“You can’t forget who you are that way,” the soap opera star says of having a second job that keeps her humble

Actress by day, flight attendant by night!

Kate Linder, 76, opened up about her unique double life. Known widely for her role on The Young and the Restless, Kate also works as a flight attendant for United Airlines. She opened up about this balancing act during the 51st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, where her show was nominated for several awards.

The actress, who describes her dual career as “crazy” and “amazing,” relayed a recent interaction with a fan. While assisting passengers during a flight, she was recognized by a passenger who exclaimed, “Kate Linder?” Kate humorously replied, “I was when I woke up, so I don’t know [if] something’s wrong.” The passenger, initially skeptical of Kate’s uniform, was eventually thrilled by the surprise encounter.

Kate reveals that her flexible schedule allows her to fly on weekends, ensuring neither of her jobs is neglected. “Some will pick up my trips or then I’ll pick up something,” she says, highlighting the cooperative culture among her colleagues.

Preferred routes? “Denver turns, San Francisco turns, even Hawaii turns so that if I have something that night, I can still make it and still do it,” she shares. Meeting fans while working as a flight attendant is the highlight of her role at United Airlines. “I get to hear what they like and I see in their eyes how happy they are. They get to tell me about how they watch The Young and the Restless, and I think that’s just really great. I so enjoy that,” she adds.

Despite the joy of being recognized, balancing fan interactions with her in-flight duties can be tricky. Kate manages it with grace, often promising fans, “I’ll be right back. Let me just take care of that person. I’ll be right back,” ensuring all passengers receive her warm attention.

Reflecting on the beginnings, Kate explains she initially became a flight attendant to afford more time pursuing her acting career. “When I first started, I became a flight attendant because I needed a job that would give me enough time off so I could pursue my career. And then I was hired. I was only hired for one day, so I kept going. And then I thought, ‘Well, if I can keep doing them both, well then I’ll do them both.’”

Nowadays, this double life keeps her grounded. “You can’t forget who you are that way,” she notes, explaining the contrast between her glamorous acting world and the down-to-earth job of serving coffee at 35,000 feet. “I mean, you can’t forget,” she concludes emphatically.

Kate’s dedication to both professions is evident. She remains a familiar face in the skies, delighting fans while also focusing on her long-standing role as Esther Valentine on The Young and the Restless since 1982. More recently, she reprised her character in The Bold and the Beautiful in 2023, along with performing in other projects such as the 2016 movie Mother’s Day and the 2022 movie A Little White Lie.

In a previous interview with Closer Weekly in 2022, Kate opened up about her ongoing commitment to air travel. “In the beginning, I didn’t tell anyone because I thought they would take me less seriously as an actress. But then, as the years went by, I would meet viewers on the plane and have these wonderful stories. I thought that as long as I keep doing both jobs well, I would keep doing them.”