Rex Sterling
{{Short description|Fictional character from the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless}}
{{Infobox soap character
| name = Rex Sterling
| series = The Young and the Restless
| portrayer = Quinn Redeker
| years = {{Flatlist}}
- 1987–1994
- 2004
{{Endflatlist}}
| first = {{Start date|1987|07|02}}
| last = {{End date|2004|07|06}}
| creator = William J. Bell
| introducer = {{Plainlist}}
- Edward J. Scott (1987)
- William J. Bell, David Shaughnessy and John F. Smith (2004)
{{Endplainlist}}
| classification = Former; guest
| image1 = Rex Sterling.jpg
| alias = Brian Romalotti
| occupation = {{Plainlist}}
- Businessman
- Con artist
{{Endplainlist}}
| wife = {{Plainlist}}
- Katherine Chancellor (1988–1990, 1992–1994)
- Jill Abbott (1990)
{{endplainlist}}
| children = {{Plainlist}}
{{Endplainlist}}
| grandchildren = Daniel Romalotti (legal)
}}
Rex Sterling is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless, an American soap opera on the CBS network.{{cite web|last=Hirsch|first=Lynda|title=Rex's Name Fictitious|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-05-22/features/9302130174_1_breakfast-fans-light|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218044957/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-05-22/features/9302130174_1_breakfast-fans-light|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 18, 2015|work=Sun-Sentinel|publisher=Tribune Company|access-date=July 22, 2013|date=May 22, 1993}} He was portrayed by Quinn Redeker from July 1987 to the character's exit in December 1994. He reprised the role in July 2004 for a one-episode guest appearance.
Casting
Redeker signed on to portray Rex on The Young and the Restless just before departing his role of Alex Marshall on Days of Our Lives, where he last aired on July 23, 1987. Previously, he portrayed Nick Reed, the abusive father of Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), for five weeks in 1979.{{cite journal|title=Folk singer's music is alive|journal=Star-News|date=July 13, 1987|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Kr4sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GBQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6950,5017234&dq=rex+sterling+death+y%26r&hl=en|access-date=July 22, 2013|publisher=Halifax Media Group}}{{cite journal|last=Groves|first=Seli|title=Both viewers are wrong on Nikki's dad in 'The Young and the Restless'|journal=The Dispatch|date=January 25, 2003|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ovEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2057,2263369&dq=rex+sterling+death+y%26r&hl=en|access-date=July 22, 2013|location=Lexington, L.C.}} Redeker portrayed the role from July 1987 to the character's death in December 1994; prior to his exit, Redeker had been demoted to recurring status.{{cite news |last1=Goldstein |first1=Toby |title=Soap Bubbles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rX41AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA41& |access-date=January 7, 2025 |work=Rome News-Tribune |publisher=Times-Journal Inc. |date=December 2, 1994 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107163909/https://books.google.com/books?id=rX41AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA41&#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=January 7, 2025 |location=United States |page=54}} A year prior to his exit, Redeker was vocal in his lack of screen time.{{cite journal|last=Hart|first=Marla|title=Redeker's on the sidelines, but still in the game|journal=The Chicago Tribune|date=April 29, 1993|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/04/29/redekers-on-the-sidelines-but-still-in-the-game/|access-date=July 22, 2013|publisher=Tribune Company|issn=1085-6706}} The character and actor's exit left a large hole, with his co-star Jeanne Cooper (who played his widow Katherine Chancellor) stating: "When Rex died, I didn't want to go onto my set for two months. I was depressed for two months after he died."{{cite web|title='The Young and the Restless'- Jeanne Cooper dishes about Genoa City residents past and present|url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20061104/ent/ent2.html|work=Jamaica Gleaner|publisher=Gleaner Company|access-date=July 22, 2013|date=November 4, 2006}} Redeker reprised the role on July 6, 2004, when he reappeared to an inebriated Katherine.{{cite web |author=Nel |title=The Young and the Restless Recaps: The week of July 5, 2004 on Y&R |url=https://www.soapcentral.com/yr/recaps/2004/040705.php |website=Soapcentral.com |access-date=August 3, 2020 |location=United States}}{{cite episode |series=The Young and the Restless |series-link=The Young and the Restless |credits=William J. Bell (senior executive producer); David Shaughnessy and John F. Smith (executive producers); Edward J. Scott (supervising producer); Kay Alden, Trent Jones and John F. Smith (head writers); Jerry Birn (breakdown writer); Natalie Minardi, Jim Houghton, Janice Ferri and Eric Freiwald (script writers); Mike Denney (director) |network=CBS |date=July 6, 2004 |language=en}}
Characterization
Storylines
When Jill Foster Abbott (Jess Walton) found Rex Sterling on a park bench and paid him to seduce her enemy Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper), she had no idea his real name was Brian Romalotti. He was the father of Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) and Gina Roma (Patty Weaver), a con man that did time for the crimes he had committed with his wife. Rex did his job wonderfully and his relationship to Katherine suddenly turned into a romance. Kay found out the truth about Jill's job, but she didn't care. Rex even decided to sign a pre-nuptial agreement to prove to Kay that she should trust him.
Rex was stunned when Kay suddenly started to act strange and he couldn't take it anymore, so he decided to move out and move in with Jill, who then tried to make him divorce Kay and marry her. Rex had no idea that Kay was actually Marge Cotrooke (Jeanne Cooper), Kay's look-alike hired by his former cellmate Clint Radison (James Michael Gregary) to take over Kay's identity. During her tenure as Kay, Marge sold Chancellor industries and Clint was able to control Kay's assets, but not for long. Kay's son Brock and lawyer Mitchell were able to get rid of Clint in time.
Rex married Jill during Katherine's absence, but Kay was able to prove that their marriage wasn't legal because Marge had signed the divorce papers, not her. Rex and Jill were, however, apparently in love, so Kay decided to respect that. Jill found her way back into the arms of her former husband John Abbott (Jerry Douglas), while Rex got interested in Leanna Love (Barbara Crampton). Kay found out about their affair and revealed everything in a party she held. Rex and Kay eventually remarried while Rex was pretending to be dying from a heart attack. Their lives were perfect at that moment.
However, things changed when Kay's maid Esther Valentine (Kate Linder) started dating Norman Peterson (Mark Haining) and had no idea he was a con man. Kay and Rex agreed to go along with Esther's plan to pretend to be the owner of the mansion to impress Norman. Norman eventually found out and asked Esther to convince Kay to include her in her will. Rex and Kay found it strange when Norman proposed marriage to Esther, so they faked a wedding. Norman wasn't satisfied and he broke into the house safe only to be caught by Rex. In order to cover his tracks, Norman shot Rex to death.
In 2004, when Kay starts drinking excessively again, she passes out and dreams of Rex and Phillip Chancellor III (Thom Bierdz) encouraging her to stop drinking.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Young and the Restless}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sterling, Rex}}
Category:The Young and the Restless characters
Category:Television characters introduced in 1987
Category:American male characters in soap operas
Category:Fictional criminals in soap operas