The Bold and the Beautiful’s Kimberlin Brown on Character’s Death (Exclusive)

Just because a character dies on a soap opera doesn’t mean they’re gone for good.

Kimberlin Brown, who plays Sheila Carter on The Bold and The Beautiful, learned that first-hand when her villainous character was killed off the show in February, having been stabbed by her daughter-in-law Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood). But in the show’s April 29 episode, it was revealed Sheila very much alive.

During an interview with PEOPLE at the Daytime Emmy Awards 2024 on June 7, Brown told PEOPLE she was “very surprised” to learn Sheila’s fate wasn’t sealed for good and that she would actually return to the popular soap.

“It was upsetting when I found out that I was going to be killed off the show. It’s a call you never want to get,” she said, adding, “You keep a stiff upper lip, and you’re very professional, and then you go home, and you kind of pour yourself a drink and think about it.”

Brown previously opened up about having mixed feelings about her character’s departure from the series during an interview with TV Insider in February.

“It’s a tough place for me to be in right now; I’m not going to lie about this,” Brown told the outlet then. “I guess if anyone were going to take Sheila down, I’m happy it’s Steffy. I just wish that no one was taking Sheila down.” 

“It’s my happy place where I have been so blessed to be for over 35 years,” she continued. “But I’ve had a good run at it, so I’m one of the lucky ones, there’s no doubt about it.”

Brown also said filming her character’s death scene wasn’t just emotionally taxing but also physically demanding. “Can I just say that the after effects for Sheila, laying on a concrete floor for hours, that really hurts! I was bruised for the week from laying on concrete!” she explained.

So getting the call to return to The Bold and the Beautiful proved to be an “emotional moment” for the 62-year-old actress, she explained to PEOPLE at the Daytime Emmy Awards 2024 on June 7.

“When I got the call to come back, I was like, ‘Wow,’ … I didn’t have to think long, because like I said, she was my baby. I’ve been playing her for over 35 years, and to have that phone call meant the world to me,” she said, adding, “I didn’t want to put her [Sheila] to bed yet, and because of the fan base and their outpouring of comments, phone calls, what happened with the ratings, they brought me back.”

When her character died earlier this year, Brown truly believed that, after more than 1,150 episodes, it was the end for her on The Bold and The Beautiful. So she bought land in Montana where she’s breaking ground and building a home. Brown plans on also keeping her place in Los Angeles and commuting back and forth between the two.

The actress will also start tackling another role come June 26 when her daughter-in-law Kaila, who is married to Brown’s son Nick Pelzer, is expected to deliver a girl. Thinking about her future granddaughter, Brown said couldn’t be more “thrilled.”

“I’m going to have somebody to play with again. Kids grow up and the whole dynamic changes for the better,” she says. “But, still, it’s going to give me that opportunity to spoil somebody rotten, teach them how to go fishing, go hiking and ride horses — do all of that — and then send them home when they’re tired.”

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The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays at 1:30 p.m. ET on CBS and is available for streaming on Paramount+.