Fans of the The Bold and the Beautiful got a shock on the August 6 episode when soap alum Rebecca Budig made her surprise debut as Dr. Taylor Hayes. The role, originated by Hunter Tylo in 1990, and most recently portrayed by Krista Allen from 2021-23, was new territory for Budig, who previously toiled as Guiding Light ’s Michelle Bauer, All My Children ’s Greenlee Smythe and General Hospital’ s Hayden Barnes.
“I love soaps, but I don’t have time to follow anything because of my child [Charlotte, 9] and how time-consuming that is,” she tells TV Insider. “So, I really didn’t have a lot of familiarity with the part. I knew that Bold and Beautiful was a great place to be because people had always said, ‘Everyone’s such a family there.
’ ” Fortunately, Bradley Bell, the show’s executive producer and head writer, filled in the gaps for the newcomer. “Brad made it pretty clear that Ridge [ Thorsten Kaye ] is the love of Taylor’s life,” Budig explains. “She’s a psychiatrist, she’s smart, she leads with her brain while Brooke [ Katherine Kelly Lang ] leads with her emotions.
So, I love that there’s two different women in his life, and they each probably bring out something different in him. It’s fun to play someone who’s smart and has a passion for her family.” Being on the set wasn’t completely unfamiliar to her — she made a brief appearance as Cathy in 1994.
“I did one day on The Bold and the Beautiful when I was just starting out,�.