Colleen Carlton
Encyclopedia
Colleen Cecile Carlton is a fictional character
from the American
soap opera
The Young and the Restless
. She was last portrayed by Tammin Sursok
, who joined the cast on July 30, 2007 and departed on October 5, 2009. Previous actresses in the role were Lyndsy Fonseca
(from May 30, 2001 to May 17, 2004, reappearing briefly from December 24, 2004 to February 9, 2005) and Adrianne Leon
(from January 18, 2006 to July 16, 2007). Colleen is the daughter of Brad Carlton
(Don Diamont
) and Traci Abbott Connolly (Beth Maitland
).
The character was portrayed as a "sweet Daddy's girl" who rebelled during her teen years. She became popular as half of the J.T. and Colleen supercouple
. Viewers voted them onto top couple lists multiple times. The character's onscreen death in 2009 meet with both positive and critical reviews from critics.
for New York
with her mother, Traci. Colleen was aged
to fifteen in 2001, with actress Lyndsy Fonseca
playing the role. In mid-2004, Fonseca was let go as Colleen returned to New York to live with her mother. The Young and the Restless executive producer
and head writer
Jack Smith left the door open for Fonseca to return. "That means a lot to me," Fonseca said. "He's been really cool about that." Fonseca briefly reprised the role from December 2004 to February 2005. In January 2006, the role was recast with Adrianne Leon
. Before getting the Colleen role, Leon portrayed Brook Lynn Ashton on the ABC
soap opera General Hospital
. As her storyline on the series diminished, Leon was given permission by the show's executive producer
Jill Farren Phelps
to start auditioning for other projects including other soap operas. She was soon cast as Colleen Carlton on Young and the Restless. Fan response to this news was negative because the audience did not believe Leon would fit in the role. Leon wanted to help the viewers with the transition. "Since I was leaving GH one day and airing the next as Colleen, it was a decision on my part to blend in her look with Brook's," she said. General Hospital also planned to write Brook out by scripting her new destination as the Carlton Music Academy in Genoa City. That plan was not followed through.
Colleen was characterized as a "sweet Daddy's girl." Leon wanted to make the character more grown up. "She's still the same person, but she's 20 now and she's had a year of college," she said. "She's been in New York
for a year, and New York itself can change a person. I wanted to bring that fresh element to that character." Leon said Colleen fans came over to her message board after she got the role and tried to fill her in on the details of the part so she would not "screw things up." Though she looked over the information, Leon said, "I didn't want to go into detail, because I did want to come in and have a fresh start with the character. Coming in as a recast was stressful already, so trying to mimic what she did…. I got this [role] for a reason — something I did — so I didn't want to lose that element. Plus, the character's grown up." Leon was released from her contract in June 2007 and the part was recast with Australia
n actress and musician Tammin Sursok
. In an interview with Soap Opera Weekly
, Leon said her firing shocked her. "When I got the call, I asked when my last day was, and it had already passed," she said. "There was already a replacement. The whole thing was done and sealed." When she published the news on her Myspace
page, she received a "flood of fan support." Rumors went around that Leon was fired because of her fluctuating weight. Leon said the extra weight she gained was a result of medication and a storyline that was never explored. She first gained weight from the steroids she was taking for an allergic reaction to the wool she had to wear as part of Colleen's winter wardrobe. She was later asked to keep the weight on by Lynn Marie Latham
, the Young and the Restless head writer
. "Lynn contacted me about doing a weight storyline with Colleen," Leon said. "She wanted to put out the message that curvy is sexy and men like that- she wanted to put some balance out there. I agreed that was the right message and I loved that she asked me." So she kept the added weight on for authenticity. "Not that size zero people don't have weight issues, but to me compared to curvy sculptures and have people say, 'Oh, Colleen your big butt is so cute,' I couldn't not have a big butt!" Whether her firing had to do with the weight gain, Leon said she did not know.
Sursok, who gained a following portraying Dani Sutherland on Australian soap Home and Away
in the early 2000s, met rejection from a number of Young and the Restless viewers. Despite negativity she also received positive viewer feedback. "The fans have been really great," she said. In preparation for the role, Sursok tried to catch up on Colleen's history. "I watched the last six months of episodes," she said. "My boyfriend used to date a girl who was obsessed with Y&R, so he knew everything about it and brought me up to speed, as well." She hoped to bring something new to the role while keeping with the familiar. "It's very hard to come in and have a background already in place for a character," she said. "You want to remember who the character was from the beginning, but I'd like to change it up a bit. People evolve; characters evolve. I think Colleen is torn between two worlds right now. Her father treats her like a child, but she's trying to grow up." An element Sursok wanted to add to the character was drama. "Everyone wants to play what they don't have and my life's very settled at the moment," she said. "It would be nice to spice things up, maybe have an affair with someone." Sursok earned a Daytime Emmy Award
nomination for her portrayal of Colleen the following year
.
