Rebecca Budig details back-up plan when she nearly quit soap opera before The Bold and the Beautiful

Actress Rebecca Budig wasn't confident in her career before joining the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful .

The soap star jumped on board, taking over the role of Dr. Taylor Hayes in August after Krista Allen left the show in 2023. The Bold and the Beautiful character returned to the storyline when she rang her daughter, Steffy, while peering out at Ridge and Brooke kissing. While she kept herself unseen, she told Steffy that she was currently in Europe. Her daughter hoped to see her soon which Taylor said was in the cards.

As it turns out, landing the role came as a surprise for Rebecca who was already exploring her other options. Although she has an extensive history in soap operas, she wasn't sure if she'd find her way back onto the television screen.

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She confessed on the Almost Famous podcast that she was getting ready to move on from her soap opera stardom, but couldn't leave town altogether because her husband had a full-time job. The issue, according to Rebecca, was that "nothing shoots in LA," so she was stuck. Instead, she spent her time going to acting classes.

“I was going to go back to school to study psychology and finally get my degree. Then the show came along," Rebecca explained. She added: “I’m super grateful. I’m really excited that I can be with my kid and also do something for myself, which as you both know, being parents is a challenge sometimes to do things for yourself. So I’m happy.”

Considering Dr. Hayes is a psychiatrist, Rebecca's fascination with psychology was ironic. “I’ve always gone to therapy for years. So, I’m very interested in it, and I believe in it,” she said. “I was going to go [back to school]. I still might actually, just because I never got my degree, and I want it. So, I’ve got to study something.”

Rebecca's return to television came with mixed reviews from fans. A fan said: "The more I think about it, the angrier it makes me. Rebecca is one of my fave soap actresses and she and TK are so much fun together, but she's completely miscast as Taylor and the character is only going to be made into more of a fool."