Sheila Carter

Casting and creation

The role was portrayed by Kimberlin Brown for a total of 16 years. Her first run was on The Young and the Restless from 1990 to 1992, when the character crossed over to The Bold and the Beautiful from 1992 to 1998, again from May to November 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 in 1993, 1994 and 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 portrays 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 the character was shot to death by her longtime enemy Lauren Fenmore.

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!"

Development

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 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." 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." Brown also added that, "To be a good villain, you have to make the character real for you."

1990–92

Sheila was introduced on The Young and the Restless in 1990 as she relocated to Genoa City from Michigan. Sheila was a nurse who worked at Genoa City Memorial Hospital and immediately fell in love with the married Dr. Scott Grainger. Her feelings for Scott quickly turned from infatuation to obsession. In order to steal him away from his wife Lauren Fenmore, Sheila drugged him and had sex with him, resulting in a pregnancy. At the same time Lauren also became pregnant by Scott but didn't tell him. When the truth about the father of Sheila's baby came out, Scott felt obligated, so he thus divorced Lauren and married Sheila.

Sheila's baby died, unbeknownst to Scott, and she secretly switches Lauren's newborn with a black market baby, which Lauren named Dylan. Sheila began passing Lauren's baby off as her own, and Dylan eventually dies from meningitis. Sheila's mother, Molly Carter, found out about her daughter's crime and intended to tell Lauren the truth, but suffers a stroke that rendered her speechless. Sheila sent her mother to her farmhouse in Michigan before Molly could expose her. Lauren eventually found out about the baby switch, but not before Sheila kidnapped both Lauren and Molly, and almost succeeded in killing both women, when during a brief struggle Lauren accidentally kicked 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, and his secretary, Lynne Bassett. Sheila was never found, and authorities presumed that she perished in the fire when a body burned beyond recognition turned up in the ashes. The corpse turned out to be a meter man that had visited the house just before the fire started; Sheila had escaped from the burning building. Picking up a discarded newspaper in an area diner, she read about an opening working as a company nurse for the Forresters in Los Angeles. She left Wisconsin to travel to California. Meanwhile, Lauren is reunited with Scott and her real son, Scott Jr.

1992–2003

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, hospitalized, 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 Forrester (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.

When Sheila becomes concerned that Eric is excluding her from his will, she decides she would be more financially secure if she gave Eric a child. After a one-night stand with former rival Connor Davis (Scott Thompson Baker), Sheila goes to Eric claiming she is pregnant with his child. Eric, who had recently had a vasectomy, tells Sheila he wants a divorce. For some time she begins to see psychiatrist Jay Garvin, who is friends with Brooke's fiance Dr. James Warwick (Ian Buchanan). James suspects Sheila is hiding something from the family, and tries to pry information from Dr. Garvin. However, during a brief struggle, Sheila accidentally pushes Jay off a balcony and to his death. James later learns from Lauren the secrets of her past. After attempting to drown Lauren in a hot tub, Sheila kidnaps James with the help of her new partner-in-crime, the security guard Mike. She imprisons him in the basement of her house (known as "The Houdini House") for some time. When James escapes and her secrets finally surface, she holds Stephanie, Eric, Ridge, Brooke, Lauren and James hostage in the Forrester mansion, welcoming them to her "goodbye party."

At the "party," Sheila tells everyone in attendance how they had personally wronged her, and threatens to kill them. Holding a gun to Stephanie, Sheila has a change of heart when the others step in front of her, and swallows a bottle of poison. Having survived, Sheila is placed in a psychiatric hospital, under the care of Dr. Brian Carey (Kin Shriner), but does not remain there for long, despite Stephanie's attempts to keep her there. Sheila tries to revive her friendship with Brooke, who sides with her at first, but later wants nothing to do with her. She begins dating neighbor Grant Chambers (Charles Grant), and later her psychiatrist, James Warwick. She continues to see James at this time, and memories of her abusive childhood are revealed. Sheila confesses that she murdered her father by poisoning him.

Sheila meets Maggie Forrester (Barbara Crampton), whom she befriends. The two are amazed to discover they both have ties to the same family. When Stephanie attempts to take Brooke's children, however, Sheila poisons her by replacing her medication with mercury pills, and ultimately frames Maggie for the crime. Maggie, later realizing who was behind the poisoning, fights with Sheila and accidentally pushes her onto a fire poker, impaling her. Sheila also makes an enemy of Forrester Creations' rival, Sally Spectra (Darlene Conley) who defends Stephanie to her, thus planting the seeds of the eventual friendship between Stephanie and Sally. After the fire poker incident, Sheila sets her sights on proving to James that she has changed for the better, in the hopes that he will fall in love with her. However, James has feelings for Maggie instead. Maggie goes to Sheila's house to inform her that she needs to find a new therapist, because Maggie wouldn't allow her to see James anymore. As Maggie taunts her, Sheila snaps and nearly chokes Maggie to death. Mike later kidnaps her and holds her prisoner at an amusement park. Sheila, wanting to prove to James that she had changed, agrees to release Maggie.

