Soap Hub Performer of the Week is an ongoing series of articles in which editors pay tribute to a performer from each show, highlighting outstanding performances! For The Bold and the Beautiful, Soap Hub is recognizing the work done by Matthew Atkinson, as his character Thomas Forrester, has convinced himself he’s in a deep relationship with a mannequin.
Performer of the Week: Matthew Atkinson
Atkinson had been doing a very convincing job showing that Thomas had put his obsession with Hope (Annika Noelle) in the past by toning down his overt and unhealthy interest in her. Sure, there’d be a casual flirtation with Hope here and there, but no one could expect him to turn his feelings off overnight, right? It turns out he hadn’t changed at all — in fact, he’s taken his obsession to new extremes.
Having gotten himself a life-sized mannequin in Hope’s image (from a Hope for the Future display at Forrester Creations), Thomas finally has what he wants (sort of) — a Hope who will never leave him, grow old, or put Liam ahead of him. He’s found the perfect mate. The only thing he has to give up in order to convince himself that this is the real deal is his already-loose grasp of reality.
On one hand, Thomas said to himself in his apartment that this mannequin is just a piece of plastic and he needed to return it to work. But, then, the Hope Mannequin “spoke” to Thomas, telling him that she wanted to stay with him. Thomas wrote off hearing “Hope’s” voice as being stressed, but then the mannequin started talking again. Of course, as mannequins can’t really talk, Thomas is only hearing Hope Mannequin voices in his head — while at the same time convincing himself that the voice is actually real.
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Atkinson is doing a great job portraying Thomas’s obsession, but the guy needs to call his psychiatrist mother, Dr. Taylor Hayes (Hunter Tylo) stat! Bravo also to BB’s directors for breaking out the shaky cameras to show how Thomas’s erratic thoughts were controlling his mind. Juxtaposed against those erratic camera moves was the Hope Mannequin, remaining frozen in place. (Kudos to Noelle for bringing to life a robotic tone of Hope’s voice that Thomas is hearing in his head!)
Atkinson showed that Thomas’s grip on reality was getting less tight when he began not only debating the Hope Mannequin but also when he allowed her to “win” the argument that she be allowed to stay. Sorry, Vinny (Joe LoCicero) — it appears that Thomas has a new roommate, one who will not only be occupying his apartment, but also the real estate between his ears.
There’s no telling how far this storyline is going to go, but in Atkinson’s capable hands, this tale will likely be a storyline that goes down in history as one of BB’s most memorable ones! The Bold and the Beautiful airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings for air times.
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