The Young and the Restless

Today marks a very special milestone in Kate Linder's acting career as she gets honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Best known for her role as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless, Linder has been with the long running soap since 1982.

25 years ago, Linder audition for a one-day role with one line of dialogue on the daytime soap.  After delivering her line, “Dinner is served,” she was asked to come back the next day and then the day after that.  Now, she remains a key member of The Young and the Restless.

Unlike most celebrities who marvel and solely depend on the glitz and glamour of show business, Linder never quit her day job.

“In the beginning, I didn't know what was gonna happen so I didn't tell anyone at the show that I was a flight attendant because I thought they might not take me seriously as an actress,” the soap actress said.

At present, Linder still works for United Airlines, having been a flight attendant for nearly 30 years.

“I do the show during the week and fly on weekends,” she said, adding that she's excited for her co-stars to be on Hollywood Boulevard when her star is unveiled across the street from the Roosevelt Hotel.

“I love the people that I work with,” Linder added.  “I love the show and I love the role.  It was only supposed to be for one day.”

Leron Gubler, president of Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lee Phillip Bell, co-creator of The Young and the Restless, and Jeanne Cooper, who stars as Katherine Chancellor on the soap, are among those gracing today's Hollywood Walk of Fame event.

Kate Linder is the fourth actor to earn a star on the Walk of Fame solely on the merits of acting on a soap opera, after Macdonald Carey, Jeanne Cooper and Susan Lucci.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: CBS, hollywoodchamber.net
(Image courtesy of CBS)