Wilma Jeanne Cooper, who was born on October 25, 1928 in Taft, California, is an Emmy Award nominated actress best known for portraying Katherine Chancellor on The Young and the Restless, a role she took in 1973. She launched her career in the 1950s, playing the role of Myra in The Redhead from Wyoming. Her other credits include Shadows of Tombstone, Kansas City Bomber, Sweet Hostage and Carpool Guy. Cooper is married to television producer Harry Bernsen and is the mother of three children, one of them being actor Corbin Bernsen. In 2004, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys.
Katherine "Kay" Shepard is portrayed by Jeanne Cooper on CBS's The Young and the Restless. Kay is one of the wealthiest individuals in Genoa City, as she owns Chancellor Industries and Jabot Cosmetics. She is the mother of Brock Reynolds and Jill Foster, whom she gave up for adoption. When Kay and Jill reunited, they instantly became bitter rivals because Kill became involved with Kay's husband, Phillip Chancellor II. Phillip died in a car accident caused by Kay herself, and his death caused a greater gap between the two women. Another explosive revelation occurred when they found a letter by the late Phillip, stating that he left the Chancellor Estate to Jill. Kay then found a legal loophole, forcing them to live under one roof. 2003 saw the discovery that they were indeed mother and daughter, an event that caused Kay to have a stroke.
(Photo courtesy of CBS.com)