After two years in the role, the actress departed and the writers killed off Colleen. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest in October 2009, Sursok said it was difficult to pursue outside projects and appear on The Young and the Restless as well. Her departure was a mutual decision by her and the show. "I was satisfied with the way that my character was written out," she said. "I think a little bit of drama is always fun, and I had a memorable ending that created some good storyline for so many other people. I'm glad I got to be a part of that." For the scenes leading up to Colleen's death, The Young and the Restless went on location to Franklin Canyon
, California. The inside of the lake that Colleen drowns in was recreated in the CBS Studios. The Bold and the Beautiful
's head writer and executive producer Bradley Bell
allowed Don Diamont to return to The Young and the Resltess as Colleen's deceased father, Brad, as one of the visions Colleen has while unconscious. Diamont currently portrays The Bold and the Beautiful's Bill Spencer, Jr. "In order to accommodate contract constraints and actors' availability, we were writing scenes that were shot the following week, which is very unusual," said The Young and the Restless's co-headwriter Scott Hamner. "The appearance of Don gave a depth of feeling to the show that would not have been possible without him." During the taping of Colleen's final scenes, Sursok was not there. "They had to use insert shots of me [which were filmed beforehand] for when she was shown in bed at the hospital," she said.
, J.T. Hellstrom
(Thad Luckinbill
), who plans on using this information against Billy. He changes his mind when he sees how upset Colleen is and the two start a friendship. She continues her drug use until her carelessness while intoxicated nearly results in the death of her adopted sister, Abby
(Darcy Rose Byrnes
), while she babysits her.
Colleen soon makes friends with local girls Lily Winters
(Christel Khalil
) and Sierra Hoffman (Asia Ray Smith
), and begins a romance with J.T. At first, Colleen's family is wary of J.T. as he has a bad track record with women, but they eventually accept the relationship. Sex becomes a stumbling block for the couple. Colleen makes sexual overtures to J.T. and he turns her down because of their age difference. Not long afterward, he gives in to the advances of an older woman, Anita Hodges. When Colleen finds out, she is devastated, and the two break up. They soon reconcile.
When Lily begins dating Kevin Fisher
(Greg Rikaart
), Colleen tells Lily's parents, Drucilla and Neil Winters
when the relationship turns sexual. In retaliation, Kevin traps Colleen in Gina Roma
's (Patty Weaver
) restaurant and starts a fire. Colleen survives after J.T. goes into the building and carries her out. She remains distrustful of Kevin, who covers up his crimes.
In 2004, Colleen leaves Genoa City for New York because she feels she is getting in the way of J.T.'s music career. She returns in early 2006 expecting to reunite with him, but he has moved on with Mackenzie Browning
(Rachel Kimsey
). She is also shocked to learn that Kevin has now been accepted by most of the community, Lily included.
After Mac leaves town, Colleen and J.T. reconcile. She is soon devastated by the death of her grandfather John Abbott
(Jerry Douglas
), who dies of a massive stroke. She is further rocked by the revelation that her father has assumed the name of Brad Carlton, and is in fact the son of Holocaust survivor and art historian Rebecca Kaplan (Lorna Raver
). The majority of the Kaplan family had been killed because Rebecca had made it her life's work to return artwork stolen by the Nazis.
Following her grandmother's lead, Colleen begins to study art history
in college under a professor named Adrian Korbel
(Eyal Podell
). It becomes apparent to both that this is more than a student/teacher relationship, much to the chagrin of the Kaplans, who are still in hiding, and her boyfriend J.T. Colleen uses Professor Korbel's knowledge to help solve the mystery of the Grudgeon Reliquary, the artifact that lead to the Kaplan family's murder. Despite her family's objections and a growing possibility that Korbel is involved in the murder of Newman Enterprises executive Carmen Mesta
(Marisa Ramirez
), Colleen cheats on J.T. with Adrian on Valentine's Day
.
Colleen and Kevin are kidnapped by Jana Hawkes
(Emily O'Brien
) as part of Jana's scheme involving the reliquary mystery. She attempts to kill them both and frame Kevin for the crimes she committed by setting the building on fire. As both Colleen and Kevin are succumbing to the smoke, J.T. and Korbel manage to save them. When Colleen recovers, she clears Kevin's name. The two forgive each other and became friends.
