Hunter Tylo (Dr. Taylor Hayes) on 'The Bold and the Beautiful'.

When Hunter Tylo originated the role of Dr. Taylor Hayes on The Bold and the Beautiful 17 years ago, she never could have imagined all the craziness that her character would have to go through in those years. "You know, I've often wondered why this woman is not in a mental institution herself," Hunter jokes. "Her craziness may have led her to become a psychiatrist."

Throughout these last 17 years, Hunter really likes the woman that Taylor has become. "In many ways, when she is not being kidnapped and chained to a stair railing, or trapped in a cabin in sub-zero temperatures, about to die, she is the most sane person on the show. She is a very fun character to play. They took her off her saintly pedestal. She is less self-sacrificing, which was usually to her detriment."

Now that Taylor has given birth to Nick and Brooke's baby (Brooke's donor egg was mistakenly used in the in-vitro procedure), can she ever be truly happy with the situation? "Taylor doesn't want that at all," Hunter says. "She definitely has a problem with that. I mean, we all see how well Brooke can keep promises. Taylor is beyond freaked out by this. She will take desperate measures for her new family."

health of her baby

Hunter also feels that Taylor not only worries about Brooke, but about the health of her baby throughout all this. "As a medical doctor, Taylor knows that this is the most crucial time in an infant's life. They need to resolve this quickly. Taylor needs this time to bond with the child. If she is emotional and not happy, this could have lasting, long-term effects on the baby. She needs to get this cleared up with Brooke right away."

When Hunter first learned of the way this storyline was heading for her character, she reveals: "I was very happy. We've seen just about every other paternal problem there is - not knowing who the mother is, now that is a new one."

Hunter is looking forward to Taylor getting down and dirty if she needs to, - for the sake of her baby. "If Taylor begins to see that Brooke is using her biological child to get to Nick, you can bet it won't be pretty. Taylor is getting to the end of her rope (when it comes to Brooke)."

good chemistry

Hunter hopes that Taylor fights for her man, as she really enjoys working with Jack Wagner (Nick Marone). Hunter explains: "I have a really good chemistry with Jack, and the connection Nick made with Taylor is great. His level of integrity needs to be explored - when he decides and makes a commitment, he does it. This kind of dynamic is a new thing that the audience likes. It's nice to see a man with chutzpah."

As Hunter recalls, Taylor has a bit of chutzpah herself. "She's a psychiatrist, but even psychiatrists need to blow off a little steam. She stood up to the Forrester family and told them what she thought of them. That was a big moment. I think that women in the audience feel empowered when they see a woman like Taylor stand up to a powerful family like the Forresters."

Taylor is going to need to harvest all the strength she can for what awaits her in this complicated storyline. So tune in to see how Taylor handles this latest blow.

- Cindy Elavsky