In late 2023, J. Eddie Peck reprised his role as Cole Howard, Victoria Newman's (Amelia Heinle) ex-husband on The Young and the Restless. While Cole is a standout nice guy in a soap world full of bad boys, he's not one to be pushed around.
While mild-mannered Cole offers kindness and comfort to those he cares about, he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty when needed.
Cole isn't intimidated easily on The Young and the Restless
Cole and Victoria's marriage fell apart after the loss of their daughter, Eve (named after Cole's mother, Eve Howard). What they didn't know is that Eve was very much alive but had been kidnapped and was raised by Cole's aunt, Jordan. It wasn't until Eve, now known as Claire (Hayley Erin), was an adult that her identity was revealed, and Cole and Victoria were able to reunite with their daughter.
However, Victor took the law into his own hands when dealing with Jordan. He hid Jordan in a cage in his basement to ensure she never hurt his family again. When Michael (Christian LeBlanc) and Cole found Jordan locked up at the ranch, they convinced Victor to hand her over to the authorities instead of killing her or risking her making another escape.
Victor reluctantly took Michael and Cole's advice, but he was very clear that he considered what they did an act of betrayal. Even though Michael and Cole only wanted to protect Victor and his family from further harm, Victor was livid. Victor vowed that he would not easily forget that they had worked together against him.
Where has Cole been on The Young and the Restless
Apart from Victoria, Cole moved on with life outside of Genoa City. He became a professor at Oxford University and recently went back to get his stuff to move to Genoa City permanently. Cole is beyond smitten with Victoria and wants to make a solid effort in a romantic relationship with her.
Victor, however, is standing firm on his threats to never forget Cole's "betrayal." He sternly told Cole to stay away from Victoria and not to pursue a relationship with her. Cole is one of the few Genoa City residents who told Victor to his face that Victor didn't intimidate him, and since then, Cole hasn't given up on Victoria.
Cole's vision of the future with Victoria includes giving Claire the family she never had. He seems determined not to let anyone, including Victor Newman, disrupt his plans. The matured version of Cole that we see today might be clear about his intentions for the future, but we have no idea what he has really been doing all these years. Could the years he spent at Oxford affect his plans in some way?
The Young and the Restless isn't J. Eddie Peck's only soap
Although Victoria and Cole have taken a walk down memory lane, the role of Victoria was played by Heather Tom when they were together years ago. However, J. Eddie Peck (Cole) and Amelia Heinle (Victoria) were co-stars on All My Children. The pair appeared together as Jake and Mia on All My Children during Peck's stint on the show from 2000 to 2003.
When he reprised the role of Cole, Peck told Soap Opera Digest, "Amelia and I were on All My Children together, and our characters worked their way up to being engaged at one point. We had an instant chemistry and friendship. I really look forward to working with Amelia again."
Peck also appeared on Days of our Lives from 1991 to 1992 as Howard "Hawk" Hawkins. On the nighttime serials Dallas and Dynasty, he played Tommy McKay and Roger Grimes, respectively.
Watch Cole stand up to Victor as he steams up his relationship with Victoria on The Young and the Restless, weekdays on Paramount+ and CBS.
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