One of summer's biggest soap shocks was the sudden death of The Bold and the Beautiful's Aly Forrester, a dramatic story turn that quickly took both the character and her portrayer, Ashlyn Pearce, off the canvas in one fell swoop. People are still buzzing about it, especially because it ignited a lot of storyline potential for the world's most-loved soap.

"Considering the fact that the circumstances echoed the death of Aly's mother [Darla] at the hands of Steffy's mother, [Taylor], it was a fantastic twist," Pearce told Soap Opera Digest recently. "In terms of payoff, it was awesome for longtime viewers to see history repeat itself so tragically."

However, that didn't make it any easier for the actress to say goodbye. "There were so many mixed emotions at the time [of my exit] because it was such a great storyline and I was excited to play it," she says. "But how can you be thrilled that your character is going to die?!"

Luckily, Pearce has kept very busy since departing the soap world, which helps keep her mind focused on the future rather than on the past. She'll be starring in 2016's You Above All, but acting isn't her only focus. "Now that I have the opportunity, it's not all about getting the next job," she explains. "I've always loved music and I am getting into that, as well. In fact, this month I'm getting together with a few different musicians and we're writing music together. And, I'm also thinking of taking some college classes and pursuing a degree, which I've never had time to do. People seem to think I'm older than I am, but I just turned 21, so there's a whole wide world out there to explore."

Do you miss seeing Pearce as part of the B&B world? Would you love to see the character miraculously return, or do you think her demise was a perfect, permanent end for Aly? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.

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