After breaking up with J.T., Colleen tries to start a relationship with Adrian, but her family and J.T. threw up roadblocks. After Adrian nearly loses his job, they attempt to feign a break-up and continue to see each other, but Sharon Newman (Sharon Case
) discovers them and tells Brad. As a result, Brad cuts his daughter off financially, though Colleen soon overcomes this obstacle with a loan from her uncle Jack (Peter Bergman
).
In August 2007, Colleen, furious with Brad, gives Korbel permission to use her family's story in his new book, Saved From the Ashes. They break up after she changes her mind about the book and Brad stops the publication. Korbel moves on with Amber Moore
(Adrienne Frantz
) while Colleen begins a relationship with Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei
). Their relationship soon ends when Daniel reunites with Amber.
When Brad dies saving Sharon's son Noah
(Kevin G. Schmidt
) from a frozen pond in early 2009, Colleen resolves to honor her father's memory by stepping into his seat on the Newman Enterprises board of directors. She angrily lashes out at the company's founder and CEO, Victor Newman
(Eric Braeden
), Brad's long-time rival, as she believes he is partly to blame for her father's death. Victor pays Jeffrey and Gloria to catch Colleen in a compromising situation so she can be kicked off the board. They succeed by paying a bartender to get her drunk and tape her flashing her breasts in public.
Victor's vendetta against Colleen brings her closer to J.T., who is married to Victoria Newman
. They kiss before she is kidnapped and held hostage by her Uncle Jack Abbott's mentally unstable ex-wife, Patty Williams
. Colleen later has a showdown with Patty Williams. She later escapes by canoe on the lake, but falls in and nearly drowns. Jack takes her to the hospital, and Colleen is declared brain dead. Traci makes the decision to remove her daughter from life support and donates Colleen's heart to Victor Newman. At Colleen's memorial service, her very close friends and family gathered to remember the good times and say their goodbye's to her. They let red balloons float away in the air to as a way of saying goodbye to Colleen.During Victor Newman's Christmas Carol she made an apparence as The last ghost who visited Victor. He realized it was her at the end when he realized he was doing wrong by her.
: The Year in Soaps along with other prominent duos of that year Sonny and Carly
, Nick and Sharon
, Shawn and Belle, and Al and Marcie. After Fonseca was let go from the role, she was voted fourth "most missed actor" of 2004 in that year's issue of Soap Opera Update The Year in Soaps. When the part was recast with Leon, the couple was listed as the favorite Young and the Restless couple in Soap Opera Digest
and the couple's portrayers, Leon and Thad Luckinbill, were listed as the shows favorite actress and actor.
In 2009, Colleen was killed off. The story of her death received both positive and negative feedback from critics. Soaps In Depth referred to the scenes while Colleen sank under the water, while her family worried about her whereabouts an "instant classic." Soap Opera Weekly
s Mala Bhattacharjee said the dream sequences that Colleen had while drowning were ludicrous. Janet Di Lauro, from Soap Opera Weekly, criticized the plot twist and said the "mere thought of the Abbott family donating Colleen's heart to Victor is enough to melt the brain of even the most casual fan." Di Lauro considered the performances of Christel Khalil, Peter Bergman and Beth Maitland as the only positive element of the story. She said the scenes where Lily said goodbye to Colleen "was one of the most touching scenes to air during Colleen's last days. It was uplifting to see the ailing Lily keep her composure and promise Colleen she would live her life for the both of them." Soap Opera Digest named the story Editors' Choice for the week, praising it as a "chilling, rich and game-changing coda to this wrenching family tragedy" and a "fitting tribute to the lost Colleen."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
. She was last portrayed by Tammin Sursok
Tammin Sursok
Tammin Pamela Sursok is an Australian actress and musician of South African origin. She is best known for the role of Dani Sutherland on Home and Away, as Colleen Carlton on The Young and the Restless and as Siena in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana...
, who joined the cast on July 30, 2007 and departed on October 5, 2009. Previous actresses in the role were Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
(from May 30, 2001 to May 17, 2004, reappearing briefly from December 24, 2004 to February 9, 2005) and Adrianne Leon
Adrianne Leon
Adrianna Therese León is an American singer-songwriter, chef, personal fitness trainer, model and actress. She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Caught Crimson. León began writing songs for the Emmy award-winning soap opera General Hospital...
(from January 18, 2006 to July 16, 2007). Colleen is the daughter of Brad Carlton
Brad Carlton
Bradley "Brad" Carlton was a fictional character on CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actor Don Diamont played the role since May 1985 until he departed the show in 1996 and returned on July 28, 1998. Diamont was temporarily replaced by Russell Todd in 1993. The character has also...
