by Dan J Kroll

Posted Sunday, July 16, 2006 5:35:51 PM

Make way for Billy Abbott number nine.

Newcomer Scott Seymour will join the cast of The Young and the Restless next month in the contract role of William "Billy" Abbott. As previously mentioned, Seymour will be the ninth actor (technically tenth if you count a pair of twins) to tackle the role of the son of John Abbott and Jill Foster.

How do you feel about Y&R casting a newcomer as Billy Abbott?  I'm glad Billy is returning, but I wish David Tom was too.   48%   I am not a fan of Billy and would prefer that he not return to the show.   20%   I don't care what the show decides to do about Billy.   14%   I'm glad that Billy is returning to Genoa City. I welcome Seymour to Y&R.   10%   I like Billy, but I don't see a need for him in Genoa City right now.   7%   Other   1%     Poll Posted: July 24, 2006

Seymour has limited television experience; however, he has had several notable guest spots on FOX's primetime soap, The OC and FX's series, The Shield. The actor also produced and starred in the film 1975.

When last seen in Genoa City almost three years ago, Billy was played by Ryan Brown. Brown had assumed the role from fan favorite David Tom. Brown's stay in Genoa City was short-lived and, after just six months, he was written out in a "story-dictated" plot. Tom, meanwhile, held down the role from 1999 through 2002. For his work on The Young and the Restless, Tom won a Daytime Emmy in 2000 in the Outstanding Younger Actor field. The actor also received a nomination in the same category the following year.

Other performers to have portrayed Billy over the years include Katrin and Margret Ingimarsdotti (1993), Brett Sherman (1993), Shane Silver (1993-1995), Blake Pontello (1994-1995), Josh Michael Rose (1995-1995) and Scott Leavenworth (1996-1998). All of these performers appeared on a recurring basis.

The return of Billy has been rumored for quite some time. By at least some accounts, those rumors stretch back to 2004 -- when Tom was released from his role as Paul Cramer on ABC's One Life to Live. The show repeatedly denied that Billy was being reintroduced to the canvas. In the auditions for the role of Billy, the show used the name "Joey" to disguise the role for which they had issued the casting call.