Can you believe it's been 15 years since Heather Tom joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful? To commemorate her 15 years on B&B, Tom recently sat down with Soap Opera Digest to talk about her time as Katie Logan, a role she originally signed on to do for a short time. "I only signed a six-month contract, so I wasn't sure what was going to happen and then once I jumped in, I was like, 'I hope this show goes forever and I hope I can be a part of it.' It's been a wonderful place to go to work."
Tom said that the opportunity to play Katie came about when she received a call from B&B's Executive Producer/Head Writer Brad Bell after seeing him at the Daytime Emmy Awards. She had recently returned to Los Angeles after finishing her stint as Kelly Cramer on ABC's One Life to Live. "Now, when I was at Y&R, I remember Katie Logan as this poor girl who had to have zits put on her face every day. But I jumped at the chance to work with Brad and the Bell family again and honestly, when I got there, I was like, 'Who knew this oasis was across the hall this whole time?'"
The Bold and the Beautiful tapes across the hall from The Young and the Restless as CBS's Television City studio in Los Angeles. Tom, of course, played the role of Victoria Newman on Y&R from 1991 to 2003.
Like any good soap diva, Katie's life has been anything but boring. "She has come a long way, I really appreciate that she hasn't been stuck in one place. Over the years, Katie has had a lot of things happen that have changed her world view and how she approaches problems and relationships. At her core, she has the same values, and there will always be that part of her that feels like she's in her sister's shadow, but she has definitely come into her own."
Speaking of coming into her own, Katie's history consists of holding executive positions at Forrester Creations and Spencer Publications; destroying Bridget Forrester's marriage by sleeping with her husband, Nick Marone; fainting on purpose to stop her sister Brooke Logan's wedding to Ridge Forrester; and blackmailing Quinn Fuller into giving her a job at Forrester Creations. She married and divorced Bill Spencer twice, and her marriage to Ridge Forrester was annulled. The character has also been through a few health issues, including being shot in the heart and needing a heart transplant, a stress-related heart attack, a miscarriage, alcohol abuse, and kidney failure and transplant. As we said, one can never say that Katie's life has been boring!
As for her co-stars, Tom speaks fondly of Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan) and Jennifer Gareis (Donna Logan), who play her sisters on the show. "I love that we're powerful, unique, strong, smart women, and that the Logans are matriarchal. With Jen and Kelly, we have a sisterly relationship in real life so it's lovely to play that. It feels comfortable. It feels real. The minute I first walked on the set I was like, 'Yes, this is my family.'" She also has a lot of love for her leading men. "I have good relationships with all of them. Donald [Diamont, Bill], I've known since I was 15 and so we have a believable bond. We don't have to make it up. Thorsten [Kaye, Ridge] is fantastic. He always surprises you in a scene. He'll say something in a different way and you're like, 'Oh, okay, let's go there.' And, Darin [Brooks, Wyatt] is just a kick in the pants. With him, I got to explore a side of Katie that hadn't been explored. And, you can't forget the [role-playing] mustache!"
During Tom's time at B&B, she has received a total of eight Daytime Emmy Award nominations. She won Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2011 and won Outstanding Lead Actress in 2012, 2013, and 2020. To read more about the amazing and talented Heather Tom, check out more of her interview with Soap Opera Digest .
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