(Don Diamont
Don Diamont
Don Diamont is an American actor, best known for his long-running portrayal of Brad Carlton on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. In 1990, he was chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine, becoming the first daytime drama actor to receive the honor...
) and Traci Abbott Connolly (Beth Maitland
Beth Maitland
Beth Maitland is American actress, best known for her portrayal of Traci Abbott Connolly in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1982 to 1996 and from 2001 to the present on a recurring basis.-Early life:...
).
The character was portrayed as a "sweet Daddy's girl" who rebelled during her teen years. She became popular as half of the J.T. and Colleen supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
. Viewers voted them onto top couple lists multiple times. The character's onscreen death in 2009 meet with both positive and critical reviews from critics.
Conception and casting
Colleen was born on-screen in 1992 and, after being portrayed by a string of child actors between then and 1995, the character left Genoa CityGenoa City (fictional city)
Genoa City, Wisconsin is the fictional setting for the long-running American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. The real U.S. village of the same name is otherwise unlike and unrelated to the mid-size city depicted in the series.- Overview :...
for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with her mother, Traci. Colleen was aged
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome is a term used to describe the practice of accelerating the age of a television character in conflict with the timeline of a series and/or the real-world progression of time. Characters unseen on screen for a time might reappear portrayed by an actor several years...
to fifteen in 2001, with actress Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Fonseca
Lyndsy Marie Fonseca is an American actress known for playing Colleen Carlton on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and The Restless, Dylan Mayfair on the ABC series Desperate Housewives, and Ted Mosby's daughter on How I Met Your Mother. She also played Katie Deauxma in the 2010 superhero film...
playing the role. In mid-2004, Fonseca was let go as Colleen returned to New York to live with her mother. The Young and the Restless executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
Jack Smith left the door open for Fonseca to return. "That means a lot to me," Fonseca said. "He's been really cool about that." Fonseca briefly reprised the role from December 2004 to February 2005. In January 2006, the role was recast with Adrianne Leon
Adrianne Leon
Adrianna Therese León is an American singer-songwriter, chef, personal fitness trainer, model and actress. She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Caught Crimson. León began writing songs for the Emmy award-winning soap opera General Hospital...
. Before getting the Colleen role, Leon portrayed Brook Lynn Ashton on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
soap opera General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. As her storyline on the series diminished, Leon was given permission by the show's executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Jill Farren Phelps
Jill Farren Phelps
Jill Farren Phelps is an American television producer.-Career:Phelps has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara , Guiding Light , Another World , One Life to Live , and currently General Hospital .Phelps got her start...
to start auditioning for other projects including other soap operas. She was soon cast as Colleen Carlton on Young and the Restless. Fan response to this news was negative because the audience did not believe Leon would fit in the role. Leon wanted to help the viewers with the transition. "Since I was leaving GH one day and airing the next as Colleen, it was a decision on my part to blend in her look with Brook's," she said. General Hospital also planned to write Brook out by scripting her new destination as the Carlton Music Academy in Genoa City. That plan was not followed through.
Colleen was characterized as a "sweet Daddy's girl." Leon wanted to make the character more grown up. "She's still the same person, but she's 20 now and she's had a year of college," she said. "She's been in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for a year, and New York itself can change a person. I wanted to bring that fresh element to that character." Leon said Colleen fans came over to her message board after she got the role and tried to fill her in on the details of the part so she would not "screw things up." Though she looked over the information, Leon said, "I didn't want to go into detail, because I did want to come in and have a fresh start with the character. Coming in as a recast was stressful already, so trying to mimic what she did…. I got this [role] for a reason — something I did — so I didn't want to lose that element. Plus, the character's grown up." Leon was released from her contract in June 2007 and the part was recast with Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n actress and musician Tammin Sursok
Tammin Sursok
Tammin Pamela Sursok is an Australian actress and musician of South African origin. She is best known for the role of Dani Sutherland on Home and Away, as Colleen Carlton on The Young and the Restless and as Siena in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana...
. In an interview with Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
, Leon said her firing shocked her. "When I got the call, I asked when my last day was, and it had already passed," she said. "There was already a replacement. The whole thing was done and sealed." When she published the news on her Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page, she received a "flood of fan support." Rumors went around that Leon was fired because of her fluctuating weight. Leon said the extra weight she gained was a result of medication and a storyline that was never explored. She first gained weight from the steroids she was taking for an allergic reaction to the wool she had to wear as part of Colleen's winter wardrobe. She was later asked to keep the weight on by Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham
Lynn Marie Latham is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer. Her initial foray into writing for television was as a story editor for the short-lived series Berrenger's in 1985...
