Fans of THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS won’t want to miss today’s episode, in which much-loved heroine Drucilla Barber Winters (played by fan favorite Victoria Rowell since 1990) makes a shocking exit. Watch for the animosity between rivals Phyllis and Sharon to boil over at a Dru-supervised cliff-side photo shoot, leading to tragedy. Of course, in true soap fashion, Dru’s body won’t be found, leaving the door open for both the character and the actress to return at a later date. If this scenario sounds a tad familiar, that might be due to the fact that back in 2002, another photo shoot turned deadly when Dru’s brother-in-law/one-time-lover, Malcolm, plunged into a river and was presumed dead. Three years later, both Malcolm and his portrayer – Shemar Moore of CBS’ hit CRIMINAL MINDS – were back on the soap when it was explained that rumors of his death had been – whoops! – greatly exaggerated. It’s a given that daytime dramas recast major rolls fairly regularly, often quite successfully. But some speculate that Victoria Rowell’s performance was so original that execs at CBS would be foolish to even attempt having another actress take a shot at playing the fiery fashionista. And that’s what we want your opinion on: Are there soap characters who can’t be replaced? Is Drucilla one of them?