After having crashed James and Maggie's wedding, Sheila reveals that she has become pregnant after a night alone with James. The three come to a settlement that Sheila would temporarily stay with them until her baby was born, and the child would be given to James and Maggie. After Sheila hands her baby, Mary, over to the Warwicks, she relocates to Death Valley, where she meets Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz). Anxious to see her daughter, Sheila suggests that Amber babysit for James and Maggie, so that she can secretly visit Mary in LA. Amber is hired and keeps her alliance with Sheila secret for some time, but when Sheila threatens her, she exposes herself to James and Maggie. Sheila eventually takes matters into her own hands and takes Mary back. James attempts to trick Sheila into marrying him, so that he can gain full custody of his daughter. When Sheila realizes the marriage is a set-up, she attempts to kill herself again by jumping off a roof. James, who had actually fallen for Sheila during this time, promises to stay with her. Meanwhile, an angry Maggie sneaks into Sheila's hospital room and cuts off her oxygen. Sheila is rescued by doctors and Maggie is immediately arrested. With the help of Mike and his brother Martin, a desperate Maggie captures Sheila and holds her prisoner, appropriately, in the house from Psycho at Universal Studios Hollywood. When Sheila escapes, James demands that Maggie leave. Maggie and Lauren later team up in an attempt to drive Sheila over the edge. They wire Sheila's house with hidden cameras and an audio system, while the former nanny Judy surprises Sheila on her doorstep. The plan fails, however, and Maggie, realizing James and the baby are lost to her, leaves town. When a friendship begins between James and Stephanie, a paranoid Sheila becomes jealous and attempts to drown Stephanie in a pool. To prevent Stephanie from telling anyone about this incident, Sheila threatens to kill Stephanie's grandson, Thomas Forrester. Sheila is arrested for the threat, but secretly switches places with a woman named Sybil. After breaking out of prison in disguise, Sheila shoots Stephanie, kidnaps baby Mary and leaves town.

Sheila returns to L.A. four years later to find her now-teenage daughter Mary (whom she had renamed Erica Lovejoy) (Courtnee Draper). Erica, who is completely unaware of her mother's past or her own real name, has traveled to L.A. to meet her idol - Amber Forrester. She soon develops a crush on Amber's husband, Rick Forrester, although she never intends to act on her feelings. Sheila convinces Erica to seduce Rick, saying that a Forrester man would never abandon the woman carrying his child. She then pays off a man named Lance to drug Amber and take her to bed. Amber tracks Lance down and begins to question him. When a nervous Lance threatens to tell Amber everything, Sheila kills him by releasing a tank of bees into his apartment. Amber becomes increasingly suspicious and confronts Erica in Rick's office. During a struggle, Erica falls and hits her head on a desk, making Amber look guilty of pushing her. At the hospital, a disguised Sheila confronts Amber, warning her to stay away from her daughter. Amber decides to look for clues at Erica's apartment, but is impeded when Sheila throws a pot at the window and the police arrive, arresting Amber and causing the Forresters to distrust her further. Meanwhile, while browsing through a photo album of Eric's, Erica is startled to find a picture of her mother. She learns that Sheila was formerly married to Eric, and that her mother wants her to live the life she had always dreamed of with Rick. Sheila pushes Erica to have sex with Rick, so that she can live vicariously as a Forrester through her daughter.

As a reluctant Erica is about to carry out her mother's plan, Rick's brother Ridge bursts in and exposes Erica's true identity. Rick kicks Erica out, but not before Sheila kidnaps Amber, who is stunned to learn that Erica is really Mary Warwick. Sheila stages a crime scene and drags Amber off to her apartment. Massimo Marone (Joseph Mascolo), who had been romantically involved with Sheila for a short time, gets a call from her, and Stephanie recognizes her voice. The two track Sheila and Amber down. Sheila then flees and holds Eric and Taylor Hayes Forrester (Hunter Tylo) hostage at the mansion. But when Brooke walks into the room, a struggle ensues in which Taylor and Brooke are shot. Brooke survives her wounds, whereas Taylor succumbs (a few years later, Taylor was revealed to still be alive). Sheila is arrested and subsequently confronted by her daughter, who condemns Sheila's actions and wants nothing to do with her. Sheila is jailed for her crimes but soon escapes with the help of a sympathetic warden named Sugar (Robin Mattson).

She then kidnaps Ridge and Brooke, while on their South American honeymoon. Soon Ridge's half-brother Nick Marone (Jack Wagner) arrives to rescue Ridge but he is soon captured by Sheila as well. When Ridge and Nick's father, Massimo, arrives to deliver the ransom, Sheila reveals that she had a baby daughter, Diana, whom she claims to be the result of the fling she had with Massimo during her previous trip to L.A. When Massimo tries (unsuccessfully) to trick Sheila into handing over the infant, she and Sugar run away. Brooke and Nick are soon rescued; however, it is believed that Ridge had been burned to death in the foundry Sheila stashed him in. Soon after, it is revealed that Ridge had survived, and he reunites with Brooke on the island.

