Paul Williams is a fictional character on the American CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. Paul was introduced to the show on May 15, 1978, and has been portrayed by Doug Davidson ever since. He has been a regular for 38 years. Initially Paul was a "bad boy", who had a romance with Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), giving her an STD. The relationship ultimately ended, but the two have remained friends since. After a year on the series, Bell gave the character a proper backstory, surname and family. This included his notoriously unstable sister Patty Williams (Stacey Haiduk). After a failed marriage to April Stevens (Cynthia Eilbacher)—who gave birth to his daughter Heather Stevens (Eden Riegel)—focus turned towards Paul's career as a private investigator, as well as his relationsh