When B&B's beloved Caroline succumbed to leukemia in 1990, her portrayer, Joanna Johnson, didn't disappear for long. Within a year, she had returned to the show in the new role of Caroline's long-lost twin, Karen. However, after a three-year stretch, the actress ultimately decided that she'd like to try writing roles instead of playing them. So, in 1994, she departed again, determined her to focus her attention on penning screenplays (such as the romantic comedy The Shrink Is In, starring Courteney Cox and David Arquette). Johnson revisited B&B for one episode earlier this year, but don't expect her ever to return full-time: She loves her new job, she insists. "I get to work at home all day in my pajamas, be ugly, and eat whatever I want."

Even while studying B&B scripts, Joanna Johnson - who played Ridge's first wife, Caroline Spencer, from 1987 to 1990, and her twin sister, Karen, from 1991 to 1994 - was cooking up her own screenplays in her head. And now she is making her dream come true.

"I don't think I'll ever act again," Johnson confides quietly. And right now she doesn't have to. Her feature script, The Shrink Is In, currently is being shot with real-life newlyweds and Scream survivors Courteney Cox and David Arquette in the leads. "People ask me, 'Why don't you play a little role in your movie?' I have no desire to act anymore. "It's not that I don't enjoy it," she adds. "I'm essentially a very shy person on a certain level. I found acting to be very stressful because you have to look pretty and you have to be good. There's a lot of pressure on you."

The plot of The Shrink Is In focuses on a neurotic woman who, through circumstances beyond her control, is mistaken for her psychiatrist by the boy next door, on whom she just happens to have a humongous crush. Throwing caution to the wind and and ethics out the window, the heroine keeps up the charade in order to separate her crush from his witchy French girlfriend, and thus, pave the way for her to have him herself.

"I actually had a friend come to me with this concept," says Johnson. "It was two sentences of an idea. She knew I was writing, and she had read some of my things. So I developed the story and wrote it."

The rest unfolded natuarlly. "A friend of mine works for Courteney Cox and said that Courteney was looking for a movie to do with David," Johnson recalls. "I thought that this was perfect, and when Courteney read the script, she immediately wanted to do it. I owe a lot of this to Courteney for liking the material and wanting to do it. Then her agents and managers got involved, which helped give profile to the project."

Johnson counts this as her first big break into the sometimes tightly-knit world of Hollywood screenwriting. Thus far, the project not only has gotten good response, but also has opened doors to some very large companies that are now interested in her as a writer.

Reality snapped in for Johnson the first time she heard a room full of notable performers, led by acclaimed actor/director Richard Benjamin, begin reading the words she had written. "It was such a thrill," she says. "I was more nervous than I've ever been in my life. I thought it was either going to sink or swim on this reading. And it went great. I have to say, a lot of the reason it went great is because Courteney can read anything and make it funny. She's perfect for the role. It's also going to give her a chance to carry a movie and really shine comediacally."

As for ever seeing Johnson in front of the camera again, don't hold your breath. She has other, big plans. "What I'd like to do is direct," she admits. "In that way, I'll be able to exercise the actor in me. Sometimes there's an innate distrust between the people in front of and behind the camera. But when you have an actor directing actors, I think they feel understood."

At least for the moment, though, Johnson can sit back, reflect and be happy about how far she's come. "I'm so grateful," she sighs. "I know how difficult it is and that are a lot of people out there working hard. "It's just lucky that I got my movie made. "It's been really inspiring because you can see the opportunities."

"Ridge is going through a hard time in his marriage with Taylor, so Caroline comes in a vision from the dead to try to tell him it's going to be OK," previews Joanna Johnson, who reprises the role Jan. 4.

Johnson's good friend Susan Flannery (Stephanie) was the first to ask if she'd consider returning. "I said, 'Sure, I'll do it - though I hope they don't mind that people age in heaven!'" laughs Johnson.

Since leaving B&B in 1994, Johnson has been writing screenplays. Her first product effort - a romantic comedy titled The Shrink Is In starring real-life marrieds Courtney Cox and David Arquette - will be released in 2001 by USA Films.

Johnson admits to some jitters about returning to acting. But as it turned out, "It wasn't difficult slipping back into Caroline's shoes, because I remember her really well," Johnson says.

Ronn Moss (Ridge) was "totally surprised" by Johnson's return - but very pleased. "Brad [bell, B&B's executive producer / head writer] and I had actually talked about something like this many years ago," says Moss. "To have Caroline be the voice of Ridge's conscience, someone for him to bounce ideas off. Joanna's always been great to work with. It lingers in my memory as one of the most special times on the show. Not to take anything away from Brooke or Taylor with Ridge, [but] I think Ridge and Caroline as a couple were the most romantic time on the show."

Being young and in love, Ridge and Caroline exchanged wedding vows, never realizing just how soon "until death do us part" would turn into a tragic prophecy. But a few month later, Caroline learned that she had contracted a fatal disease, and soon would be ripped from the arms of her beloved. Although she kept the information to herself, Ridge eventually found out when Brooke, realizing he would want to know, gently broke the news. Soon after, Ridge gifted Caroline with 50 charms for her charm bracelet - including one symbolizing eternity. Realizing that her husband knew of her condition, the selfless Caroline set out not only to put her own affairs in order, but to help her loved ones deal with the inevitable.

SoapCity chose daytime's greatest love stories. Among them were Ridge & Caroline, a couple Ronn once said about to Soap Opera Weekly: "I think Ridge and Caroline as a couple was the most romantic time on the show."

When the show began, Ridge Forrester and Caroline Spencer were already acquainted. He sped up their relationship with a marriage proposal, much to the chagrin of Bill Spencer, Caroline's dad.

In the private dining room of the Forresters' Beverly Hills country club, Caroline was completely overwhelmed when Ridge spoke the two words that she so wanted to hear: "Marry me."

Ridge and Caroline shared a romantic smooch on board the Queen Mary as Ridge promised to make up his mind as to which woman he wanted to be with. (A sexy upstart named Brooke Logan was also in the picture.)

While married to Thorne, an inebriated Caroline made love to Ridge, thinking it was her husband who had crawled into bed with her. When Thorne overheard Stephanie and Eric recap Ridge's little bedroom antic, he took pills, drank, and proceeded to shoot his brother in the back of the head.

Caroline's final illness. Was there ever a more tearful moment than when Ridge gave Caroline the charm bracelet with charms for all of their big anniversaries that he knew she wouldn't be around to celebrate?

While Caroline's father, Bill Spencer, was totally against their union, Ridge's brother, Thorne, and Caroline's best friend, Brooke, were even more destructive. They kept Ridge's letter proclaiming his love away from Caroline.

"This Time Around," which played on the couple's wedding night. The lyrics spoke of lovers finding their way back together after romantic heartbreak.

After Caroline was date-raped, she pulled away from Ridge. Instead she turned to his brother, Thorne, for comfort and support. And Caroline's death left Ridge inconsolable.

"When did you feel the most free?" Eric Forrester asked his son, when Ridge was trying to decide between Caroline and Brooke. The answer was crystal clear: when he was with Caroline.

Ridge has managed to move on and make a family with Caroline's former doctor, Taylor. Each year, Caroline's spirit is reborn as the flowers she planted for Ridge continue to blossom. She appeared to him as a spirit earlier this year, as Ridge lamented screwing up his marriage to Taylor.