Bryton James reveals tribute to ‘Young and the Restless’ dad Kristoff St. John

This story contains spoilers for the Aug. 11 episode of Beyond the Gates.

It’s been six years since the untimely death of The Young and the Restless star Kristoff St. John, and his screen son, Bryton James, is still honoring his legacy.

James has played Y&R‘s charismatic record executive and music producer Devon Winters for 21 years. For 14 of them, he was also the loving adopted son of St. John’s Neil Winters. On Monday, James became the first CBS soap star to cross over onto the network’s newest daily drama, Beyond the Gates.

Fans had been feverishly speculating how Y&R‘s illustrious Winters empire and BTG‘s powerful Dupree clan might have been acquainted ever since James’ cameo was teased two weeks ago. Now, James tells Entertainment Weekly he’s “thrilled to celebrate” that in a touching tribute, Monday’s episode reveals Neil as the connective thread between these soap dynasties.

“When I got the script, the best part of it was seeing that they continued to include him,” James says. “As they should.”

Devon arrives in Fairmont to make Dupree matriarch Anita (Tamara Tunie) an offer that he hopes she can’t refuse. The retired EGOT-winner has just reunited with the girl group that launched her career, the Articulettes. But Devon is hoping he can parlay their one-off reunion show into the “next platinum project for my jazz label.”

Before they get to all that, Anita insists Devon take a seat at her coveted table alongside Dupree don Vernon (Clifton Davis) for a proper catch up. “It’s really good to see you both again,” Devon enthuses. “I’ll try to keep my cool this time. I remember when my dad introduced us at Indigo I was extremely nervous.”

Anita laughs, recalling her glory days — “That club was jumping!” Devon remembers that Neil “tried to get you to go on stage but you weren’t having it,” which throws Anita into reverie. “How we miss Neil, his smile, his big heart, his love of music.” Devon shares in her wistfulness, adding, “I know. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him — and you were one of his favorites.”

Though Neil’s manifold business endeavors were never primarily concentrated around music, Devon followed in his adoptive father’s entrepreneurial spirit. Neil served as a powerful executive at both Newman Enterprises and Chancellor Industries, two of the fictional Genoa City, Wis., setting’s most consequential corporations.

Having risen from a humble background, Anita would have shared a lot in common with Neil, and with Devon, who was introduced in 2004 as a homeless teenager that Neil and wife Drucilla (Victoria Rowell) take a shine to, and ultimately adopt in 2006.

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St. John died on Feb. 4, 2019 at 52. His death was ruled as accidental, primarily resulting from hypertrophic heart disease. His death rocked the Winters family, the extended Young and the Restless crew, and the soap community at large. Two years after his death, James said of his screen dad, “There was nothing negative about him. His mood… he was the most positive light, ball of energy at work.” Still, having learned about St. John’s private battles with grief and substance use, he remarked, “Knowing what we know now, the only thing I regret is not staying more involved in his life outside of the set.”

Now, “a little piece of Young and the Restless” is in Beyond the Gates, James tells EW. But like his character in pursuit of Anita (who turns down his offer, for now), the actor is hoping for a freer exchange of stars within the CBS soap-verse, which also includes The Bold and the Beautiful.

“I think there’s a universe for that as well,” James says. “If the fans enjoy the crossover and want to see more of this storyline and the little hints that we dropped for the previous interaction, future interaction, let the writers know and let the network know, because they surely listen.”

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, and is also available to stream on Paramount+.