Jerry Douglas (born November 12 1932) is an American television and film actor. For the last two decades, Jerry Douglas has reigned in fictional Genoa City as patriarch John Abbott on the daytime television serial The Young and the Restless.

Douglas was born as Gerald Rubenstein in Chelsea, Massachusetts to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He was raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Douglas went to Brandeis University to earn a degree in economics. Eight months into law school in Manhattan, he gave up the books and started auditioning. However, his lack of training frustrated him, and he eventually moved then-wife, actress Arlene Martel, and their daughter Avra Douglas to California.

Settling in the San Fernando Valley, Douglas sold insurance by day and took acting classes at night. Although he still struggled, he received encouragement after appearing in the play, John Brown's Body. A critic said he was terrific, which inspired him to hire an agent.

For several years, Douglas appeared on TV shows like Mission: Impossible, often playing the villain. At the same time, his wife decided to move herself and their children (son Jodaman Douglas was born after migrating to California) up to Carmel.

In an attempt to save his marriage to Arlene, Douglas quit acting and followed her. Despite this, the couple eventually divorced and Douglas returned to Los Angeles to continue his career. Soon after, he found himself embroiled in a custody battle for his children, which he won.

Today Douglas is remarried, to Kymberly Bankier, whom he met at a Muscular Dystrophy Association event. Although she is over 20 years younger than he, they've been happily married since April 6, 1985 and have a young son, Hunter, together.

In March 2006, after 25 years on the show, Douglas departed The Young and The Restless in a storyline-dictated exit revolving around his character's involvement in the Tom Fisher murder case. His cast members recently celebrated his upcoming exit on set. To viewers' surprise, he continued to recur on the show for the next few months and was put back on contract with the show in June. He left the show for good on August 18, but continues to make appearances once in a while.

In 2007, Douglas released a CD—The Best Is Yet to Come—a collection of Jazz Standards and is performing around the USA and Canada.

Jerry Douglas (born in Warren, Ohio on May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro player. He is often referred to as "Flux" by his peers, a nickname given to him as a result of his ability to play at amazing speeds with the slide.

In addition to his eleven solo releases and countless special projects, Douglas' stellar fretwork has graced over 1000 albums encompassing a wide range of musical styles. As a sideman, he has recorded with artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Peter Rowan, Béla Fleck, Emmylou Harris, Phish, Dolly Parton, Paul Simon, Ricky Skaggs, Bill Frisell, John Fogerty, Nanci Griffith, Tony Rice and James Taylor, as well as performing on the landmark O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. As a producer, he has overseen albums by such esteemed acts as the Del McCoury Band, Maura O'Connell, Jesse Winchester and the Nashville Bluegrass Band. He has been part of such notable groups as The Whites, J.D. Crowe and the New South, the Country Gentlemen, and Strength In Numbers.

Since 1998, Douglas has been a key member of Alison Krauss and Union Station, touring extensively and playing on a series of platinum albums.

When not on the road with Alison Krauss + Union Station, Douglas tours with his band in support of his extensive body of work.

In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded Douglas a National Heritage Fellowship.

He has recently collaborated with Scottish fiddler Aly Bain serving as musical director and playing on the all-star roots-music summit Transatlantic Sessions series for British television.

Douglas usually plays a Beard, or less often, a Scheerhorn resonator guitar on stage.

Douglas has received twelve Grammy Awards in recognition of his talent. He has also won the Country Music Association's 'Musician of the Year' award three times, in 2002, 2005 and 2007.