Daytime vet Rebecca Budig surprised fans by joining the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful last month, stepping in as the new Dr. Taylor Hayes!
The TV Watercooler had the opportunity to chat with Budig about succeeding Hunter Tylo and Krista Allen in the role of Taylor and what brings Taylor back to Los Angeles. Budig also reflects on the “magical” time she had playing All My Children’s Greenlee.
Can you share a bit about how the role came about?
I was in the mix to audition at some point – I can’t even remember when! But ultimately, I think they decided not to read me and then all of a sudden, I got a call from my manager and I was thrown into the mix!
I think they were casting the net far and wide because the character is so important to the show. I think they just wanted to see all of their options, and I don’t blame them! So yeah, that’s how it came about. And then I [finally] auditioned and I was really surprised that I got it!
So, you knew that it was going to be for Taylor?
Yes, I did know that it was for a Taylor recast.
Let’s discuss the elephant in the room! There’s quite an age difference between you and Hunter Tylo who originated the role.
Well, I think that’s why I ultimately thought I wasn’t right for it! Because I was younger than Hunter, for sure.
I didn’t know that much about The Bold and the Beautiful other than it was a great show to work on from friends and people that I knew in the industry. I knew Hunter Tylo too, but I wasn’t super familiar with her character.
There is an age difference, but that’s not for me to worry about. [Laughs] Ultimately, I’m a mom and I can relate to being a mom and caring about your kid and caring about grandkids. I’ve got many nieces and nephews that feel like my grandchildren. I think that it’s ultimately a “feeling” that you relate to.
I was surprised but I was also super-excited because it’s such a great role. I really had no idea until I started to really dig deeper. For me in particular, I like playing someone that’s not a “bad girl.” It’s just fun. It’s different!
[Playing Taylor] is different than what I’ve played. She’s smart and she’s this doctor and I’m very intrigued by that. I like that it’s different than anything I’ve played, but also at the same time, there are a lot of things that I can tap into that I relate to – being a mother and all that.
What was your first day on set like? I know your first scenes that aired were with Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy) but did you film with her first?
I filmed with Jackie first, yes. I didn’t even get to audition with her, so it was like just rolling right into it! I can’t say enough about the actors on this show, they are just so genuine, real, down to earth, and welcoming. They’re ready.
It was just so amazing. It couldn’t have been a better situation for me to step into it. Although, it was a little bit rocky at first because this is a character that has a 30-year history and you’re not going to be able to know every single detail. It’s complicated. But [Jackie] is lovely. She was amazing [on my first day].
But the fans do remember every detail! Was it a bit daunting to go online and try to read up as much as you could on the character? How much did Brad Bell prepare you?
Yeah, it is daunting, and I know that the fans are very loyal. [Laughs] They were very loyal on the show that I was on [before], so they are also very loyal here. And I don’t blame them to being a little skeptical or whatever. I hope they have an open mind.
Brad said, “Listen, Brooke leads with her emotions. Taylor leads with her brain. That’s the difference between these two women.” That really clicked with me because just like in life, you can be attracted to one person who brings out something in you, while another brings out something else. So, I can see where Ridge would be a little conflicted.
I just think that in each scene that I’m with people, I’m like “What’s the history? Why do we love each other? What happened when I left?” Because it’s really important to know what happened, right? “Why was she gone and why is she back?”
What was it like reuniting with your former All My Children co-star Thorsten Kaye (Ridge)?
It’s funny because we’re friends and when I say friends, we actually hadn’t spoken in a really long time, but I have affection for Thorsten! I always have. We were friends when we were on AMC together and I never really got to work with him that much. We had group scenes. I had scenes with him, Alicia Minshew (Kendall) and Cameron Mathison (Ryan) – the four of us would be in scenes together, but I never got to work one on one with him.
I always thought he was a terrific actor. Don’t tell him I said that! [Laughs]
I always thought he was super fantastic and now that I’ve gotten to work with him, it’s been very rewarding and really fun.
Steffy’s been through an ordeal after being kidnapped by Luna – how much of a role with Taylor play in Steffy’s recovery from that ordeal – as a mom and a psychiatrist?
Steffy is an adult and her own person. I think it’s challenging for Taylor to not be able to step in and help her through it, given her profession. I think she tries to give her some space, but she’s also very concerned about her daughter because of all the things that she’s been through with Sheila (Kimberlin Brown). She’s been through a lot!
Greenlee was a great bad girl. Sheila’s also a great bad girl. Can you tease us a scene where your Taylor encounters Sheila?
I haven’t read anything yet! But I’d love to have scenes with her!
