What Is Jess Walton’s Net Worth?

Jess Walton is an American actress who has a net worth of $8 million. Jess Walton is best known for starring as Jill Abbott on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” (1987–present), a role that has earned her two Daytime Emmy Awards. Walton previously played Kelly Harper on the soap opera “Capitol” (1984–1987). She has more than 40 acting credits to her name, including the films “The Peace Killers” (1971), “Monkeys in the Attic” (1974), and “Wasted in Babylon” (1999), the TV movies “The Victim” (1972), “You’ll Never See Me Again” (1973), “The Return of Mod Squad” (1979), and “Christmas with a View” (2018), and the television series “The Bold Ones: The New Doctors” (1972–1973), “Marcus Welby, M.D.” (1972; 1974), “Ironside” (1973–1974), “Gunsmoke” (1973; 1975), and “Cannon” (1973; 1975).

Early Life

Jess Walton was born Mary Jesse Walton on February 18, 1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She grew up in Toronto, Canada, and she attended Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School. At the age of 17, Walton joined a theatre company in Toronto, and in 1969, she relocated to Hollywood, California, signing with Universal Studios the following year.

(Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

Career

Walton made her TV debut in a 1968 episode of “Festival,” then she guest-starred on “The Guns of Will Sonnett” (1969), “The Young Lawyers” (1970), “The F.B.I.” (1971), “Medical Center” (1971), “Young Dr. Kildare” (1972), “Marcus Welby, M.D.” (1972; 1974), “The Bold Ones: The New Doctors” (1972–1973), “Gunsmoke” (1973), “Ironside” (1973–1974), “Gunsmoke” (1973; 1975), “Cannon” (1973; 1975), “Kojak” (1974), “The Six Million Dollar Man” (1975), “The Rockford Files” (1975), “Gunsmoke” (1975), “S.W.A.T.” (1975), “Starsky & Hutch” (1975), “Baretta” (1976), “The Streets of San Francisco” (1976), “Barnaby Jones” (1977), and “Mrs. Columbo” (1979). Her first film was 1970’s “The Strawberry Statement,” and she followed it with “The Peace Killers” (1971) and “Monkeys in the Attic” (1974) and the TV movies “Montserrat” (1970), “The Victim” (1972), “You’ll Never See Me Again” (1973), “Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love” (1974), “The Hunted Lady” (1977), and “The Return of Mod Squad” (1979). From 1984 to 1987, she starred as Kelly Harper on the CBS soap opera “Capitol,” which earned her two Soap Opera Digest Award nominations. In 1987, Jess began playing  Jill Abbott on another CBS soap opera, “The Young and the Restless.” She has received six Daytime Emmy nominations for “The Young and the Restless,” winning twice. Since joining the cast of the long-running soap opera, Walton has appeared in the feature film “Wasted in Babylon” (1999), the short films “Paper Bags” (2005) and “The Return of the Muskrats” (2006), and the TV movie “Christmas with a View” (2018).

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Personal Life

Jess married actor Bruce Davison on May 20, 1972. They divorced in March 1973. Walton wed author John James on December 20, 1980, and they stayed together until his death in 2021. James founded The Grief Recovery Institute, and he co-wrote the book “The Grief Recovery Handbook.” The couple welcomed their son Cole on April 5, 1981, and Jess was also stepmother to Allison Ali James, John’s daughter from a previous relationship. Walton previously dated a man who managed Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Joni Mitchell, and Jess has said that she owned one of the houses that appeared on the cover of Mitchell’s 1970 album “Ladies of the Canyon.”

Awards and Nominations

Walton has earned six Daytime Emmy nominations for “The Young and the Restless,” winning for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1991 and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1997. She has received six Soap Opera Digest Award nominations, two for “Capitol” and four for “The Young and the Restless,” and she won for Outstanding Lead Actress for “The Young and the Restless” in 1994. “The Young and the Restless” has also earned Jess five Online Film & Television Association Award nominations, two Soap Hub Award nominations, and a Gold Derby Award nomination.

Real Estate

In 2002, Walton paid $889,000 for a 2,374-square-foot home in Los Angeles. The home includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms.