A-list stars who you probably forgot got their big breaks on The Young and the Restless

Now well-known for his role in You, Gossip Girl and romantic lead of Easy A, Penn Badgley got his start on the small screen in 1999 on Will & Grace.

It was at 14 that he got his first recurring role, cast as Phillip Chancellor IV, known as Chance, son of Nina Webster and Phillip Chancellor III. Now, he’s a well-loved and familiar face on-screen.

Beloved star of Fast & Furious Paul Walker wasn’t always an ex-FBI agent ruling the world of street racing. Before that, he was Brandon Collins, Victor Newman’s employee who dates his daughter Victoria Newman.

At just 19 years old, Paul provided a memorable performance and was even nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Soap Opera at the Youth in Film Awards.

Shemar Moore’s role as Malcolm Winters in The Young and the Restless ran between 1994 and 2002, and for another year between 2004 and 2005. But Shemar’s remained loyal to that character that won him his big break and has returned for several guest stints.

He left the show for Criminal Minds and later led CBS’ S.W.A.T.. Shemar has also worked on projects like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Motives and The Brothers.

The Desperate Housewives star rose to fame on The Young and the Restless as Isabella Braña, the woman introduced by Michael Baldwin to distract Paul Williams. 

A birth and an attempted murder later, Eva Longoria was a fan-favourite love-to-hate character on the show. Eva has since worked on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, action blockbuster John Wick and travel series like Eva Longoria: Searching for France.

One of Hollywood’s best-loved moustachioed men got a big break on The Young and the Restless as Jed Andrews in 1974. Around five years later, he was a star with hits like Magnum, P.I. and later Blue Bloods.

Tom Selleck is beloved for roles in classics like Three Men and a Baby, Quigley Down Under and appeared in several episodes of Friends as Monica’s boyfriend Richard Burke.

Vivica A. Fox’s Stephanie Simmons worked at Genoa City Memorial Hospital and is fixed up with Malcolm Winters. It’s revealed in 2026 that she and Malcolm are the parents of Holden Novak.

A year after she left the show, Vivica reached superstardom in Independence Day (1996) with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, later working on films like Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2026’s Is God Is.

The Knight Rider star went on to star in Baywatch and Adam Sandler comedy Click. But before that, he was Dr William Foster Jr., better known as Snapper, on The Young and the Restless.

David took over the role from William Gray Espy at the end of 1975, remaining with the cast until 1982 when he left to star in Knight Rider.