William “Snapper” Foster was a pillar of Young and restless at its beginnings. Today, he was mentioned as the person who looked after Jill in London after she told Billy that she was battling a heart condition. Keep reading to find out (or refresh your memory) all things “Snapper.”
William Foster is the older of Jill’s two brothers, the middle brother being a lawyer named Greg. Their mother was the late Liz Foster, who was cared for by her doctor son until the end of her life. Their father’s name was also William, and he left Liz and the kids to fend for themselves, prompting his eldest son to drop his name and take on the nickname “Snapper.” The nickname comes from his particularly “lively” personality.
He may have had his surly moments, but damn, damn, he was handsome. Played first by William Gray Espy then by David Hasselhoff, Snapper took advantage of his good looks to become a bit playful. He cheated on his girlfriend, Chris Brooks, with a waitress named Sally McGuire, who became pregnant with his child.
Sally married another man, Pierre Charles Roulland, after Snapper became engaged and married Chris. Unfortunately, Pierre was killed before Sally gave birth. She named Snapper’s biological son after her late husband and called him Chuckie. When Chris discovered that her husband was the child’s father, she suffered a miscarriage.
After all this, Snapper fell in love with Dr. Casey Reed, who Young and restless audiences will know her as Nikki Newman’s sister. This affair did not last and Snapper returned to his wife while Sally left town with her son.
In another dramatic turn of events, Liz reconciled with Jill and Snapper’s father, Bill, only to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. Bill begged Liz to turn off his life support, and she did, not wanting him to suffer, but the stress caused her to have a stroke. Snapper, who acted as his father’s doctor, was accused of the man’s murder, but was acquitted of the charges thanks to his brother Greg.
In another twist, Liz began seeing Chris’ father, Stuart Brooks, and the two became grandparents when Snapper’s wife gave birth to Jennifer. It was around this time that Sally and Chuckie reappeared in Genoa City. Snapper was tempted to tell his son that he was his biological father, since he was ill, but he decided against it. Sally and Chuckie hit the road again, returning to Michigan with Sally’s boyfriend Stan, who had been summoned by Chris.
Snapper and Chris moved to London in 1982 and it wasn’t until 2003 that Liz returned to Genoa City with Snapper and Greg to tell Jill she needed brain surgery. Facing death, Liz wanted to tell Jill the truth and told her that she was adopted.
Jill and her family believed for years that Katherine Chancellor was her biological mother, but a DNA test finally ruled that out.
In 2010, Liz returned to Genoa City with Snapper by her side. Fearing death again after her son diagnosed her with a rare autoimmune disease, Jill’s adoptive mother told Snapper one last secret about her daughter’s parentage. It was Jill’s brother who told her that she was Neil Fenmore’s offspring and that her biological mother had abandoned her in the hospital when she was a newborn and committed suicide. As Snapper returned to London, a DNA test proved that Jill was indeed a Fenmore and Lauren’s half-sister.
Will we see Snapper again in Genoa City? Only time will tell. If he supports Jill in her battle with heart disease, perhaps he will accompany her to see Billy and check in on her beloved Chancellor-Winters at some point.
Do you remember watching Snapper back in the day? Let us know in the comments after you take a look at Young and restless over the years in the photo gallery below.