Taylor has stated that she’s getting her practice up and running again. Are you looking forward to diving into playing a psychiatrist? Quite a departure from being a cosmetics maven that Greenlee was.
[Laughs] It is, isn’t it?!
I am! I actually am very interested in psychology. I was going to go back to school for it because I find it really fascinating. I was excited to maybe have those types of scenes coming up. [And I’ve wondered if they’re] going to bring back Ian Buchanan (who played Dr. James Warwick)?!
He’s one of my friends in real life and he was my gyno on All My Children!
Taylor did take his virginity.
[Laughs] Oh my God, yes! Someone told me that! That’s awesome!
Can you tease us a little bit about what brings Taylor back to L.A. now?
I think Taylor’s at a point in her life where she really wants to be close to family. Close to her daughter and her grandkids. She’s spent some time with Thomas (Matthew Atkinson), and I think that she wants to now come back to the place that’s home for her. Ridge is probably one of the closest people to her, and I think she really needs that at this point in her life.
Ridge is with Brooke. Would you be open to having Taylor explore romance across the canvas? Don Diamont (Bill) recently said “Nothing is sexier than a woman who shot you in the back.”
[Laughs] I mean… I’m open! I love it. I love it all.
I think that for Taylor, Ridge is the love of her life. That’s kind of a fact. I don’t think she wants to go and break up Brooke and Ridge, even though they are not married, but I think that he will always be the love of her life. He’ll always be that person to her. They went through so much together. They got married, had kids, and had a daughter die. They’ve been through a lot. There’s a connection there that you just can’t have with everybody.
So yes, I think it would be fun to play with other people and see what that brings up, but I do think that Ridge is the one for her.
There was some chemistry there in that short scene with you and Tanner Novlan (Finn).
Oh, there was? [Laughs]
Could Taylor pull a Brooke and seduce her daughter’s husband?
Interesting! I don’t think she’s like Brooke in that way! That never crossed my mind, but I guess it is a soap, so maybe I should have!
Will we get to find out a little bit about what Taylor has been up to while she’s been away? She did spend some time with Thomas and Douglas, but could something else have happened to her while she was away?
Yes, I think that it’ll all be revealed very shortly, in the coming weeks!
Greenlee became such an iconic character on All My Children. The romance with Leo (Josh Duhamel) was also fantastic. Looking back, what can you share about that time in your life and career?
Those were the best days of my life. They were magical.
I know I can speak for Alicia and we both talk about it as well. Cameron and I also talk about it. I think Josh has a soft spot for those days, too. We still keep in touch occasionally.
Listen, they wrote that story so well. They wrote them as friends, and it just developed. They took time! No one takes time anymore. They took time to really develop this Greenlee and Leo friendship and how she was needling Becca (Abigail Spencer) and all these people! He was doing the same. They were just naughty together and then all of a sudden, they were together!
They really took a lot of time with it. The only word that I can describe is magical because we really had a sweet chemistry. I just looked at him and felt really super connected. Those things don’t come around that often!
I just had a flashback to a term that Greenlee coined for Bianca (Eden Riegel): Lesbianca.
Lesbianca!
That would not fly today.
Never! She was a bully!
She was the bully, and I thank God that it could never happen today. I mean there are some things where I’m like, “Oh, God, really?” where cancel culture can be a little much, but on the other hand, I’m grateful that my kid is like, “That’s mean!” If I say something that is not really that mean, she’ll say, “That’s mean, mommy!” And I’m like, “Oh…” I think it’s good for the kids today to stand up for each other.
You didn’t have to love every soap character. That’s what used to be the beauty of it. You could be a bully. You could be nasty and mean, but that was the character and viewers understood that.
But I also think that Greenlee, at least for me, she wasn’t mean just to be mean. She was mean because she was so insecure about her own self because of her upbringing. It came from a place of true insecurity, which is really what all meanness comes from.
That’s right! And Anna Stuart got to play your mom!
Oh my God. She’s just a stunning woman. I love her. It was really fun.
Josh Duhamel came back as Leo for the ABC finale and Leo and Greenlee reunited but it ended up being a dream. There were rumours that they had to make it a dream because of the Prospect Park reboot at the time. Was there any truth to that?
No, I wasn’t going to go do that [reboot], so I don’t know why they made it into a dream.
They had to wrap up a show, that was how old and how do you wrap it up? Looking back at it now, I really do wish they wrapped it up with a bow and really wrapped up everything instead of making it a cliffhanger for something that may or may not do well. Had they put it on Disney+, that’s what I thought should have really happened. But you know…
It would have been nice for us [Leo and Greenlee] to ride off in the sunset and Ryan runs off into the sunset with Gillian! But that’s not what happened.
