Sheila Carter is a fictional character from The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, American soap operas on the CBS network. Created by William J. Bell, the role was introduced in 1990 — by Edward J. Scott — under the portrayal of Kimberlin Brown, who portrayed the role from 1990 to 1992 on The Young and the Restless, although she continued to make guest appearance until 1995. From 1992 to 1998, Brown played the role on The Bold and the Beautiful, returning for stints in 2002 and 2003, before returning to The Young and the Restless from 2005 to January 2006. That same year, Michelle Stafford took over the role after Sheila had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis Summers. Brown returned to the role of Sheila on The Bold and the Beautiful from June 9, 2017, to March 23, 2018, and then again from August 6, 2021.
Sheila is known as a villain. A significant portion of Sheila's history on both soaps revolves around her long-running conflict with Lauren Fenmore, whom she has attempted to kill on multiple occasions. She has also had conflicts with Stephanie Forrester, Maggie Forrester, Amber Moore, Taylor Hayes, Brooke Logan, Phyllis Summers, Quinn Fuller, Steffy Forrester, Li Finnegan, Poppy Nozawa and Janet "Sugar" Webber, as well as numerous other characters on both soaps.
Casting
The role was portrayed by Kimberlin Brown for a total of 16 years. Her first run was on The Young and the Restless from May 16, 1990, to May 20, 1992, when the character crossed over to The Bold and the Beautiful from May 21, 1992, to October 2, 1998, again from May 24 to November 5, 2002, and again finally from September 26 to October 10, 2003. Despite being a regular cast member on The Bold and the Beautiful, Brown returned to The Young and the Restless for several guest appearances beginning on October 27, 1992 and departed on November 5, 1992. She continued making guest appearances on November 11, 1992; December 23, 1992; January 7 to 14, 1993; February 19 to March 2, 1993; October 11, 1993; October 19 to 27, 1993; January 12, 1994; February 28 to March 2, 1995; and April 7, 1995.
In July 2005, after a 10-year absence from The Young and the Restless, it was announced that Brown was to reprise the role. At the time, Brown had been appearing on ABC's One Life to Live as Paige Miller, and Brown reportedly opted to leave the role when ABC was unable to match the financial terms of a contract offered to her by CBS. She returned on August 5, 2005, and her run ended on January 11, 2006. However, that December, the character returned, though not portrayed by Brown, but by Michelle Stafford, who in addition portrayed Phyllis Summers. For the reason of Brown not returning to the role, the actress said: "I had a bad accident last year, and when they wanted me back in November, I really couldn't go at that time, and that's why I came back looking like somebody else." Stafford only portrayed the role for two months until February 9, 2007, when Sheila was shot by her longtime enemy Lauren Fenmore and presumed dead.
In 2009, reports speculated that Brown would reprise the role again on The Bold and the Beautiful, which was followed by more rumors speculating a return to The Young and the Restless. "I actually got a call from [B&B head writer and executive producer] Brad Bell a while back asking if I'd be interested in coming back, and I said, 'Sure!' The thing with daytime is that the storylines are [written] so far in advance, you just never know when [you might be needed]," Brown said at the time. When asked where her alter-ego may be "hiding out", Brown said: "I am still getting healthy from my car accident. Right now, Sheila is hiding out in North Carolina—playing golf. But don't worry: Sheila always comes back!"
In June 2017, Kimberlin Brown reprised her role as Sheila on The Bold and the Beautiful. Executive producer Brad Bell announced Brown had been signed to a one-year deal with the serial. She exited the role the following year, departing on March 23, 2018. On August 2, 2021, Soap Opera Digest broke the exclusive announcement that Brown will return to the role as part of the development of John "Finn" Finnegan's (Tanner Novlan) backstory which accompanies the revelation that Sheila is Finn's biological mother. She began airing on Friday, August 6, 2021.
Development Characterization and portrayal
On the topic of Sheila "terrorizing" both Genoa City and Los Angeles while on both soaps, Brown said: "You know, I came to L.A. to start a new life. And well they just didn't make it that easy for me, did they? So I might've shot a gun once or twice again, but it wasn't my fault. You know what, people get what they deserve, they really do. I might've poisoned someone by accident, but he never should've talked to me like that. You just don't do that. Anyway, people get what they deserve, and I think a lot of them have what's coming to them, and I'm not sure I'm done yet." About Sheila's personality, Brown said: "Sheila's just evil. There's nothing bitchy about what she does, [I mean] it's very straightforward. She's manipulative but never in a bitchy way, in a way to get things accomplished, and get things done the way she wants to. When being nice and being diplomatic and when being all those things don't work any longer, she snaps." Brown also added that, "To be a good villain, you have to make the character real for you." Discussing Brown's portrayal of Sheila, The Bold and the Beautiful showrunner Bradley Bell stated: "Kimberlin has a gravity and an intensity and a fierceness that few actors are able to bring to the screen. When she dials in her focus? Wow. Her eyes become laser beams. Her voice is whispering but deadly sharp. That's real talent in a very powerful package."
