Soap Vet Jason Thompson's Tribute To Billy Miller & Their Shared Role Will Break Your Heart

"The Young and the Restless" star Jason Thompson explained in his Instagram video that when he planned on leaving "General Hospital" — before knowing he'd become Billy Abbott on "Y&R" — Billy Miller told him, "If you go to 'Y&R' I think you can play Billy. It's a big character. There's a lot going on with him but you can do it." When the part was eventually offered to Thompson, he took it on and always had Miller in the back of his head because he knew how impressively he'd built the character.

"I have to say that, knowing it was his role, knowing he was the one that really made that character. He kept me honest for the last eight years," Thompson stated, feeling that Miller would have been surprised that he often appeared in his thoughts. He noted he was afraid of losing his job because, "I thought that [Miller] was always going to be able to come back whenever he wanted to because he was that good," further remarking that the cast and fans loved Miller. "I worked very hard to try and live up to his level. To where he brought Billy."

Thompson had a hard time wrapping his brain around Miller's death, but shared his own resolve, declaring, "I'm just gonna be so dedicated to making sure that I can do right by it." Fighting back the tears, he ended the video.