Kate Linder: Celebrating Esther Valentine

Kate Linder is a classic

Kate Linder is an actress from the classic days of the number one CBS soap opera. She began portraying Esther Valentine the maid of Katherine Chancellor (Jeannie Cooper) on The Young and the Restless in 1982. Next year in 2022, she will have been associated with the CBS soap for 40 years. As Esther Linder was at times seen a comic relief but she was a joy each time she was ina a scene. This was especially true when she got into sparring matches with Jill Abbott Atkinson (Jess Walton).

Linder's role as Esther earned her a distinction in television history, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kate is the third actress to earn a star on the Walk of Fame based solely on the merits of working on a soap opera. The two actresses who preceded her were Susan Luciwho portrayed Erica Cane on All My Children and her Y&R co-star Jeanne Cooper.

Kate Linder Movie Roles

In the 2000s, Linder made her film debut, after 30 years of working on the CBS daytime drama' After three decades of portraying the quirky maid. Linder starred in a number of independent productions. These include the movies Erased and Hysteria. The actress also had roles in the short film Cotillion 65 and the films Lights Out, Miss Meadows, Mothers Day, Shriver, and Miracle at Gate 13.

Kate Linder's early life

Linder was born November 2 1947 in Pasadena, California, and recently celebrated her 74th birthday. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in theatre arts and immediately began working for Transamerica Airlines as a flight attendant. Shortly after graduation, Linder began working on television, with roles on TV series such as Bay City Blues and Archie Bunker's Place.

Kate Linder is sidelined by an accident

In September 2021 it was announced that Linder had been hospitalized. She had been assisting her elderly mother who had just been injured and the actress ended up hurting herself. At that time she said that she would soon be back to work but has not resurfaced yet in Genoa City. Y&R never made it quite clear what happened but one day Esther and her family were on the Chancellor estate and the next they were not.

Ester Valentine and the Chancellor Estate

After Katherine Chancellor ( Jeannie Cooper died her will stipulated that Jill and Esther would each receive half ownership of Kay's home. Esther also received a sizable amount of money which was 1/10 of Katherine's fortune which amounted to one million dollars. There was one stipulation which was that Esther would receive a monthly stipend as long as she remained the maid in the Chancellor mansion. Shortly after her daughter Chloe Mitchell Fisher (Elizabeth Hendrickson) gave birth to her son Miles the family including Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart) and their daughter Bella moved out of the fabulous home for parts unknown.

The Young and the Restless was vague on details

It was never stated whether or not Esther lost her inheritance but Abby Newman Chancellor now resides in the mansion and will soon be reunited with her husband Phillip Chancellor IV (Conner Floyd). It could be that Jill wanted her grandson to live in her half of the house and Esther did not want to share it. Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson was residing in the home but moved out. The mansion is big so Esther, her daughter, son in law and grandchildren could easily have co-existed in separate wings from Abby and Chance.

Y&R viewers brought up the fact that Abby was a Newman and had money to live where she wanted. She was also left a home when her stepfather Brad Carlton (D0n Diamont) died. At one point Nina Webster said Esther could come back anytime and clean but it does not look like she ever did. It also was not clear what gave Nina authority to say who could and could not live in Katherine's estate. Jill will soon return to Genoa City and spoilers say Chance will be found alive and well and also make his way back home. It would be nice for The Young and the Restless to bring Esther back into the picture because her fans miss her.