, the Young and the Restless head writer
Head writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
. "Lynn contacted me about doing a weight storyline with Colleen," Leon said. "She wanted to put out the message that curvy is sexy and men like that- she wanted to put some balance out there. I agreed that was the right message and I loved that she asked me." So she kept the added weight on for authenticity. "Not that size zero people don't have weight issues, but to me compared to curvy sculptures and have people say, 'Oh, Colleen your big butt is so cute,' I couldn't not have a big butt!" Whether her firing had to do with the weight gain, Leon said she did not know.
Sursok, who gained a following portraying Dani Sutherland on Australian soap Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
in the early 2000s, met rejection from a number of Young and the Restless viewers. Despite negativity she also received positive viewer feedback. "The fans have been really great," she said. In preparation for the role, Sursok tried to catch up on Colleen's history. "I watched the last six months of episodes," she said. "My boyfriend used to date a girl who was obsessed with Y&R, so he knew everything about it and brought me up to speed, as well." She hoped to bring something new to the role while keeping with the familiar. "It's very hard to come in and have a background already in place for a character," she said. "You want to remember who the character was from the beginning, but I'd like to change it up a bit. People evolve; characters evolve. I think Colleen is torn between two worlds right now. Her father treats her like a child, but she's trying to grow up." An element Sursok wanted to add to the character was drama. "Everyone wants to play what they don't have and my life's very settled at the moment," she said. "It would be nice to spice things up, maybe have an affair with someone." Sursok earned a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
nomination for her portrayal of Colleen the following year
35th Daytime Emmy Awards
The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards was held on Friday, June 20, 2008 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and was televised in the United States on ABC. Creative Arts Emmy Awards were presented seven day earlier on June 13 at the Frederick P...
.
After two years in the role, the actress departed and the writers killed off Colleen. In an interview with Soap Opera Digest in October 2009, Sursok said it was difficult to pursue outside projects and appear on The Young and the Restless as well. Her departure was a mutual decision by her and the show. "I was satisfied with the way that my character was written out," she said. "I think a little bit of drama is always fun, and I had a memorable ending that created some good storyline for so many other people. I'm glad I got to be a part of that." For the scenes leading up to Colleen's death, The Young and the Restless went on location to Franklin Canyon
Franklin Canyon Park
Franklin Canyon Park is a public park located near Benedict Canyon at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains. The park comprises , and is located at the purported geographical center of the city of Los Angeles. The park features a lake, a duck pond and over five miles of hiking trails....
, California. The inside of the lake that Colleen drowns in was recreated in the CBS Studios. The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
's head writer and executive producer Bradley Bell
Bradley Bell
Bradley Bell is an American television writer and producer. Bell is a six-time Daytime Emmy Award winner and is executive producer and head writer for The Bold and the Beautiful, an American soap opera.-Career:...
allowed Don Diamont to return to The Young and the Resltess as Colleen's deceased father, Brad, as one of the visions Colleen has while unconscious. Diamont currently portrays The Bold and the Beautiful's Bill Spencer, Jr. "In order to accommodate contract constraints and actors' availability, we were writing scenes that were shot the following week, which is very unusual," said The Young and the Restless's co-headwriter Scott Hamner. "The appearance of Don gave a depth of feeling to the show that would not have been possible without him." During the taping of Colleen's final scenes, Sursok was not there. "They had to use insert shots of me [which were filmed beforehand] for when she was shown in bed at the hospital," she said.
Character's background
Expelled from school in New York for marijuana use in 2001, Colleen is sent to live with her grandfather in Genoa City. She attends school at Walnut Grove Academy with her uncle Billy. While there she continues using drugs and is caught by Billy's nemesisArchenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
, J.T. Hellstrom
J.T. Hellstrom
Jeffrey Todd "J.T." Hellstrom is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, played by actor Thad Luckinbill since August 27, 1999. Luckinbill originally appeared on a recurring basis until he was put on contract in November 2002.J.T. left the show on November 5, 2010,...
(Thad Luckinbill
Thad Luckinbill
Thaddeus Rowe "Thad" Luckinbill is an American actor best known for playing J.T. Hellstrom on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless for 11 years...
), who plans on using this information against Billy. He changes his mind when he sees how upset Colleen is and the two start a friendship. She continues her drug use until her carelessness while intoxicated nearly results in the death of her adopted sister, Abby
Abby Carlton
Abigail "Abby" Rachel Newman is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless. Darcy Rose Byrnes played the role from 2003 to June 2008. Byrnes also made several appearances as Abby on The Bold and the Beautiful...
