Image Credit: CBS/Paramount

Heather Tom has been on many soap operas throughout her 35-year career. From her days on The Young and the Restless to One Life to Live, the actress played many iconic roles. But her role as The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Katie Logan may be the best one.

Coming Home

Tom’s soap opera career began in 1990 when she was cast as Victoria on Y&R. The actress immediately won over the audience with her performance as the rebellious, strong-willed Newman heiress. After 13 years on the CBS soap, Tom left and moved to New York to join OLTL as Kelly.

Much like on Y&R, Tom was front and center in many storylines and earned multiple award nominations. But after three years, the star exited the ABC soap and moved back to Los Angeles. It didn’t take her long to find her next role when B&B executive producer Brad Bell approached her about playing Katie.

Tom admitted to TV Insider, she thought the gig would be short-term, lasting only six months. However, once she arrived at the studio, she realized things were different.

“It just felt like I was back home,” she confessed. “I was back in the CBS studio, four years later, older and wiser, and it was this lovely, fun oasis where everyone was happy, and everyone had a good time, and everyone wanted to be there.”

The actress quickly bonded with her co-stars and realized that B&B was going to be her permanent home. “I found out real quick that not only do they like working together, they like hanging out together too. It’s a fun vibe.”

Going Strong 18 Years Later

Tom has been playing Katie for 18 years, her longest role to date. B&B has not only earned the actress four more Daytime Emmys, but it’s also allowed her to explore her other talents.

When Tom isn’t on screen, she’s working behind the scenes, writing and directing. One of her most memorable scripts aired in March of this year, marking Women’s History Month. The episode, which she also directed and starred in, featured B&B’s leading ladies in emotional and pivotal moments. One of the key scenes was Katie stopping Hope (Annika Noelle) from slapping her mother, Brooke (Katherine Kelly Lang).

Whether she’s working on screen or off screen, Tom is still an important key player on B&B. These days, fans are seeing more of her character as Katie is involved in Will (Crew Morrow) and Luna’s (Lisa Yamada) story. Not only is it a fun time for Tom and her castmates, but also viewers as they watch the action unfold.