Heather Tom could become the actress with the most Daytime Emmy acting victories when the awards are presented Friday, Oct. 30, in Los Angeles. The star of “The Bold and the Beautiful” has six wins, matching Erika Slezak of “One Life to Live.” A seventh would put Tom ahead across acting categories.
Tom is nominated for outstanding lead actress in a daytime drama for her performance as Katie Logan. It is her first nomination in that category since her 2020 victory. She also shares a nomination with the soap’s writing staff for outstanding writing team for a daytime drama series. Speaking to Variety, Tom described the ceremony as a chance to reconnect with a small community of colleagues she has known for much of her life.
Her Emmy record spans three acting classifications. She won younger actress honors for “The Young and the Restless” in 1993 and 1999, then earned a supporting actress award for “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2011. Lead actress victories followed in 2012, 2013 and 2020. She remains the only performer to have won in all three classifications. Slezak’s six awards all came in lead actress, meaning she would retain the record for acting wins within one category.
Tom dismissed the idea that the potential milestone puts her in a rivalry with Slezak, whom she admired as a fan and later worked alongside. Their connection also extends to a favorite awards tradition: a lunch for the actress nominees, established by Slezak and Susan Flannery. The previous year’s winner organizes the gathering, which Tom values as an opportunity for the nominees to relax together.
For her move into writing on the series, Tom credited executive producer and head writer Brad Bell. After nearly 37 years in daytime television, she said she had wanted to explore other work and had been writing outside the show. Bell gave her the chance to produce a speculative script and subsequently write several episodes. Tom said Bell would be her first priority in any acceptance speech, followed by her husband.
The 53rd annual ceremony, produced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, will take place at Hollywood’s Palladium at 5 p.m. PT and stream on YouTube. “The Young and the Restless” has the largest nomination total with 18, followed by newcomer “Beyond the Gates” with 15. Genie Francis of “General Hospital” will receive the lifetime achievement award. There will be no host.
Meanwhile, “The Bold and the Beautiful” is marking its 40th season and has recently introduced an app containing its full episode catalog. Tom believes easier access is helping younger viewers discover the series and encouraging former viewers to return. She said Bell is emphasizing the family relationships, competing fashion houses and humor that have long shaped the soap. A current Katie storyline drawing on earlier plots has also prompted Tom to revisit older episodes.
Away from the series, Tom is developing microdramas in several formats, including projects inspired by “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” alongside a vampire and werewolf story. She described the format’s heightened romance and dramatic stakes as an appealing extension of the genre in which she has spent her career.