(Darcy Rose Byrnes
Darcy Rose Byrnes
Darcy Rose Byrnes is an American child actress and singer. She is most famous for her role in the soap opera The Young and the Restless where she portrayed Abby Carlton from 2003 to 2008, she also appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful...
), while she babysits her.
Colleen soon makes friends with local girls Lily Winters
Lily Winters
Lily Winters Ashby is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Starting off as a rebellious yet naive teenager, the character became one of the series' popular heroines. Stories centered around Lily included the mystery of her paternity and social issue...
(Christel Khalil
Christel Khalil
Christel Adnana Khalil is an American actress.-Career:Khalil is best known for her role as Lily Ashby on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. She played the role from August 15, 2002 until September 2, 2005. Soon after she left the soap, Khalil was replaced by Davetta Sherwood...
) and Sierra Hoffman (Asia Ray Smith
Asia Ray Smith
Asia Ray Smith is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sierra Hoffman on The Young and the Restless.-Private life:She attended Punahou School on the island of Oahu in Hawaii....
), and begins a romance with J.T. At first, Colleen's family is wary of J.T. as he has a bad track record with women, but they eventually accept the relationship. Sex becomes a stumbling block for the couple. Colleen makes sexual overtures to J.T. and he turns her down because of their age difference. Not long afterward, he gives in to the advances of an older woman, Anita Hodges. When Colleen finds out, she is devastated, and the two break up. They soon reconcile.
When Lily begins dating Kevin Fisher
Kevin Fisher
Kevin Fisher is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by Emmy Award-winning actor Greg Rikaart since July 11, 2003. Rikaart won a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Kevin in 2005....
(Greg Rikaart
Greg Rikaart
Gregory Andrew Rikaart is an American actor, currently on the cast of the soap opera The Young and the Restless, playing Kevin Fisher since July 2003.-Biography:...
), Colleen tells Lily's parents, Drucilla and Neil Winters
Neil Winters
Neil Winters is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by actor Kristoff St. John since his first appearance in January 1991...
when the relationship turns sexual. In retaliation, Kevin traps Colleen in Gina Roma
Gina Roma
Gina Roma is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Actress Patty Weaver played the role from the fall of 1982 and was last seen in March 2009.-Character:...
's (Patty Weaver
Patty Weaver
Patty Weaver and 1967 Alumni of Fairborn High School is an American actress who played the role of Gina Roma on The Young and the Restless on a contract basis from 1982 until August 2005, when she was dropped to recurring status, and she last appeared in early 2009.She was born in Clarksburg, West...
) restaurant and starts a fire. Colleen survives after J.T. goes into the building and carries her out. She remains distrustful of Kevin, who covers up his crimes.
In 2004, Colleen leaves Genoa City for New York because she feels she is getting in the way of J.T.'s music career. She returns in early 2006 expecting to reunite with him, but he has moved on with Mackenzie Browning
Mackenzie Browning
Mackenzie Hellstrom is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, introduced in 1999 as a part of the new teen scene and revealed to be the granddaughter of wealthy businesswoman Katherine Chancellor.-Casting:Ashley Bashioum, the actress that played the role for the...
(Rachel Kimsey
Rachel Kimsey
Rachel Kimsey, born August 28, 1978 in Tustin, Orange County, California, is an American actress. She holds a BFA from Brigham Young University, which she earned in 2000.-Career:...
). She is also shocked to learn that Kevin has now been accepted by most of the community, Lily included.
After Mac leaves town, Colleen and J.T. reconcile. She is soon devastated by the death of her grandfather John Abbott
John Abbott (The Young and the Restless)
John Abbott, Sr. is a fictional character on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He is the patriarch of the Abbotts, one of the core families that was introduced to the show in 1980. The character was originated by Brett Halsey from May 1980 to March 1981...
(Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas (actor)
Jerry Douglas is an American television and film actor. For 25 years Jerry Douglas reigned in fictional Genoa City as patriarch John Abbott on the daytime television serial The Young and the Restless...
), who dies of a massive stroke. She is further rocked by the revelation that her father has assumed the name of Brad Carlton, and is in fact the son of Holocaust survivor and art historian Rebecca Kaplan (Lorna Raver
Lorna Raver
Lorna Raver is an American actress who has appeared in numerous plays, films, and television series. She is sometimes credited as Lorna Raver Johnson....
). The majority of the Kaplan family had been killed because Rebecca had made it her life's work to return artwork stolen by the Nazis.
