The Young and the Restless: The Real Damian Kane

On The Young and the Restless, viewers were led to believe that Nate’s half-brother was the man he met for coffee. But it turns out that man is named Holden, and we are just getting to know the real Damian.

Jermaine Rivers on The Young and the Restless

In an interview with TV Insider, actor Jermaine Rivers said that he’s very familiar with The Young and the Restless, Genoa City, and its many characters. Claiming the role as the real Damian Kane, Jermaine revealed that he’s been a big-time Y&R fan, just like his mother.

Jermaine said, “My mother is a die-hard Young and the Restless fan, which makes me inherently a die-hard fan as well. I basically grew up watching the show.” Once he had successfully received the role, his first call was to his mother, and seeing as his mom is not on any social media, there was a kind of safety in revealing a little crumb or two of inside information to her. Jermaine describes his relationship with his mother as being “the best,” and they talk every day.

Jermaine told his mom he was going to be on the show, but she would have to keep it classified. Without missing a beat, his mom asked if he was going to be the new son of Nathan. His mom follows the show and doesn’t miss an episode. A previous project that Jermaine had worked on already introduced him to soap royalty. In 2017, he was working on a film called Den of Thieves which was directed by Christian Gudegast, the son of Eric Braeden (Victor Newman).

In the interview, Jermaine shared, “Eric and I would have conversations, and I would ask him questions, and he was so gracious.” The first day on set was quite the experience for Jermaine; he described the process as surreal. He recognized the Crimson Lights coffee shop set and thought, “Wow, I'm here.” But it was time to do his job, have fun, enjoy the moment, and make it real. Rivers had already met Nathan Owens, who plays the fake Damian before; they met in 2016 on Devious Maids and hit it off immediately. Jermaine said he’s a nice guy and considers him a friend.

Damian Kane on The Young and the Restless

Jermaine gives a little preview of what viewers can expect from his character, the real Damian Kane. Jermaine says, “He’s a very cerebral, cautious man. He’s very strategic and plays his cards close to the vest. He’s a very successful businessman who is managing and overseeing a couple of companies, so he doesn’t have time for a lot of games or drama. With that level of anonymity comes mystery, so it’s going to be fun for everyone to see him initially, in contrast to what they’ve already been acquainted with with his proxy. You will see a contrast.”

You can watch Jermaine Rivers as Damian Kane by watching full episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.