Young & Restless Star Kate Linder Has A Surprisingly Normal Second Job When She's Not Acting

Kate Linder is an undeniable legend in the world of daytime soap operas. She's been a staple of CBS's "The Young and the Restless" for over 40 years, having joined the soap's cast as Esther Valentine all the way back in 1982. In other words, Linder has been on the show for the overwhelming majority of its 50-year history. Her longevity is so impressive that in 2022, the Hollywood Museum actually installed a special display honoring the 40th anniversary of her debut as Esther. While "The Young and the Restless" was Linder's only real acting job throughout the '80s and '90s, she started taking on roles in other shows and films in the mid-2000s. However, something you may not know about Linder is that she actually has a surprisingly normal job whenever she's not acting.

In 2022, around the time she celebrated 40 years on "The Young and the Restless," Linder publicly confirmed the rumors that she also maintained a secondary career as a flight attendant for United Airlines. "In the beginning, I didn't tell anyone because I thought they would take me less seriously as an actress," she confessed during an interview with Closer Weekly in June of that year. "But then, as the years went by, I would meet viewers on the plane and have these wonderful stories," Linder continued, adding, "I thought that as long as I keep doing both jobs well, I would keep doing them."

During her 2022 interview with Closer Weekly, Kate Linder also admitted that working as a flight attendant in between acting gigs has helped keep her from getting a little too big for her boots. "I like meeting people. And it's a terrible pun, but it keeps me grounded. I've watched people who believe their own press, and I don't think that is a good thing," she said at the time.

Linder when into further detail regarding her dual career during a subsequent interview with People at the Daytime Emmys in June 2024, during which she echoed that sentiment. "You can't forget who you are that way. I'm telling you, one day I get to be on set, I get to speak with you here at the Emmys, [and] then I'm serving coffee at 35,000 feet. I mean, you can't forget," she remarked. She also elaborated on what it's like to meet fans in the air, recalling one particularly memorable experience where a woman simply couldn't believe that the actor behind Esther Valentine was working on a plane.

The kicker? That passenger wouldn't have even had that unique experience had her travel plans not been hampered. "She got diverted. She was in LA. She wasn't even supposed to be there. All these things happened," Linder shared. This encounter seemed to echo Linder's career, considering that she was initially only hired to play Esther on "The Young and the Restless" for one episode, which eventually turned into well over 2,500 as of 2026.