Following her grandmother's lead, Colleen begins to study art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
in college under a professor named Adrian Korbel
Adrian Korbel
Professor Adrian Korbel is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by American actor Eyal Podell from September 18, 2006 until August 5, 2008.-Character's background:...
(Eyal Podell
Eyal Podell
Eyal Podell is an Israeli-born American actor who is known for his portrayal of Professor Adrian Korbel on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Podell recently played the role of Dr...
). It becomes apparent to both that this is more than a student/teacher relationship, much to the chagrin of the Kaplans, who are still in hiding, and her boyfriend J.T. Colleen uses Professor Korbel's knowledge to help solve the mystery of the Grudgeon Reliquary, the artifact that lead to the Kaplan family's murder. Despite her family's objections and a growing possibility that Korbel is involved in the murder of Newman Enterprises executive Carmen Mesta
Carmen Mesta
Carmen Mesta is a fictional character in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Marisa Ramirez played the role from May 8 to October 30, 2006, and returned several times as a sighting or in a part of a new flashback during the next few months...
(Marisa Ramirez
Marisa Ramirez
Marisa Carolina Ramirez is an American actress.-Early life:Ramirez attended an all-girls' school in Alhambra, California at the Ramona Convent Secondary School. Her career began at age 13 when she was brought to the attention of a major L.A...
), Colleen cheats on J.T. with Adrian on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
.
Jana Hawkes
Jana Hawkes was a fictional character in an American soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by actress Emily O'Brien first on recurring status from May 11 to September 5, 2006, and then on contract from October 10, 2006 to February 20, 2007. The actress returned on June 15, 2007...
(Emily O'Brien
Emily O'Brien
Emily O'Brien is an English-born American actress. She is known for her role as Jana Hawkes Fisher on The Young and the Restless off-and-on from May 11, 2006 until her character died on May 6, 2011.-Personal life:...
) as part of Jana's scheme involving the reliquary mystery. She attempts to kill them both and frame Kevin for the crimes she committed by setting the building on fire. As both Colleen and Kevin are succumbing to the smoke, J.T. and Korbel manage to save them. When Colleen recovers, she clears Kevin's name. The two forgive each other and became friends.
After breaking up with J.T., Colleen tries to start a relationship with Adrian, but her family and J.T. threw up roadblocks. After Adrian nearly loses his job, they attempt to feign a break-up and continue to see each other, but Sharon Newman (Sharon Case
Sharon Case
Sharon Case is an American actress. She is known for her roles on daytime television soap operas. Her most well-known role has been on CBS Daytime Television's The Young and the Restless. She has portrayed the role of Sharon Newman since August 1994...
) discovers them and tells Brad. As a result, Brad cuts his daughter off financially, though Colleen soon overcomes this obstacle with a loan from her uncle Jack (Peter Bergman
Peter Bergman
Peter Bergman is an American soap opera actor best known for his portrayals as Dr. Cliff Warner on All My Children, as well as Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless.-Biography:...
).
In August 2007, Colleen, furious with Brad, gives Korbel permission to use her family's story in his new book, Saved From the Ashes. They break up after she changes her mind about the book and Brad stops the publication. Korbel moves on with Amber Moore
Amber Moore
Ambrosia "Amber" Moore is a fictional character on the CBS soap operas The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless played by actress Adrienne Frantz who debuted on July 18, 1997 on The Bold and the Beautiful where she stayed until April 14, 2005...
(Adrienne Frantz
Adrienne Frantz
Adrienne Danielle Frantz is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is known for her role as Amber Moore in The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless .-Career:First breaking into the soap opera genre in 1997 as Tiffany Thorne on Sunset Beach, Frantz left the show...
) while Colleen begins a relationship with Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei
Michael Graziadei
Michael Graziadei is an American actor best known for his role as Daniel Romalotti on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. He is only 14 years younger than Michelle Stafford, who plays the role of his mother Phyllis on the show. Graziadei is of Italian and Lithuanian heritage...
). Their relationship soon ends when Daniel reunites with Amber.
When Brad dies saving Sharon's son Noah
Noah Newman
Noah Christian Newman is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless.He is the eldest biological child of supercouple Nicholas Newman and Sharon Collins , born onscreen on March 3, 1997. The role was played by a series of infant and toddler actors during the character's...
(Kevin G. Schmidt
Kevin Schmidt
Kevin Gerard Schmidt , also credited as Kevin G. Schmidt and Kevin Schmidt, is an American actor and vlogger. He is best known for playing Noah Newman on The Young and the Restless and as Henry Griffin in Unnatural History...
