Award-winning actor Jacob Young was born on September 10, 1979 in Renton, Washington. When his parents divorced, he moved to San Diego, California with his mother. Young is an acclaimed actor in soap operas, having appeared in several of them during his career.
Young’s first daytime soap role was in The Bold and the Beautiful, where he played the role of Rick Forrester. He was not the first to play the role, having been originated in 1990; however, he was the first to play the role on a contract basis, taking on the role in 1997. His performance was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1999; he left the show shortly after. He next took on a role in another daytime soap, General Hospital. This time he played the role of Lucky Spencer, the son of legendary supercouple Luke and Laura Spencer (Anthony Geary and Genie Francis). During his stint in the show, from 2000 to 2003, he won a Daytime Emmy for his role, and was also voted as the Sexist Soap Star by People magazine.
Shortly after his departure from General Hospital, Young joined the cast of All My Children. He took on the role of J.R. Chandler, the son of wealthy businessman Adam Chandler (David Canary). His character is one of television’s best-known anti-heroes—he has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and a tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife Babe Carey (Alexa Havin), but he is known to be ruthless, especially to those who betray his loyalty. Young felt that his stint in the drama has refined his acting, partly because of the complexities of his character. He would go on to be nominated for yet another Daytime Emmy, in 2005. His character also appeared in One Life to Live, as part of a crossover storyline between the two programs.
Young has also appeared in other television shows. He had a role in the television movie The Beach Boys: An American Family, which aired in 2000. He also had a guest role it the comedy Hope & Faith. In 2004, he made his film debut, appearing alongside Elisha Cuthbert in The Girl Next Door.