Exclusive: B&B Star Kimberlin Brown Weighs In On A Changed Sheila

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Soap Opera Digest recently checked in with Bold and the Beautiful ’s Kimberlin Brown, who for nearly 35 years has been wreaking havoc on the citizens of Young and Restless 's Genoa City and B&B's Los Angeles, but, after her most recent brush with presumed death, has seemed to settle into a welcome domestic calm with new hubby Deacon.

Soap Opera Digest: What do you think it means to Sheila right now to be in a s stable relationship with Deacon after her turbulent relationship history?

Kimberlin Brown: I think she's ecstatic. All she's ever wanted in her life is to be loved. And there have always been people and obstacles that have not allowed that to happen. I mean, it was Stephanie Forrester when she was with Eric, and it was Stephanie again when she was with James Warwick. So, it's been wonderful for her to have somebody who doesn't care about what everybody else says, and what everybody else thinks. He sees and loves Sheila for exactly who she is. And he doesn't make any bones about that. And he believes in redemption. He believes in people becoming good and better. Sheila's doing her best to show Deacon how much she's trying to be everything he wants her to be.

Digest: Sheila was recently under suspicion of the deaths of Tom and Hollis. How was it working with Clint Howard during his run as the ultimately doomed Tom?

Brown: Clint was wonderful. He's an incredibly talented actor. It was nice working with somebody who I grew up watching, actually, even though there's not much of a difference in our ages. I mean, watching him with Gentle Ben , amongst other things. It was really neat to be working with somebody I grew up watching.

Digest: Sheila's most storied rivalry is, of course, with Y&R's Lauren Fenmore. The characters haven't crossed paths in a long while. How do you think a reunion between Sheila and Lauren might go today?

Brown: Well, that would have to be something yet to be seen, of course. Lauren has always been a thorn in Sheila's side. Sheila definitely feels that she has a lot to blame Lauren for. Lauren was a big part of her problems with Eric as well. And it's interesting how none of these women really wanted the men that they're with until Sheila was interested in them. It was actually beautiful at the very end, when the character of Scott [Grainger, Sr., played by Peter Barton on Y&R] was passing away, and he acknowledged that, you know, “You are the one that loved me.” That was such a tender moment. And Lauren didn't like that either. So, it's interesting how other people are so desperate to take away Sheila's happiness. Lauren definitely did that. And I don't know if Sheila would ever forgive her for that.

Digest: I really appreciate the fact that you humanize Sheila so much, and I think that's part of her staying power; she may be a villainess, but fans care about her feelings.

Brown: Thank you. I really appreciate that. I do try to keep her human. I have to make the things that she does real so that my fans do sympathize with her. She really does just want to be loved and she'll do anything — or has done everything — to try and achieve those goals. And she's just as happy as can be now with Deacon. We'll see how long that lasts. It's nice to kind of see her in a happy place.