) from a frozen pond in early 2009, Colleen resolves to honor her father's memory by stepping into his seat on the Newman Enterprises board of directors. She angrily lashes out at the company's founder and CEO, Victor Newman
Victor Newman
Victor Newman is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless played by actor Eric Braeden from February 1980 through November 2, 2009 and again from January 15, 2010 to present. The character briefly appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1999...
(Eric Braeden
Eric Braeden
Eric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic...
), Brad's long-time rival, as she believes he is partly to blame for her father's death. Victor pays Jeffrey and Gloria to catch Colleen in a compromising situation so she can be kicked off the board. They succeed by paying a bartender to get her drunk and tape her flashing her breasts in public.
Victor's vendetta against Colleen brings her closer to J.T., who is married to Victoria Newman
Victoria Newman
Victoria Nicole Newman is a fictional character from the American soap opera The Young and the Restless...
. They kiss before she is kidnapped and held hostage by her Uncle Jack Abbott's mentally unstable ex-wife, Patty Williams
Patty Williams
Patricia Ann "Patty" Williams is a fictional character in the American soap opera The Young and the Restless, portrayed by originating actress Tammy Taylor briefly in 1980 before Lilibet Stern took over the role from 1980 to 1983 and by Andrea Evans from 1983 to October 1984...
. Colleen later has a showdown with Patty Williams. She later escapes by canoe on the lake, but falls in and nearly drowns. Jack takes her to the hospital, and Colleen is declared brain dead. Traci makes the decision to remove her daughter from life support and donates Colleen's heart to Victor Newman. At Colleen's memorial service, her very close friends and family gathered to remember the good times and say their goodbye's to her. They let red balloons float away in the air to as a way of saying goodbye to Colleen.During Victor Newman's Christmas Carol she made an apparence as The last ghost who visited Victor. He realized it was her at the end when he realized he was doing wrong by her.
Reception
Colleen became popular in the onscreen pairing of Colleen and J.T. The couple was listed as the fourth most romantic couple of 2003 in Soap Opera UpdateSoap Opera Update
Soap Opera Update was a magazine dedicated to the coverage of soap operas, co-founded by Angela Shapiro in 1988, and purchased by Bauer Media Group in 1992. The magazine became popular on news-stands in the mid-1990s. However, due to a lack of subscriptions, no promotion, and being criticized for...
: The Year in Soaps along with other prominent duos of that year Sonny and Carly
Sonny Corinthos
Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993...
, Nick and Sharon
Nicholas Newman and Sharon Collins
Nicholas "Nick" Newman and Sharon Collins are fictional characters and a supercouple from the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Nick is portrayed by Joshua Morrow and Sharon is portrayed by Sharon Case. Their marriage lasts ten years, a soap opera rarity...
, Shawn and Belle, and Al and Marcie. After Fonseca was let go from the role, she was voted fourth "most missed actor" of 2004 in that year's issue of Soap Opera Update The Year in Soaps. When the part was recast with Leon, the couple was listed as the favorite Young and the Restless couple in Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest
Soap Opera Digest is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
and the couple's portrayers, Leon and Thad Luckinbill, were listed as the shows favorite actress and actor.
In 2009, Colleen was killed off. The story of her death received both positive and negative feedback from critics. Soaps In Depth referred to the scenes while Colleen sank under the water, while her family worried about her whereabouts an "instant classic." Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly
Soap Opera Weekly is a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It features onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information...
s Mala Bhattacharjee said the dream sequences that Colleen had while drowning were ludicrous. Janet Di Lauro, from Soap Opera Weekly, criticized the plot twist and said the "mere thought of the Abbott family donating Colleen's heart to Victor is enough to melt the brain of even the most casual fan." Di Lauro considered the performances of Christel Khalil, Peter Bergman and Beth Maitland as the only positive element of the story. She said the scenes where Lily said goodbye to Colleen "was one of the most touching scenes to air during Colleen's last days. It was uplifting to see the ailing Lily keep her composure and promise Colleen she would live her life for the both of them." Soap Opera Digest named the story Editors' Choice for the week, praising it as a "chilling, rich and game-changing coda to this wrenching family tragedy" and a "fitting tribute to the lost Colleen."
See also
- J.T. Hellstrom and Colleen CarltonJ.T. Hellstrom and Colleen CarltonJ.T. Hellstrom and Colleen Carlton are fictional characters and a supercouple on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. J.T. is portrayed by Thad Luckinbill. Colleen was portrayed by Lyndsy Fonseca from 2001 to 2004. She appeared briefly from 2004 to early 2005...
- Colleen Carlton @ soapcentral.com