Heather Tom

Tom was born in Hinsdale, Illinois.^[3] She is the oldest of three children. Her younger siblings are twins David Tom and Nicholle Tom, who are also actors. Her brother played Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless and also co-starred with her on One Life to Live as her half brother, Paul Cramer. In 2000, she and David became the first brother and sister nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in the same year.^[4] Tom guest-starred with her sister on The Wedding Bells in 2007 and Hollywood Darlings in 2017.^[5][6]

When Tom was eleven, her family moved from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington, because her father's work transferred him. A year later, her mother brought the three children to Los Angeles for pilot season. They decided to stay there permanently, with Tom's father remaining in Seattle and her parents divorcing. Her mother got a job as a speech therapist for the Pasadena school system, while the children auditioned for acting roles.^[3]

While in Seattle, Tom performed at the Seattle Children's Theatre and the Pacific Northwest Ballet and studied piano at the Academy of Music and Dance. After moving to California, she studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Young Actors Space.^[1] At age fourteen, she took a part time job baking cookies at a store in Los Angeles called Hungry Bear Cookies. She became emancipated from her parents while she was a teen.^[3]

Tom's acting career began at the age of two with television commercials and modeling. On stage, she spent a summer performing in a West Coast tour of Pinocchio II for Center Stage USA.^[3] After moving to Los Angeles, she landed guest-starring roles on Who's the Boss?, Kids Incorporated, Divorce Court, and Trial by Jury. Tom played Caroline in the ABC movie She'll Take Romance.^[1][4]

She debuted as Victoria Newman on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless in December 1990.^[7] Tom won her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 1993.^[8] She was also nominated in the same category in 1994.^[9] She received Young Artist Award nominations in 1993 and 1994.^[10][11]

In 1995, she guest starred as herself in an episode of Diagnosis: Murder. She starred as Kathy Acton in the CBS movie Deadly Whispers, co-starring with Tony Danza and Ving Rhames.^[4] For her role on The Young and the Restless, she received Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Younger Actress in 1995 and also 1996.^[12][13]

Tom co-founded the Creative Outlet Theater in Los Angeles with actor Chad Allen, producing and starring in Out of Gas on Lover's Leap and Vanities. She also produced the play Scooter Thomas Makes it to the Top of the World.^[1] In 1996, Tom and Allen produced Biloxi Blues for the theater. She starred as Daisy in the play, alternating the role with her sister, Nicholle Tom. The production earned five Drama-Logue Awards.^[14]

Tom briefly left The Young and the Restless in February 1997 and returned several months later.^[15] The role was recast with Sarah Aldrich during her absence. She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress in 1997.^[16] She received Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Younger Actress in 1997 and 1998.^[17][18]

On July 31, 1998, she began a one-month run in The Glass Menagerie at The Stella Adler Theatre in Los Angeles. Tom starred as Laura, with Barbara Babcock co-starring as Amanda.^[19] From September 9-November 15, 1998, she starred in Gila at The Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, co-starring with Phyllis Frelich. She received a Robbie Theatre LA Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the play.^[20][21][22] Tom won her second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress for her role on The Young and the Restless in 1999.^[23] She received a nomination in the same category in 2000.^[24]

In August 2001, Tom starred on stage as Betsy in Lemonade, a four-person comedy, at the Tamarind Theater in Los Angeles. She co-starred with Maxwell Caulfield.^[25]

Tom decided to leave The Young and the Restless, airing for the last time on December 17, 2003. She cited creative differences as her reason for leaving.^[15] Tom joined the cast of the ABC soap opera One Life to Live as Kelly Cramer, first airing December 11, 2003.^[26] She was involved in a crossover storyline with All My Children, making appearances on that show.

