Mary Jesse Walton (born February 18, 1949) is an American actress,
best known for her role as Kelly Harper in CBS soap opera Capitol and
as Jill Abbott on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless. Also
she starred in the 2018 movie Christmas with a View.Mary Jesse Walton
was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but raised in Toronto, Canada,
where she attended Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School. She left
home at the age of 17 and joined a Toronto theater company. In 1969,
she moved to Hollywood and in next year, signed with Universal
Studios.In 1970s, Walton guest-starred in a number of television
shows, such as Medical Center, Kojak, Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside,The
Rockford Files, Gunsmoke, Kojak, Cannon, and Barnaby Jones. She
co-starred in film The Strawberry Statement (1970), and portrayed the
female lead roles of The Peace Killers(1971) and Monkeys in the
Attic(1974). She also appeared in The Hunted Lady(1977) starring Donna
Mills. During that time her social life also heated up and she was
briefly wed to actor Bruce Davison from 1972â€"73; the marriage was
annulled within the year. However, her life began to spiral out of
control when she turned to alcohol and drugs. In 1980, she battled her
addiction and completed rehab.In 1984, Walton returned to acting with
the role of Kelly Harper on the CBS daytime soap opera, Capitol. The
show was cancelled in 1987. Later in that year, Walton joined the cast
of another CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless, in the role as
Jill Foster Abbott. The role was originally portrayed by Brenda
Dickson, who departed in 1980, and the role was first recast with
Deborah Adair. In 1983, Dickson returned to the role, and though she
stated that she would never leave, she was replaced by Walton in 1987.
Walton won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1997 for Lead Actress in a Drama
Series for her portrayal of Jill, and was nominated in 1996, 2000, and
2017. She also won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress
in 1991, after a nomination in 1990.
best known for her role as Kelly Harper in CBS soap opera Capitol and
as Jill Abbott on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless. Also
she starred in the 2018 movie Christmas with a View.Mary Jesse Walton
was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but raised in Toronto, Canada,
where she attended Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School. She left
home at the age of 17 and joined a Toronto theater company. In 1969,
she moved to Hollywood and in next year, signed with Universal
Studios.In 1970s, Walton guest-starred in a number of television
shows, such as Medical Center, Kojak, Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside,The
Rockford Files, Gunsmoke, Kojak, Cannon, and Barnaby Jones. She
co-starred in film The Strawberry Statement (1970), and portrayed the
female lead roles of The Peace Killers(1971) and Monkeys in the
Attic(1974). She also appeared in The Hunted Lady(1977) starring Donna
Mills. During that time her social life also heated up and she was
briefly wed to actor Bruce Davison from 1972â€"73; the marriage was
annulled within the year. However, her life began to spiral out of
control when she turned to alcohol and drugs. In 1980, she battled her
addiction and completed rehab.In 1984, Walton returned to acting with
the role of Kelly Harper on the CBS daytime soap opera, Capitol. The
show was cancelled in 1987. Later in that year, Walton joined the cast
of another CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless, in the role as
Jill Foster Abbott. The role was originally portrayed by Brenda
Dickson, who departed in 1980, and the role was first recast with
Deborah Adair. In 1983, Dickson returned to the role, and though she
stated that she would never leave, she was replaced by Walton in 1987.
Walton won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1997 for Lead Actress in a Drama
Series for her portrayal of Jill, and was nominated in 1996, 2000, and
2017. She also won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress
in 1991, after a nomination in 1990.
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