Bringing back a character from the dead is nothing new on soaps, but when B&B decided to resurrect Taylor, there existed one major plot hurdle: We saw her body in an open casket. We later learned that Prince Omar had kidnapped Taylor and replaced her with a rubber replica. To fool everyone, that obviously had to be a very lifelike dummy and B&B went to great lengths to make this story happen. The show approached one of Hollywood's premier special effects houses, Crisis FX, to get the job done. For years, this fantasy firm has been working for TV (they make the clown heads for the Jack In The Box commercials) and film (lots of corpses for The Alamo). Here, owner James Clark and Hunter Tylo (Taylor) talk about the steps that went into creating her double.

Head Trip: After Clark and company met Tylo at a hotel room (since her return was top secret, a confidential, but comfy location was required), the entire procedure was explained to the subject. "We let Hunter know the step-by-step process of what we were going to do so she was comfortable with it," says Clark. "While we masked off the whole room with plastic and paper. Hunter was photographed from every possible angle." Tylo then donned a T-shirt and skullcap. "I had to be done with drinking water and going to the bathroom," chuckles Tylo. A skin moisturizer was rubbed on to help take off the casting material, called alginate.

In The Thick Of It: At the consistency of pancake batter, the alginate was applied to the front and back of the head. "We kept her nostrils cleared so she could breathe," says Clark. "We usually have to reassure the subject and constantly talk them through it because sometimes people get claustrophobic and freak out." After the material solidified to a tofu-like state (about five minutes), Tylo's head was wrapped with plaster medical bandages. "It kept getting heavier and heavier," she sighs. "Then it started to harden up and I got a little anxious, but luckily, it only took 25 minutes. I couldn't move and I could only hear muffled sounds." Once the plaster hardened, it was removed in two pieces, the front and back of the head.

Hard Case: Back at the Crisis FX shop, the two pieces were put back together and another formulated mixture was poured in. "We have to be careful there are as few air bubbles as possible," points out Clark. In two hours, a stone-like replica of Tylo's bald head was pulled out. "It's a three-dimensional copy," says Clark "It's hollow on the inside, probably an inch-and-a-half thick all around. There were broken pieces with the ears that needed to be repaired, but that's typical." By referring to the aforementioned photos, a contracted sculptor made the necessary repairs and a perfect mold was now ready.

Fleshing Out: Silicone was poured over the mold and after that set, a layer of a more supple, flesh-tone silicone went on. An artist then touchd it up to make the "skin" look natural and real. Next came the wig, but for realism, every strand of hair around the scalp, as well as the eyebrows and lashes were "punched in" individually. "They actually have to figure out what direction each hair would be growing so it's not sticking straight up," notes Clark. "It's about a 10-hour job."

Ta-Da: Once wardrobe and makeup were added, it was downright difficult to tell the difference between the finished product and the real deal. "I was amazed when I saw it," marvels Tylo. "They even used all the exact brands of makeup that I do. I have to tell you, it really freaked me out to see it."