In May 2004, Tom made her Broadway debut in Prymate (previously titled Gila). The play opened at the Longacre Theatre for a brief run in May 2004.^[27] She starred in a stage production of Proof at Montclair State University's TheatreFest.^[28] Tom also had a role in Moonchild at the Access Theater, as part of New York International Fringe Festival in August 2004.^[29] She played Chrysothemis in a free staged reading of Electra at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.^[30] In October 2004, Tom starred in a production of Hecuba at 45 Bleecker Theatre.^[31]

On television, Tom made a guest appearance on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.^[4] She starred on stage as Jenn in Happy Hour at 12 Miles West in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The play opened in May 2005.^[32] She appeared in the short films Beyond the Ladies Room Door and Delusion.^[20]

Tom received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role on One Life to Live in 2005.^[33] She appeared in the film Undone, produced by her One Life to Live co-star Kassie DePaiva and directed by James DePaiva. The film co-starred Timothy D. Stickney, Forbes March, and Ricky Paull Goldin.^[34] In November and December 2006, she starred on stage as Marilyn Monroe in The Secret Letters of Jackie and Marilyn at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.^[35]

Tom decided to leave One Life to Live, last airing December 14, 2006.^[36] She received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role on OLTL in 2007.^[37]

Tom appeared in the short film When We're Old and Love Means Nothing.^[20] She played Jennifer Adams in the 2006 thriller film The Rival, co-starring with Tracy Nelson.^[38] In 2007, Tom guest starred on The Wedding Bells with her sister Nicholle Tom. She also guest starred on Monk.^[6] Tom played Marsha in the film City Teacher.^[39]

In 2007, it was announced that she would be joining The Bold and the Beautiful as Katie Logan.^[40] Her first airdate was August 30, 2007.^[41] Tom had a recurring role on Ugly Betty in 2008.^[4] She played Lexi in the 2010 film Suicide Dolls.^[42] She also appeared in the films Stiffs and The Putt Putt Syndrome.^[43][44] She guest starred on The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, and Rizzoli & Isles.^[45]

For her role on The Bold and the Beautiful, Tom won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2011, after being nominated in the same category in 2008.^[46][47] She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2012 and 2013.^[48][49] Tom starred on stage as Catherine in The Heiress at the Pasadena Playhouse in April and May 2012. She co-starred with Richard Chamberlain.^[50]

Tom and husband James Achor started a design business, Tight Rope Designs, redecorating several homes in the Los Angeles area. Their work was featured in InStyle and Elle Decor magazines. In the summer of 2013, they starred in a reality TV miniseries for HGTV, Renovation Unscripted.^[51][20] In 2014, Tom co-starred with her sister, Nicholle Tom, and Sonia Satra in a national tour of the play Vanities.^[52] For her role on The Bold and the Beautiful, she received another Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress.^[53]

She played Officer Victoria in the 2016 horror film Little Dead Rotting Hood.^[54] She had a recurring role on Lucifer and guest starred on Unforgettable.^[45] Tom played Anna Garrett in the 2017 Lifetime film Mommy, I Didn't Do It.^[55] She guest starred with her sister, Nicholle Tom, on Hollywood Darlings.^[5] In 2019, Tom played Marilyn Bishop in the horror film Animal Among Us.^[56]

Tom received Daytime Emmy Award nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actress category for The Bold and the Beautiful in 2017 and 2019.^[57][58] She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020.^[59]

While working on The Bold and the Beautiful, she began shadowing directors and eventually directed the show herself. She has since directed episodes of The Young and the Restless, Good Trouble and Dynasty.^[60] She has also directed the video short Bigfoot's Love Slave and the short films Blink and Serenity.^[20]

Tom met musician James Achor when she saw his band perform, but he had a girlfriend at the time. They reconnected five years later, when both were single, and started a relationship. After fifteen years together, they announced their engagement in August 2011.^[61] They were married on September 17, 2011.^[62] Their son, Zane Alexander Achor, was born on October 28, 2012 in Los Angeles. Tom chose to have a drug-free birth.^[63] Zane appeared occasionally on The Bold and the Beautiful as her on-screen son, Will Spencer, until he was old enough to attend kindergarten.^[41]

Tom announced in February 2024 that her mother had died. She and her siblings were at their mother's bedside during her last moments.^[64]

She is a regular competitor in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, raising money for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.^[65] She has also competed in the Miami Triathlon in Miami, Florida.^[52]

Tom is a supporter of LGBT equality and abortion rights.^[52] She is on the board of advocates for Planned Parenthood and she founded Daytime for Planned Parenthood. She has worked with the non-partisan Get out the vote organization She Votes.^[66]

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heather Tom.

• Heather Tom's Official Website
• Heather Tom at IMDb
• Heather Tom on Playbill