Heather Tom takes a grounded approach when tackling wild storylines on The Bold and the Beautiful. Katie immediately went into mama bear mode when it was revealed that Luna came back from the dead and manipulated her son, Will.
Key Takeaways
- Heather Tom shared her secrets for exploring over-the-top storylines.
- She also celebrated her 35 years in soaps.
- Tom also recalled a moment when a fan confronted her about a storyline on One Life to Live in the midst of bustling Times Square.
Dealing With Extreme Storylines
In an interview with PEOPLE, Tom explained how she tackled some of the wild storylines she’s taken on in her 35 years as a soap actress. Tom is focused on seeking the “truth” of her character, no matter what they’re going through.
The latter part of this year, Luna (Lisa Yamada) came back from the dead. She was nursed back to health by Li (Naomi Matsuda) and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown).
Then, she snuck into Will’s (Crew Morrow) promotion party, pretended to be a bartender, and used outlawed vodka to get him drunk. After the party, she snuck into his bed to get her way with him, so that she would end up pregnant with his baby and stay out of jail.
The Spencers had to face the reality that Luna was alive, and Will was the father. Tom said what typically goes through her mind when she reads the script. “If I were in this situation, how would I deal with it? What tools does this character have to deal with the situation, and what is the base of the emotion?” she explained.
“What drives this character? What’s her truth that will color whatever she does?” Tom continued. Because of this, she’s been able to remain grounded. She’s given each of her storylines a sense of reality, as if these storylines were playing out on the news.
Passionate Soap Fans
Tom is aware of how passionate soap fans can be. She was confronted by one in the middle of busy Times Square. At the time, Tom played Kelly Cramer on One Life to Live.
Kelly kept her miscarriage a secret from her husband, Kevin Buchanan (Dan Gauthier), in an effort to keep him around. Paul Cramer (David Tom) delivered two babies and gave one of them to Kelly.
She wasn’t aware of the baby switch. She later found out that her half-brother was trying to blackmail her. When Tom visited New York City, she was accosted by a fan who was irate about the storyline.
“I remember I was in Times Square one time, and I was crossing the street to go see a show. This woman stops in the middle of the crosswalk, and she’s like, ‘You give that baby back!’ I was just like, ‘Okay, will do,’ Noted, but very visceral, angry,'” Tom recalled.
