Lachlan Buchanan Cast as ‘Y&R’s New Kyle Abbott

Australian hunk Lachlan Buchanan (Home and Away) has landed the role of Jack Abbott’s youngest son on CBS’ The Young and the Restless. Soap Opera Digest exclusively reported his casting yesterday.

Lachlan Buchanan photo courtesy IMDB.com

“So excited to start my new adventure with the brilliant team at The Young and Restless,” the actor tweeted.

It’s been over a year since viewers last saw Kyle in Genoa City. After Kyle (then-Hartley Sawyer) and Summer’s (Hunter King) blossoming romance was kiboshed after the “reveal” that Summer was Jack’s daughter, the character floated with little to do. A brief corporate espionage plot pitting Kyle against Noah (Robert Adamson) led nowhere, and eventually Kyle left to work in Jabot’s New York branch. In recent months, numerous characters (Phyllis, Summer, Avery, Mariah) have name dropped the character, leading many to believe (correctly) the show would be bringing him back.

And fear not soap fans, Kyle won’t show up with a newly acquired Aussie accent. The actor told Soap Opera Digest he’ll use an American accent for the role. “It’s going to be a fun challenge and I’m really looking forward to playing Kyle.”

Though Lachlan Buchanan is a daytime newbie, he’s no stranger to acting. His past credits include Home and Away, Blue Water High, Pretty Little Liars, Castle and NCIS: Los Angeles.

Now that the bond of blood no longer stands in the way of a romance, will Kyle make a play for his one-time crush/almost-sister when he returns to Genoa City? That would definitely complicate matters between Summer and her new husband Austin (Matthew Atkinson).

Buchanan begins taping on January 27 and will first air February 25.

Our Take: This is just what the show needs. Y&R’s young adult set is tragically boring. Hopefully Kyle’s reappearance in Genoa City will shake things up. New head writer Charles Pratt Jr. has a proven track record of writing entertaining young characters. I’ve seen Buchanan’s guest spots in primetime and he’s a more than capable actor, but the writing has to support him.