This past Sunday, the acting world was struck by the loss of Emmy-winning soap star Kristoff St. John, who died at 52. The pioneering Black soap veteran, who played Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless, was found dead at his Los Angeles home.
The news came with a massive outpouring of grief from fans and friends. Chief among them was fellow Emmy-winning actor and St. John’s former The Young and the Restless co-star Shemar Moore. Soap fans will recall that Moore portrayed Malcolm Winters, St. John’s half-brother, on the iconic soap opera. In an exclusive with People magazine, the Criminal Minds star lamented the loss of his former co-star and reflected on the doors he opened.
“He didn’t have to embrace me the way he did,” Moore said of first meeting St. John. “When I came in and was trying to find my way and he saw how scared I was, he saw how nervous I was.”
With the introduction of Neil Winters and the Winters clan, Kristoff St. John also opened the doors for Black representation on daytime television. “He opened doors for me and many,” Moore reflected on St. John’s legacy. “He opened doors for people who don’t even realize he opened doors, but he did. He opened doors and he was so committed to his craft. He always wanted to be better. He wanted to touch people and he did.”
Moore also spoke about St. John’s death on his Instagram.
The official cause of death is not yet known.
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Soap Opera Legend, ‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Kristoff St. John Found Dead at 52
