Fans are really enjoying the Sheila/Deacon pairing. What is your take on it? “It’s been so fun, and I think that comes through on the screen. I love their back-and-forth and since I’ve known Sean [Kanan, Deacon] for years, it’s great to finally be working together. I’m loving it.”
Sheila keeps saying she has changed yet she’s already manipulated everyone who has crossed her path. Has Sheila changed? “Well, sometimes people can change. You have to really want to change, and that’s one thing that Sheila did want. I would say to the fans out there, ‘How many times have you made mistakes in the past that you’ve tried to make up for, and those people that you hurt still don’t trust you?’ That’s where Sheila sits right now. I would have to tell them, ‘How did you feel when those loved ones that you possibly hurt in the past still look at you sideways and still say things and it’s like you will spend the rest of your life jumping through hoops to right a wrong?’ That’s the way things are, and Sheila has been willing to do that, but Steffy won’t allow her to show that side of her, so it’s going to get very interesting.”
After all of her nefarious deeds, do you ever fear that Sheila could be written into a corner? “Well, somebody who is trying to fix themselves will constantly reinvent themselves, right? Sheila has no choice but to keep reinventing herself. I’m so blessed that Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] and the Bell family have taken Sheila under their wing and created what she is today.”
It’s fun and games now, but things are quickly escalating. How much input do you have regarding your storyline? “I would never in a million years tell the writers how to write my part. That’s not my job. My job is to do the best I can with the words I’m given. I know actors and actresses who will call producers and say, ‘My character would never do this.’ How do you know what your character would never do? You are playing a character. That’s what I love about what they give me. I never have to stay in the same place. I have that ability to reach and be different, and I like to keep things interesting.”
What’s been the fan response so far? “When somebody tells me on social media to leave Steffy alone and talks to me as Sheila, not as Kimberlin, it means that people believe you are who you’re playing. That’s what acting is all about, right? If you can tell a good story and people believe you’re that character, then you’ve done it.”
