Denise Richards is back as Shauna Fulton in a new Bold and Beautiful episode

• Denise Richards returns to The Bold and the Beautiful on 28 May
• Richards, 55, has been absent from the CBS soap for four years
• She says the role marks a "whole new chapter" in her career
  

Denise Richards is back on the CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful — and she is wasting no time making her presence felt.

The actress, 55, will reprise her role as Shauna Fulton in the episode airing on Thursday, 28 May, marking her first appearance on the show in four years.

"It's nice to be back," Richards tells PEOPLE. "It feels like I never left. It's such a great family environment, and I love my character. She likes to cause a little trouble."

Shauna's grand return

In an exclusive preview shared with PEOPLE, Shauna can be seen making her entrance at the offices of Spencer Publications, where she encounters her former flame Bill Spencer, played by Don Diamont, alongside his son Wyatt, portrayed by Darin Brooks.

"The Spencer men are so handsome — especially you, Bill," she tells a shocked Bill. "Congratulations, by the way, I heard about [your company] Logan. You are a real player in the fashion world now."

Shauna continues, pressing her case: "I mean, too bad things didn't work out with Eric Forrester. Katie must be on the hunt for a new designer.

"Remember Bill, I ran some very high-end boutiques in Vegas, and it just so happens I'm available now. I can just imagine getting in on the ground floor of the newest game in town. Wouldn't that be something?"

A warm welcome back on set

Richards says that whilst it "can be very intimidating going into a set where people have worked together for so long," the atmosphere on The Bold and the Beautiful has always been the exception.

"Everyone's just very embracing and very supportive. The actors I was working with made it so much easier to step back in."

She was also delighted to discover that Brooks' Wyatt — who departed the programme in 2024 — would be returning alongside her.

"I loved that Darin was returning too. I like that with Wyatt and Shauna, our characters, we're light and fun, so we'll see where we go. A lot of times we have no idea what's going to happen too, which is so fun getting the scripts every Friday."

From rejection to Shauna Fulton

Richards first took on the role of Shauna in 2019, though her route to the show had been far from straightforward. She had previously been turned down for a part years earlier.

"I tested years ago when I first started acting for General Hospital and didn't get it. I'd had friends on soap operas and always thought it was such a great experience no matter what level you are at in your career."

When the call finally came with an offer to join The Bold and the Beautiful, Richards says she "was terrified" but knew she could not turn it down.

"I'll never forget my very first day I had over 50 pages and all my scenes were back to back. I had a little bit of a panic moment of, 'How am I going to do this?'"

It was fellow cast member Rena Sofer who helped calm her nerves, offering a piece of advice Richards still holds on to.

"She said, 'I know it's overwhelming. Don't think of it as you have all of these pages, think of it as one scene at a time.' And so I did, and somehow I was able to memorize all the pages."

A passion for the craft

Richards now tells every actor they should experience a soap opera at some point in their career, particularly those just starting out.

"It is the best place to learn. It moves fast. The pages, there's so much dialogue and we try to do one or two takes, which can be overwhelming.

"I mean, if you don't get it, you don't get it and you have to do more takes, but you don't want to be that person that throws the whole schedule off and make everyone be behind. It's a very well-oiled machine."

Beyond The Bold and the Beautiful, Richards has hinted at further projects in the pipeline, though details are yet to be revealed. She describes this period as one of genuine reinvention.

"I love being on set and working with all different people. I've always just had such a passion for it and glad I'm still working. This is just a whole new chapter for me in general."