2005–07

Sheila returns to Genoa City (on The Young and the Restless) after being unseen for ten years, and begins terrorizing Lauren once again, by indirectly turning her now-adult son Scott (Blair Redford) against her, under the alias Brenda Harris. It is soon revealed that the woman in the psychiatric hospital who was believed to be Sheila is actually Sugar — Sheila had tricked her into having plastic surgery in order to look just like Sheila, and then turned Sugar in to the police. Meanwhile, the real Sheila develops another persona, Jennifer Mitchell, by wearing a fake nose, wig, and speaking in a British accent. She allies with Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born), who helps her in her scheme to poison Lauren with a necklace that Scott offers to his mother as a gift. In exchange, Tom has Sheila manipulate his estranged wife Gloria Abbott (Judith Chapman) into giving him money and later bailing him out of prison.

When Lauren plans a rooftop dinner with her fiancé Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc), Sheila surprises her and persuades her to commit suicide by jumping off of the roof. Lauren believes Sheila is a hallucination, but before she can jump, Michael rescues her. At the hospital, Sheila sneaks into Lauren's room as "Jennifer," and attempts to inject the poison into Lauren's bloodstream, but is interrupted. She then convinces Tom — Michael's stepfather — to help her abduct Lauren from a yacht while on her honeymoon with Michael. She then bombs the yacht, hoping to kill both Lauren and Tom, whom she wants to take the fall for the crime. Tom realizes Sheila's plan, and traps both Sheila and Lauren in a bomb shelter. Tom leaves the two together and in the meantime is shot and killed by John Abbott (Jerry Douglas). As the bomb shelter collapses, Lauren is astonished when Sheila saves her life. Sheila escapes on her own and is last seen in an unidentified plastic surgeon's office asking for a new face.

It was revealed later that year that Paul Williams had been hiding the fact that Sheila—who had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis Summers Newman—was still alive, and that he had been keeping her locked in a cage she had constructed in an abandoned warehouse. However, Sheila was determined to escape and take Phyllis's place in order to infiltrate Michael and Lauren's lives. Sheila was accidentally freed from the prison she created for Lauren by Maggie Sullivan. After acting as a kidnap victim and pleading for Maggie's help, Maggie set her free but before Sheila left, she shot her. Maggie recovered, though nearly died.

Subsequently, Paul returned to the warehouse only to be ambushed by Sheila, who imprisoned both Paul and Maggie in the cell. Sheila and Phyllis then had a face to face encounter. After overpowering Phyllis, Sheila lured an unsuspecting Lauren and her baby Fenmore into her clutches; she then fled with Phyllis and the babies as hostages, after subduing Lauren. By this time Michael had arrived at the warehouse and freed Paul and Maggie, the latter being taken to the hospital after that.

Posing as an elderly woman named Betsy, Sheila took Phyllis, Summer, and Fen to a nearby retirement home to hide out. After learning of their location, Lauren went to the home carrying a gun in her purse. Following a tip from a neighbor, Lauren found Sheila's apartment and forced her way inside. Sheila and Phyllis then argued over who was who, and Lauren screamed at them to stop. Sheila then ran to grab baby Summer to use her as a shield against Lauren; Phyllis told Lauren to point the gun at her to protect her daughter, and a frightened Lauren, realizing the real Phyllis would never put her daughter in the line of fire, turned to Sheila and shot her. Sheila was then declared dead at the scene. An autopsy revealed it was indeed Sheila Carter.

2010–2012

In 2010, Sarah Smythe, Sheila Carter's sister, stated a number of times that Sheila did have surgery to look like Phyllis. Herself having had plastic surgery to resemble Lauren, Sarah held both Phyllis and Lauren responsible for her sister's death. Sarah devised a plan with Daisy Carter and Ryder Callahan, Sheila's twins with Tom Fisher, to take over Lauren's life and riches. The plan failed and Lauren ended up shooting and killing Sarah in self-defense as Sarah tried to fire her gun at Phyllis. In late 2012, a woman claiming to be Daisy's mother checked her out of a mental institution signing the name "Sheila Carter" on the release form. Michael had that signature analyzed to see if it fit Sheila's handwriting, but results were inconclusive.

Critical reception

Sheila is often considered to be one of the most popular villains in daytime, but storylines from late 2006 and onward were not well received by many viewers and fans for a number of reasons. Some viewers do not believe the woman that had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis was actually Sheila Carter. They either believe that woman was Sugar (even though she was in GC when Sheila was at that surgeon's in South America) or some other accomplice Sheila had enrolled. Many of them also refuse to believe Sarah Smythe (who could have been a paternal half-sister using her married name) was ever Sheila Carter's sister or that Daisy Carter & Ryder Callahan were ever Sheila's twins with Tom Fisher.

2015

On August 4, 2015, Kimberlin Brown posted the following message regarding rumours surrounding her possible return to the Young & The Restless as Sheila Carter: "I know there are a lot of rumors about me coming back to TV, but I am not at liberty to say whether I am or not...time will tell!"