Heather Tom

She is the oldest of three children. Her younger siblings are twins David Tom and Nicholle Tom, who are also actors. David played Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless and also co-starred with her on One Life to Live as her brother, Paul Cramer, while Nicholle played Maggie Sheffield on The Nanny. In 2000, Tom and David became the first brother and sister nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in the same year.[2]

When Tom was 11, her family moved from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington, because of her father's work. A year later, her mother, Marie, brought all three children to Los Angeles for pilot season. They relocated there permanently, with Tom's father staying behind in Seattle and her parents divorcing.[3]

While in Seattle, she performed at the Seattle Children's Theatre and the Pacific Northwest Ballet and studied piano at the Academy of Music and Dance. In Los Angeles, she studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute and the Young Actor's Space.[4]

Her early credits include guest-starring roles on Who's the Boss?, Kids Incorporated, Divorce Court, and Trial by Jury, as well as the ABC Movie of the Week, She'll Take Romance.[4][5] On stage, she spent a summer performing in Pinocchio II for Center Stage USA.[3]

She debuted as Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless in December 1990.[6] Tom won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 1993 and 1999, along with nominations in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000. She left the show in April 1997 and returned several months later. She stayed with the role until December 17, 2003, citing creative differences as her reason for leaving.[7]

During her time on The Young and the Restless, she played herself in an episode of Diagnosis Murder and starred in a CBS Movie of the Week, Deadly Whispers.[5]

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.[8]

From September 9-November 15, 1998, she starred in Gila at The Odyssey Theater in Los Angeles, co-starring with Phyllis Frelich.[9][10] The play was renamed Prymate and opened on Broadway for a brief run at the Longacre Theatre in May 2004.[11]

She co-founded the Creative Outlet Theater in Los Angeles, producing and starring in Out of Gas on Lover's Leap and Vanities. She also produced Scooter Thomas Makes It To the Top of the World for the theater.[4]

In 2004, she starred in stage productions of Proof at Montclair State University's TheatreFest[12] and Moonchild at the Access Theater, as part of New York International Fringe Festival.[13]

After leaving Y&R, she joined ABC's One Life to Live as Kelly Cramer, first airing December 11, 2003.[14] She was involved in a crossover storyline with All My Children, making appearances on that show. She decided to leave OLTL, last airing December 14, 2006.[15]

In 2007, it was announced that she would be joining The Bold and the Beautiful as Katie Logan.[16] Her first airdate was August 30, 2007. [17] She earned nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007 and 2008, with a win in 2011, followed by her first Lead Actress nominations and wins (2012, 2013 and 2020).

She has guest starred on Monk, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Ugly Betty.[5]

While working on The Bold and the Beautiful, she began shadowing directors and eventually directed the show herself. She has since directed episodes of Good Trouble and Dynasty.[18]

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, she starred in a reality TV miniseries for HGTV, Renovation Unscripted.[19]

In August 2011, Tom announced her engagement to her partner of 15 years, James Achor.[20] On September 17, 2011, they were married.[21] On October 28, 2012, Tom gave birth to their son, Zane Alexander.[22] Zane appeared occasionally on The Bold and the Beautiful as her on-screen son, Will Spencer, until he was old enough to attend kindergarten.[17]

Her mother, Marie, died in 2024.[23]

She has competed many times in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, raising money for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.[24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Heather Tom.

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