WEDNESDAY CELEBS

Q: I was so sad to hear that the actor who played Neil on “The Young and the Restless” died unexpectedly. I watched him for years on the soap. A friend of mine told me that he used to be on “The Cosby Show,” but I don’t remember him. Who did he play? — D.E. A: Kristoff St. John, who played Neil Winters on “The Young and the Restless” for almost 30 years, was found dead in his home at the age of 52 from what appeared to be an alcohol overdose. The official cause of death is still pending as of this writing.

The actor had been deeply wounded emotionally since the loss of his son, Julian, by suicide in 2014. St. John later took a leave of absence from “Y&R” after being admitted to a mental-health facility for his own safety due to severe depression.

Eric Braeden, who plays Victor Newman on the soap, had nothing but praise for his fellow cast member, telling “People” magazine: “He was a wonderful actor to work with ... he was so instinctive. He had empathy. I think good actors all have empathy. He was just one of the good guys.”

St. John’s acting career began in the mid 1970s when he guest starred as a child on shows like “Happy Days” and “Wonder Woman” and was a regular on the TV spinoff of “The Bad News Bears.” Your friend is correct in that he appeared on “The Cosby Show,” having played Denise’s (Lisa Bonet) boyfriend in one episode. Kristoff leaves behind two daughters, Paris and Lola, as well as his fiancee, Kseniya Mikhaleva.