The Young and the Restless' Jermaine Rivers finds his call of duty in Damian Kane

On The Young and the Restless, Jermaine Rivers plays Damian Kane, a new character to the show, but also part of its legacy. Rivers joined Atlanta News First this morning to discuss going from being in the Army to becoming Damian, and everything in between.

Jermaine Rivers on The Young and the Restless

When fans first learned that Jermaine Rivers was joining the cast of The Young and the Restless, it wasn’t the usual announcement. We didn’t get to post a “Y&R Comings and Goings,” in fact, no one had any idea that he had even been on set. Instead, we thought that Damian Kane was already in Genoa City, as played by Nathan Owens.

Instead, “Damian” was actually Holden (Nathan Owens), and the real Damian walked into the park one day to meet with his friend (and employee) to get brought up-to-date on how his fakeout was going. Fans were beyond shocked — and delighted.

Not only did we get new characters, but Damian’s story was part of a legacy. His existence took long-time viewers back to the days of Paul Williams (Doug Davidson) and Andy Richards (Steven Ford) and gave newer ones a Y&R history lesson. And as for his current storylines, Damian links the Winters and Hastings families, Audra’s past (and present), his mother’s long-time friendship with Traci Abbott, and holds some keys to the mysterious Aristotle Dumas.

Rivers fit into the show with ease, taking fans on his ride immediately. And it wasn’t just the purple suits he wears so well or the dashing smile when he chooses to share it. We knew a little bit about the character prior to his introduction: Damian was described by his mom as a hot head, impulsive, but also kind at heart. Rivers personified the description, and then some. Damian came in with a locked jaw and a cold wall protecting his emotions. But he let us go beyond it when we witnessed a deep, real conversation with his mother, Amy Lewis (Valarie Pettiford), covering all of their history in a gripping way, that earned both of them duo performers of the week nods, and a fan base that multiplied.

Getting to Genoa City

Rivers shared that he was a Y&R fan who, like many of us, grew up in a household where everything stopped for an hour when Nadia’s Theme started playing. When his mom found out she would be on the show, Rivers said they had a long conversation that included tears of joy and prayers. He couldn’t tell her who he would play at the time, but being an astute fan herself, she had it figured out right away.

Rivers noted that the process of building a career in acting is a step-by-step process. “You’re taking the stairs, not the elevator,” he explained. As for his career, he said that he has been consistently working since becoming an actor after being in the U.S. Army. After 20 years of active duty, “the opportunity presented itself,” Rivers shared. He added, “During my years of service, I’ve had numerous opportunities to learn, develop, and grow as a person. I use all of those experiences to help define me as an actor because I can play to a litany of circumstances, and I can play it truthfully. So, I credit my time, my service in the military — with some of the most brightest, smartest, toughest people — for helping me be the actor that I am, to be successful.”

“Aim for the stars and you’ll hit the moon” — Jermaine Rivers

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Rivers credited The Godfather as his inspiration to become an actor, and at the level of skill that he wanted to achieve. “When you watch these great movies, it can’t help but inspire you,” he shared. He said it was the movie he always refers to “to watch the performances and watch the choices that the actors make, and “then you try to replicate that process.”

Watch Jermaine Rivers as Damian Kane on The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream live or on demand on Paramount Plus.

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