The popular American soap opera The Young and the Restless has been on air since 1973. Set in a fictional version of Genoa City, Wisconsin, it chronicles the struggle behind the business, romance, and conflicts of the Abbott and Newman clans.
Over the years, massively famous actors like David Hasselhoff, Vivica A. Fox, Eva Longoria, Tom Selleck, Adam Brody, and Paul Walker have appeared in the series. Still, it has a talented regular cast of stars who perform brilliantly for devout fans five times a week.
In October 2023, a character was introduced that shook the show and its fans to their core. That character was Claire Grace — and there was a lot more to the character than met the eyes.
After initially appearing to be a standup woman applying to become Nikki Newman’s assistant, Claire turned out to be a bitter and unstable individual. She took the Newman family hostage and revealed her true identity. She was Eve Nicole Howard, the baby that Cole Howard and Victoria Newman were told had died shortly after Victoria gave birth to her.
The truth is Eve was stolen by her great aunt Jordan Howard, who passed off another deceased baby as Eve. Jordan raised her under a different name and, when she was five, told Claire who her parents were and that they didn’t want her.
That’s why the disgruntled adult Claire was so angry with the Newman family. She believed she’d been abandoned intentionally and that the Newman family thought they could get away with doing anything they wanted and hurt others without consequence. Despite being a negative character, the supreme acting skills of the actress ensured that Claire’s pain was palpable.
But who plays Claire Grace, aka Eve Nicole Howard with such finesse?
The Claire Grace actress, explained
Claire Grace is played by Hayley Erin on The Young and the Restless — and long-term fans might recognize her from a previous role in the series since she had a recurring role as Abby Newman for 67 episodes from 2008 until 2010.
Abby is the daughter of Ashley Abbott and Victor Newman, and she’s been played by several actresses since her introduction in 2000. Apart from Erin, the list includes Madison and Morgan Reinherz (2000-2003), Rachel and Amanda Pace (2003), Darcy Rose Byrnes (2003-2008), Emme Rylan (2010-2013), and Melissa Ordway (2013-present).
Erin, born July 13, 1994 (making her 29 at the time of writing), in Los Angeles, California, is a prolific actress whose other famous role is that of Kiki Jerome in the ABC soap opera General Hospital, which she played from 2015 until 2019.
Her television credits also include MADtv, Malcolm in the Middle, The District, Emily’s Reasons Why Not, The King of Queens, Two and a Half Men, Big Love, Modern Family, The Glades, Melissa & Joey, Austin & Ally, and NCIS.
Erin is doing a tremendous job as Claire on The Young and the Restless. Although her character has been jailed for her actions, she has accepted Victoria Newman as her mother after discovering what really happened when she was a baby. It’s exciting to ponder what’s next for her on the show – we can’t wait to find out!
