The Bold and the Beautiful fans were stunned at the end of the August 6, 2024, episode when Taylor Hayes appeared -- but she wasn't played by the previous two actresses who regularly brought the iconic character to life. Instead, B&B confirms that soap favorite Rebecca Budig is playing the role.
Budig, who was last seen as General Hospital's Hayden Barnes in 2019, got her daytime start with CBS soaps back in 1995 on Guiding Light, where she played legacy character Michelle Bauer until 1998. However, it was All My Children's Greenlee Smythe that brought her true soap fame. Budig played rich girl Greenlee off and on from 1999 until AMC's cancellation in 2011.
In 2015, Budig originated the role of Hayden on GH. Hayden was originally slated to be a short-term character brought to town by Ric Lansing to pose as Jake Doe's (fake) long-lost ex-wife. Hayden later turned out to be Jeff Webber's illegitimate daughter, and therefore, Elizabeth's half-sister. Hayden's romance with Hamilton Finn resulted in Violet, but the character has been MIA for the last five years.
Now, Budig will bring B&B's favorite psychiatrist to life. As Brooke and Ridge reveled in the success of Brooke's Bedroom against the backdrop of beautiful Monte Carlo, someone lurked in the shadows, watching them kiss. The camera panned right to her face with a voiceover announcing, "The role of Dr. Taylor Hayes is now being played by Rebecca Budig." Taylor then called her daughter Steffy to say she was in Europe but was coming home.
"Before this job came up, I thought about going back to school and studying psychology, because it actually fascinates me," Budig told People. "It's ironic that I got this part, given that that's what I was going to try and do in the fall, anyway."
On B&B, Budig will be reunited with her former AMC co-star Thorsten Kaye. Kaye won two Emmy Awards for his work as Ridge Forrester, but he was wildly popular as AMC's Zach Slater.
Budig's non-soap credits include Blue Bloods, How I Met Your Mother, and Castle. She also penned the short film, About a Girl, inspired by her own experiences with her daughter.
Hunter Tylo originated the role of Taylor in 1990 and was replaced briefly by Sherilyn Wolter a few months later. Tylo played Taylor off and on until 2019. In 2021, Days of our Lives alumnus Krista Allen (ex-Billie Reed) took over the part and remained as Taylor until November 2023.
During Taylor's last B&B stint, Brooke and Taylor became best friends for a few months, but it didn't last because they couldn't stop fighting over Ridge, which might be exactly what they do again when Brooke, Ridge, and Taylor all return to L.A.
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