Where would you like to think Greenlee is now?
That’s hard to wrap my head around because it’s been a long time! [Laughs] Which is sad! Still being a business woman. Still running some sort of a company. Maybe the cosmetics company? I’d like to think that she settled down. Possibly with Ryan because he really accepted her for who she was. Maybe had a kid or two!
A lot of your fans wanted to see you come back to General Hospital. Was there any talks about returning since your last stint?
I mean, I was always open, but no one ever called me.
That’s unfortunate.
Yeah. I felt super connected to Michael Easton (who played Finn). We were in the middle of something that was so awesome. They wrote that she got pregnant and wasn’t expecting it. She was a character that didn’t handle it well. It was just so great. And then when I came back with Jophielle Love (Violet), who is the most adorable, lovely little actress, I was super excited to play that out.
But, you know… I don’t have control over these things!
Have you run into your frenemy, Greg Rikaart, at the studio? He occasionally still plays Kevin on The Young and the Restless which tapes across the hall from The Bold and the Beautiful.
No, I haven’t! It’s a good think because I would definitely be pranking him. He would be pranking me. There would be a lot of antics!
I have run into Missy [Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R; Annie, AMC)] and some people from behind the scenes [at All My Children] who now work at Y&R. I have run into Jason Thompson (Billy, Y&R; ex-Patrick, GH), who I know, and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R; ex-Nina, GH), and Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R; ex-Cliff, AMC) – they’re all so great.
It’s such a nice atmosphere over there to see those guys. It jusdt feels like a homecoming of sorts when I see people like that.
What’s the B&B set compared to some of the other ones? You got your start as Michelle Bauer on Guiding Light.
Guiding Light was amazing, but I was a baby! I didn’t work that much. Although I really loved Guiding Light for my family there, the Bauers – Peter Simon (Ed) and Michael O’Leary (Rick) – I loved them so much! That was fantastic.
The Bold and the Beautiful set is similar to All My Children’s. There’s like a real family atmosphere here. It could be because the cast is so small and the stage is smaller. I think it’s because of Brad. It starts at the top, right? He just creates this really warm environment.
So, it’s been really refreshing. It’s kind of like [a] full circle [moment]. [I’m] coming back to a place that just feels like home and really, really warm. Whether or not Taylor works out, or whatever. It doesn’t matter. The experience is still great!
B&B gets to go on these breathtaking location shoots.
I heard about that!
Taylor was in Monaco, but I don’t think you were in Monaco.
No, I wasn’t! [Laughs]
Are there any destinations you hope you can tag along to next?
I don’t know where there’ll go, but New Zealand is on my list! So is Norway. I’ve been to Italy and I love Italy!
I love different countries and cultures. I love experiencing that! I don’t really have a bucket list anymore per se, because I always feel like any place is a good place to experience something else. Even in the United States.
Now you’re in the number one soap in the world, so you’re in those homes anyway.
That’s pretty exciting! It’s pretty cool.
It is different! The format is different with the half hour. So, it does really go really fast. It’s definitely a different feel to the scripts. It’s fun.
I’m assuming it’s still the same amount of dialog you’re used to with the hourlong shows.
It is! That hasn’t changed. I’ve just gotten older and it’s harder to memorize and keep in my head. That’s about it!
Is there anything else you can tease about Taylor’s return?
Hmm, I don’t know. I like her clothes! [Laughs]
You mentioned you’d prank Greg Rikaart at the studio if you saw him, but is there anyone on set that’s a prankster?
Thorsten I’d say jokes around a lot. He’s pretty funny. We laugh a lot. He just makes me laugh, but I haven’t met any pranksters yet!
Tanner’s pretty funny too. They’re all super chill.
You know who I love? John McCook (Eric)! Oh, my God. He texted me when I got the job and said, “I don’t know you yet. I haven’t met you yet. But I just want to welcome you to the show. You’re going to love this show. It’s the best place to work in all of Los Angeles!” He just sent me the nicest text. He creates that environment.
Katherine Kelly Lang [also] creates that environment. She’s just so great. For a woman who has been on this show since the beginning, she could be a total diva or whatever. Not welcoming, but she’s the complete opposite. So, that’s really nice!
That’s amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing your take on Taylor!
Thank you!
Bold and the Beautiful photos courtesy Sonja Flemming/CBS
The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CTV and CBS. Canadians can also stream B&B on CTV.ca, and the CTV app. Stream The Bold and the Beautiful with AppleTV.