Relationships On the topic of Sheila and Lauren's "cat fights", Brown said: "People like cat fights because we can get away with what you can't get away with in everyday life. You're living vicariously through me. There might be someone that [boy] you just might want to put it to someday, and you can't, but you can turn on the TV and see Sheila do it, and get away with it. Being mean and evil and fighting and by the end of the day, you're spent." On Sheila's relationship with Stephanie Forrester, Brown said: "Stephanie made my life miserable. So anyway, I shot Stephanie. I did. Stephanie felt she could be a better provider for my child than I could. And you know what, you don't keep a mother like Sheila away from her child, you just don't do that. And Stephanie couldn't stop me."
Discussing Sheila's return to Los Angeles in 2017, Brown noted that Sheila was "trying to do the right thing and become a good person", but left town again after realizing she could not convince the Forresters that she had changed. Upon her return in 2021, Sheila is revealed to be the mother of John Finnegan and a grandmother to his son with Steffy Forrester. Brown stated: "All Sheila ever wanted to do was to be a part of Eric's life and be a part of the Forrester dynasty (...) Now, she has a grandson [Hayes] that is related to the Forresters. And there's absolutely nothing that the Forresters can do to change the fact that her blood is running through that baby's veins."
Storylines
1990–1992 Sheila was introduced on The Young and the Restless in 1990 as she relocated to Genoa City from Michigan. Sheila is a nurse who works at Genoa City Memorial Hospital and immediately falls in love with the married Dr. Scott Grainger (Peter Barton). Her feelings for Scott quickly turn from infatuation to obsession. In order to steal him away from his wife Lauren Fenmore (Tracey Bregman), Sheila drugs him and has sex with him, resulting in a pregnancy.(Attorney, John Silva, expresses an interest in a relationship with Sheila)At the same time, Lauren also becomes pregnant by Scott but doesn't tell him. When the truth about the father of Sheila's baby comes out, Scott feels obligated, so he thus divorces Lauren and marries Sheila.
Sheila's baby dies at birth, unbeknownst to Scott, and she secretly switches Lauren's newborn with a black market baby, whom Lauren names Dylan. Sheila begins passing Lauren's baby off as her own, and Dylan eventually dies from meningitis. Sheila's mother, Molly Carter (Marilyn Alex), finds out about her daughter's crime and intends to tell Lauren the truth, but Molly suffers a stroke that renders her speechless. Sheila sends her mother to her farmhouse in Michigan before Molly could expose her. Lauren eventually finds out about the baby switch, but not before Sheila kidnaps both Lauren and Molly and almost succeeds in killing both women; during a brief struggle, Lauren accidentally kicks over a lantern on a coffee table, setting the farmhouse they were imprisoned in on fire. Lauren and Molly are rescued by Lauren's ex-husband, private investigator Paul Williams (Doug Davidson), and his secretary, Lynne Bassett (Laura Bryan Birn). Sheila is never found, and authorities presume that she perished in the fire when a body burned beyond recognition turns up in the ashes. The corpse turns out to be that of a meter man that had visited the house just before the fire started; Sheila later escaped from the burning building. Picking up a discarded newspaper in an area diner, Sheila reads about an opening working as a company nurse for the Forresters in Los Angeles. She leaves Wisconsin to travel to California. Meanwhile, Lauren is reunited with Scott and her real son, Scott Jr.
1992–1998 In 1992, Sheila is reintroduced on The Bold and the Beautiful and she quickly worms her way into fashion CEO Eric Forrester (John McCook)'s life by becoming the company nurse at Forrester Creations in Los Angeles, as well as working as Rick Forrester's nanny (after staging an accident that leaves the former nanny, Judy, injured, and later threatening Judy and her family). Sheila and Eric fall in love and are eventually engaged, which angers Eric's ex-wife Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery), who suspects Sheila is a gold digger and a liar. To Sheila's dismay, Eric's most recent ex-wife Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) is pregnant with a child that may either belong to Eric or his son Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss). After Bridget Forrester is born, Sheila manipulates the paternity test so that everyone will believe Ridge is the father. Security guard Mike Guthrie (Ken Hanes) catches her in the act and after threatening to blackmail her with the details, Sheila sets loose a vicious dog to attack him.
Meanwhile, Lauren finds out that Sheila is alive and well, and living on the West Coast. Lauren follows her and they once again fight. Lauren threatens to expose Sheila to the Forrester family, but Sheila turns the tables on Lauren by blackmailing her with pictures she took of Lauren sleeping with Brad Carlton (Don Diamont) and sent to Lauren as puzzle pieces. Despite Sheila's love for Eric, she panics when Lauren attempts to disclose her past at the wedding, and leaves a heartbroken Eric at the altar. After the guests leave, Sheila returns to the chapel and pleads for Eric's forgiveness. Although Eric demands answers, he eventually forgives Sheila and the two are married. Sheila and Brooke become close friends. Sheila and Eric's marriage becomes rocky when Sheila accepts a job from Brooke, who seizes control of Forrester Creations with her patent on the BeLieF formula. Eric feels betrayed by her actions and a rift is created in their marriage. Sheila proposes the two take a vacation and use this time to reconnect. The two leave town for Catalina Island. Scott, who became ill, also vacations with Lauren in Catalina Island, where the two run into Eric and Sheila. Lauren intends to use Scott to expose Sheila's past to Eric; however, Scott, still caring for Sheila, keeps mum. Scott eventually dies on the island as a result of his illness. With both women by his side, he wishes that Lauren give Sheila a second chance. Lauren tearfully agrees.