Now that the secret is out that one of daytime’s most popular villains is back to wreak havoc for the Forresters and friends, her portrayer, Kimberlin Brown, admits to Digest that she is just as shocked as everyone else. “I actually received a call from Christy Dooley, the head of casting at B&B, asking if I would consider coming back to play Sheila,” Brown recalls. “And my mouth pretty much hit the floor [laughs]. Would I consider it? Absolutely I would consider it! This is a character I love, who I am near and dear to, obviously, and have been for many years. She said, ‘Okay, great. I need to call Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] back and let him know you’re interested because he’s not going to start writing for your character until we got the response that we did.’ So, that’s how it began. Brad started writing for me immediately because he wanted me to start storyline that was filming in May, so when the show was back [from hiatus] in May, I was there and I’ve been working hard ever since.”
Brown believes the impetus for her return may have begun in February, at the “class photo” to celebrate CBS’s 30 years as the No. 1 daytime network. “I really don’t know for sure,” she says. “But I’m thinking perhaps the gears may have started turning then. I ran into Brad there. We talked and maybe he just needed to see me again. You know, sometimes it is out of sight, out of mind, and there I was right in front of him. Maybe something sparked that night at the photo shoot? That’s what I’m thinking.”
While there’s no official word on how long Sheila’s in town for, “I am a presence for a while,” Brown confirms. “I was told a little bit, very minimal quite honestly, but I do know there is going to be a wonderful storyline. Brad likes to keep his cards close to his vest, the way his dad [B&B Creator William J. Bell] did, for obvious reasons, to keep everyone surprised and shocked. That works for me because I’m one of those actresses who’s like, ‘Tell me when to be at work. Give me my material and I’m going to make Sheila glow.’ ”
Much like Sheila’s past returns, Brown’s presence at CBS Television City, where B&B tapes, was kept under a cloak of secrecy — even in the age of social media. “I think we’ve managed to keep it a secret very well,” she smiles. “Honestly, I’ve been sneaking into the studio. I’m wearing a big hat that goes all the way down to the bridge of my nose and I just keep my head down when I’m walking in. They managed to put me in dressing rooms that are on the stage, and I’m not allowed to leave my dressing room until I start airing. I must admit, it’s a fun place to be under house arrest — and God knows Sheila is used to being under arrest [laughs]. So, it’s all been good.”
Even though the actress and her character haven’t called B&B home since 2003, Brown shares that she had no problem getting back into the groove. “Sheila was a huge part of my life and my acting career — the biggest part,” she reflects. “So as far as getting back into character, it was really quite easy for me to do, especially when the scripts started coming through because the writers are so familiar with my character. Michael Minnis [co-head writer] was on YOUNG AND RESTLESS with me back in the day [when she debuted in 1990]. [Writer] Adam Dusevoir was with me the whole time I was here on BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL, so I’m surrounded by writers who know my character extremely well, and that makes it easy to jump back into her because I’m not having to alter her other than the way the storyline dictates. It’s been quite seamless, in my opinion — and a lot of fun. Of course, it was challenging the first month because whenever they bring a character back onto a show, or introduce a new character, there is a whole lot of dialogue that goes along with it, but it’s been a fabulous challenge and I’m working with incredible people again. It feels like I haven’t left!”
Brown says interacting with the cast has been a big plus. “It’s been wonderful seeing John [McCook, Eric] and [Katherine] Kelly [Lang, Brooke] again, and then running into Thorsten [Kaye, with whom Brown appeared on PORT CHARLES in 2000] and seeing him here as Ridge has been great. Then, there has been seeing all these new, young kids who are on the show. They’re so incredibly talented. I have really enjoyed watching their work on the monitor while I’ve been sitting in my dressing room, and I’ve enjoyed getting to meet them and getting to know them all, the ones who I’ve never had the chance to see or work with. It’s been exciting.”
One face Brown missed at the studio was Susan Flannery, who played Sheila foe Stephanie, and retired from acting in 2012. “Susan and I had incredible chemistry together,” Brown recalls. “She will be missed. Susan was an incredible force on the show, but I understand that people want to move on, and the fact that she’s happy now and doing everything that she wants to be doing, I couldn’t be happier for her. But, I will absolutely miss having those incredible face-offs with her.” This time around, she adds, “There are new foes to face.” Regarding the possibility of any Y&R crossovers or tangling with Lauren, Sheila’s nemesis of nearly three decades played by Tracey E. Bregman, “Clearly nothing is outside the realm of possibility,” she muses. “I’m back, right [laughs]?”
As for what fans can expect this time around, Brown teases, “Sheila was always the kind of person who would do anything to feel loved, and unfortunately she went about it in the wrong way. We’ll see if she can go about it the right way this time around. To me, this is not about topping anything that Brad wrote for my character in the past. It’s about him continuing Sheila’s story and allowing it to grow, and the direction that he chooses to take is going to be fabulous. It’s creating something new that is going to be great in its own right.”
After a lengthy on-screen soap absence, Brown is grateful for the viewers who have championed her throughout the years. “I just want to say thank you to all of my fans,” she smiles. “Even though I haven’t been on the show, I still get messaged on a daily basis from my fan base wanting me back and missing my character and loving what I’ve done. To think that I made that kind of a mark, which affected so many people that still reach out to me even when I’m not working, I couldn’t be more thankful for the life and the career they’ve afforded me.”
Spousal Support
Happily, Brown’s return was in part made possible with the help of husband and business partner, Gary Pelzer. The couple, who’ve been wed since 1991, run an interior design firm and the family avocado farm. “Thankfully, my husband runs the businesses so I can be here,” she praises. “I work when I’m at home, and I do the things I normally do with the company, and he arranged it so I can free up my time and be here and play Sheila again. We operate as a team, and I’m married to a great person because it allows me to be here at the studio and have fun again.”
