Doug Davidson

Douglas Donald "Doug" Davidson (born October 24, 1954, in Glendale, California) is an American television actor. He is best known as private investigator Paul Williams on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, a role he's portrayed since May 1978, making him the series' longest-serving cast member. He also hosted a short-lived syndicated version of The Price Is Right from September 12, 1994 to January 27, 1995.

Early Life and The Young and The Restless[]

Born in Glendale, California. Before he ventured into acting, Doug Davidson was a student at Occidental College where he majored in Marine Biology. On May 15, 1978, he made his debut as Paul Williams on the CBS soap The Young and The Restless, a role that has earned him numerous award nominations and wins until being dismissed in 2018.

He has won four Soap Opera Digest Awards (for Outstanding Hero & Supporting Actor: Daytime) in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1997. He received his very first Daytime Emmy Nomination for Lead Actor at the 2003 Daytime Emmy Awards but it wasn't until a decade later when he would finally take home his very first Emmy for Lead Actor.

Family Feud and TPiR[]

Doug has appeared on several Soap Opera editions of Family Feud during the tenures of Richard Dawson (both original and Richard's 1994-95 return), Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, and Richard Karn. In 1991, (during Ray Combs' tenure) he served as captain of the Y&R team (w/ co-stars Jeanne Cooper, Peter Barton, Melody Thomas Scott, and Tricia Cast) facing off against The Price is Right, with Bob Barker as team captain in a Soap Stars vs Barker's Beauties special.

In 1993, Doug served as team captain again (w/ co-stars Barton, Lauralee Bell, Victoria Rowell, and John Castellanos) in another Feud face-off against Bob and The Price is Right, in the same year, Doug was one of two hosts for the pilot of Price taped on August 3 and 4. The other was KTLA weatherman Mark Kriski.

It was there that led Doug to land a new Game Show hosting gig when he hosted a newly syndicated half-hour version of The Price is Right, debuting on September 12, 1994. Unfortunately for Doug, his hosting gig was short-lived as the show was canceled just four months and two weeks later on January 27, 1995, after just 80 episodes.

In 2007, when Bob Barker took his final bow, Doug was one of a chosen few to be given an audition to become the new host of The Price is Right, which ultimately went to Drew Carey. Doug has also hosted the live stage show adaptation, The Price is Right Live!, at Harrah's-owned casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On August 26, 2023, after Bob's death of natural causes at age 99, Doug became the last surviving former Price host (Bill Cullen died in 1990, Dennis James in 1997, and Tom Kennedy in 2020).

Card Sharks (1996 Pilot)[]

In 1996, Doug appeared as one of three celebrities in a video clip, the other two were David Hasselhoff and Cynthia Garrett. The unsold pilot revival was hosted by Tom Green (sportscaster not the former MTV personality of the same name) with Deedee Weathers as announcer/card dealer.

Personal Life[]

Doug has been married to actress Cindy Fisher, whom he met on the set of The Young and The Restless, since 1984 and together they have two children: daughter Calyssa and son Caden.

His hobbies include scuba diving, camping and water skiing and holds a first-degree brown belt in karate.

He is not related to The Young and the Restless co-star Eileen Davidson.