The Young and the Restless alumna Eden Riegel celebrates her birthday

The Young and the Restless character Heather may have gone to that great soap in the sky, but one of her portrayers, Eden Riegel, is celebrating something special. The fan favorite and Daytime Emmy-winner is both ringing in the year and having some birthday cake today as it's the anniversary of her birth!

The Young and the Restless, a new day in Eden

"Happy birthday to @edenriegel, whose endless determination in the face of hell is so inspiring, and then so depressing because it feels impossible to achieve," posted actor/writer/producer Andrew Miller, Riegel's husband, "but then circles all the way back to inspiring again because goddamit, the hell’s worse than before but she’s still there, in the thick of it, being determined!

"And holy [expletive], you just can’t ask more from a partner, or mother to your children who really need heroes to help them through this world," Miller continues, "and packs their lunches and makes them put on sunscreen, and I just really love her. So… happy birthday."

While Riegel played Heather, Paul Williams' (Doug Davidson) daughter, on Y&R from 2010-11, the actress is known mostly to soap opera fans for her turn as Bianca Montgomery, the daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane on All My Children.

In 2000, series creator Agnes Nixon decided to tell the story of Bianca sharing with her mother that she was gay, a lesbian. Nixon felt that just as Erica, a well-known and beloved character, could accept her daughter being a lesbian, which, in time, she did, then viewers with gay children could do the same.

Bianca's story, one of Nixon's last, unfolded slowly. The character's love interests include Lena Kundera (Olga Sosnovska), Maggie Stone (Elizabeth Hendrickson, Chloe/director, Y&R), and Reese Williams (Tamara Braun, now, Sienna Bacall on Y&R).

Riegel received critical acclaim and multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Bianca, taking home the award in 2005 in the now-retired category of Outstanding Young Actress.

Legal eagles on The Young and the Restless

During her time in Genoa City, Riegel's Heather sparred in court with Avery Bailey Clarke (Jessica Collins). Heather had storylines with Ronan (Jeff Branson) and Chance (John Driscoll) before entering a romance with Daniel (Michael Graziadei). When Daniel moved to Atlanta to be near his mother, Phyllis (Michelle Stafford), Heather went with him.

In addition to her work on-screen in the soap world, Riegel is an accomplished voice actress, having lent her voice to TV series, video games, and animated projects. She is the voice director for some Disney animated series, including The Ghost and Molly McGee.

After wrapping up at Y&R, Riegel reprised the role of Bianca, briefly, in the short-lived revival of AMC on The Online Network.

Riegel and Miller wed in 2007, and they welcomed their first son, Jack Oscar Miller, in 2011. Their second son, Henry Issac Miller, was born in 2013.

Trending

Soap Central wishes Riegel a happy birthday and many happy returns!

Catch all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback