What Susan Flannery Has Said About A Possible The Bold And The Beautiful Return

Perhaps no one delivered more fashionable drama on "The Bold and the Beautiful" than Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery). While Stephanie, the Forrester family matriarch, died on "The Bold & The Beautiful," if there's one thing that the soap opera world has taught us, it's that a character's death is usually just an afterthought. There's always a chance that he or she might come back in one stylish form or another. After all, Stephanie is someone who faked her own heart attack in the hopes that her son Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) would get back together with Taylor Hayes (Krista Allen). She's done it before, and there's a chance she might do it again.

During her time on "The Bold and the Beautiful," Stephanie sure did manage to bring the drama. Stephanie's long-running feud with Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) is one that fans can't forget, and the two shared many memorable moments on-screen before they reconciled in the time leading up to Stephanie's death. While Stephanie's voice came back for almost 30 seconds when she shared a message for Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) on her wedding day back in 2018, that was the last that we heard from her. Flannery has been very clear about where she stands when it comes to the show and whether or not she would ever consider bringing her character back from the dead, and the answer is: No, thank you.

When asked about her decision to leave the soap opera world for good, Susan Flannery told TV Insider in 2017 that she hasn't had any second thoughts about her choice. For Flannery, acting is just something that she doesn't want to do anymore. However, she did say that if a good offer came up, she would take on a primetime television role before a daytime television one. 

Flannery also said that the only way she would come back is if she would bring her very best, and she doesn't see that happening right now. "In soaps, we're in there giving it a thousand percent because that's how we are as professional actors," Flannery said, noting that it can feel rushed due to production constraints. "If you're two beats off in a scene and you need to do it over again, there is simply no time. You have to settle for less than your best."

Plus, when Flannery means no, she really means no. Instead of acting, she's moved on to bigger and better things, like directing. Since leaving "B&B," she's directed episodes of "The Grove," "Venice the Series," and "The Fosters." According to the Los Angeles Times, Flannery first opened up about her love for the camera in 1992. "I enjoy the technical aspects. It's like pieces of a puzzle that all fit together. And you're choreographing the cameras and the actors," she said.

In an interview with TV Guide in 2013, Susan Flannery admitted that she never, ever misses "The Bold and the Beautiful," despite the fact that she played such a huge role in it. She told the publication, "I really only think about that part of my life when somebody calls me. I don't mean to be unkind or anything. I had a great run and a wonderful time, but there's a time to go. And when you go it's over. You don't look back."

Could Stephanie Forrester be recast with a new actor? Maybe, but there's a very good chance that "The Bold and the Beautiful" fans wouldn't respond very well to it. After all, Flannery made Stephanie the iconic character that she still is for many viewers today. Even with Flannery insisting that she will never return to her daytime television roots, that hasn't stopped fans from their wishful thinking. If Stephanie did come back to this fictional town, there's a good chance that she and Brooke might pick up where they last left off with their feud. Given that Brooke's nemesis Taylor left town for Europe, this would be a great time for Stephanie to come back and raise some much-needed hell.