character to the CBS soap opera even more special.

Who is Denise on Y&R?

Denise (Telma Hopkins) recently showed up in Genoa City to help Amanda (Mishael Morgan) with the case involving her grandfather, Sutton (Jack Landron).

The Young and the Restless spoilers reveal Denise drops a major truth bomb on Amanda regarding her biological father, Richard. Denise knows a lot more about Richard than Amanda expected.

As of now, Denise will only be sticking around for a short time. However, it is a soap opera, so anything is possible.

Who is playing Denise on The Young and the Restless?

If the actress playing Denise looks familiar, that’s because Telma Hopkins is no stranger to showbiz. The actress and singer has made quite a name for herself in Hollywood.

Fans may recognize Telma from the hit sitcom Family Matters as Rachel Crawford, the mother of Bryton James’ character Richie Crawford. The two have been heavily promoting their reunion on Y&R.

According to TV Insider, Bryton revealed he’s been trying to get Telma on the CBS daytime drama for years. Yes, Devon and Denise will have scenes together, marking the first time Bryton and Telma shared the screen since Family Matters ended in 1998.

There was one thing Telma was worried about after she accepted the role of Denise. The fast pace that comes with working on a soap opera.

“I was extremely nervous because they work at a different pace than I’m used to. So I did call Bryton before I said yes, to talk to him about it and ask, you know, if he thought I could handle it without having a nervous breakdown!” Telma shared with Soap Opera Digest.

Along with working with Bryton again, the other reason Telma wanted the role of Denise is because she’s a die-hard The Young and the Restless fan.

Telma has been watching the show since the 1970s. The actress worked on a variety show called Tony Orlando and Dawn from 1974-1976. It was filmed across the hall from Y&R in the studios now occupied by The Bold and the Beautiful.

Actress Telma Hopkins plays Denise on The Young and the Restless. However, she has a long list of acting credits, including sitcoms like Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break, and Half and Half. Most recently, Telma appeared on Netflix’s Dead to Me.

The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS.