Hunter Tylo

Deborah Jo Hunter, known professionally as Hunter Tylo, was born on July 3, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas. She developed an early interest in acting and fashion modeling, becoming a top fashion model in the seventies and eighties. Tylo began her acting career in Dallas, Texas, appearing in various plays such as “Vanities” and “The Odd Couple.” Her television career started in 1984, under the name Deborah Morehart, with her role in the slasher film “The Initiation.” In her early television career, she secured contract roles on prominent soap operas, including “All My Children” from 1985 to 1988, and “Days of Our Lives” from 1989 to 1990. During this period, she temporarily left acting to pursue a pre-med degree at Fordham University, completing two years of her bachelor’s degree before returning to her acting career.

Tylo gained widespread recognition for her role as Dr. Taylor Hayes on CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful,” a character she portrayed from 1990 to 2002, with subsequent appearances from 2004-2014 and 2018-2019, spanning over 2700 episodes. She has been consistently voted as “Most Popular Actress” in “Soap Digest” and “CBS Daytime.” Her career extends beyond soap operas with guest roles on prime-time shows like “Diagnosis Murder,” “The Nanny,” and “Zorro.” Tylo also appeared in TV movies for the Hallmark Channel and mini-series such as “The Maharaja’s Daughter” (1994), where she co-starred with Bruce Boxleitner and Ann-Margret. She has been featured twice in People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” list and has served as a spokesperson for over 50 international products, notably as the “Pantene Girl” in over 500 commercials.

A significant legal and personal milestone occurred in 1996 when she was fired from “Melrose Place” due to pregnancy. Tylo successfully sued Spelling Entertainment for wrongful dismissal and pregnancy discrimination, setting a legal precedent under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. This experience, along with her daughter Katya’s battle with a rare eye cancer, inspired her to write the autobiography “Making a Miracle” (1999) and become an advocate for children with fatal illnesses. She is actively involved with “Retinoblastoma International” and founded her own charity, “Hunter’s Chosen Child.” Hunter Tylo is also known as a public speaker, offering messages of hope and encouragement to families facing similar challenges.