Highlight REEL

PETER BERGMAN Reflects On Some Of His Most Memorable Storylines As Y&R’s Jack Abbott

- Devin Owens

LET’S MAKE A DEAL, 1989

You took over the role of Jack from Terry Lester and your first major story was with Nikki. Did then-Head Writer William J. Bell outline that story to you? “No. I wasn’t told anything but it became clear in the script that Jack was going after Nikki, so I filled in where there were blanks and it became a pretty good story.”

It didn’t take long for the fans to fall in love with your rendition of Jack. Did that surprise you? “Yes. I thought I would only be around for six months. It was a testament to the audience that they were able to make the adjustment. Getting used to somebody else playing a role is the toughest thing we ask our audience to do and I’m so glad that they accepted me.”

Jack basically used Nikki, which wasn’t very nice. “That’s right. Jack made a bargain with the devil. He told Victor, ‘I’ll give you back your wife, if you give me back Jabot.’ Jack set out to make Nikki fall for him and he succeeded, although Victor was always a presence there. Just when Jack was ready to work out the deal with Victor, he realized that he was truly in love with Nikki. Jack lost out in the bargain and walked away with nothing. He lost Nikki and Jabot and thus began 30 years of losing to Victor Newman.”