James Houghton

Son of "Twilight Zone" producer Buck Houghton, James Houghton was a television actor and writer best known for his work on "Knots Landing" and "The Young and the Restless." He made his television acting debut in the 1977 sports drama "One on One," which he followed with an appearance in the television mini-series "Aspen."

He worked steadily through the '70s, and in 1979 landed his breakthrough role as Kenny Ward on the primetime soap opera "Knots Landing." In addition to his acting responsibilities, Houghton also wrote several episodes of the long-running series.

After leaving the show in 1983, Houghton appeared in such shows as "Remington Steele" and "The Colbys" while pursing a writing career on shows like "Tales from the Darkside." From 1997 to 2006 he wrote over 450 episodes of the Emmy Award-winning soap opera "The Young and the Restless," and then wrote for "The Bold and the Beautiful" and appeared in the '80s fantasy film "Purple People Eater."