Nifty at Fifty: The Bold and the Beautiful's Heather Tom on a major birthday milestone

The Bold and the Beautiful's Heather Tom has spent most of her life on our soap opera screens. Tom was only a teenager when she took on the role of a SORAS'd Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless. More than three decades later, she hasn't looked back. Now, as she celebrates two major November life and career milestones, the Emmy Award-winning actress is reflecting on her lifetime in daytime.

The Bold and the Beautiful's Heather Tom's big month

It's a big month for Katie Logan, the character Tom has played on The Bold and the Beautiful since 2007. Katie finally reunited with ex-husband, Bill Spencer, after years apart. It's also a big month for Tom, who turned 50 on November 4. Not only that, but she celebrates a whopping 35 years as a soap star on November 16.

Tom was only 15 years old when she stepped foot onto a soap opera set to play Victoria, the oldest offspring of legendary couple, Victor and Nikki Newman (Eric Braeden and Melody-Thomas Scott). She grew up before our eyes, going from young teen to wife and mother in real life to an award-winning performer, as well as a director behind the scenes.

Tom is taking it all in stride and is excited to reach an age many women dread.

"It’s kind of crazy," Tom told TV Insider. "A lot of things are happening, and they’re all very exciting. I was actually excited to turn 50. I did not really want to turn 40, but for some reason, with 50, I was like, 'Yeah, bring it.' I feel really comfortable in my skin, and I’m having a really good time."

Tom looks back on a lifetime of soaps

Tom can still remember her first days on Y&R and how daunting a three-year contract seemed at the time.

"I was like, 'Oh, my God, what am I going to do for three years? This is an eternity. I remember Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair) was in the makeup room, and it was her ninth year of being on the show. I was like, 'Nine years?! That’s insane. It seemed like such a long time, and then, cut to 35 years later, here I am. It just goes by really fast."

Of course, Tom has not spent the entire 35 years on one soap. She even ventured into enemy territory when she took on the role of Kelly Cramer on ABC's One Life to Live from 2003-2006. A year later, she was back at CBS to play Katie on Y&R's sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful.

"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," Tom said. "I was like, 'Oh, wow, this is nice.' Not to say that I worked with a bunch of divas on the other shows, but it was just so easy. I found out real quick that not only do they like working together, they like hanging out together, too. It’s a fun vibe."

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After all these years in front of the camera, Tom now directs episodes of B&B and was in the director's chair for this year's Thanksgiving episode, airing next week. Not bad for a teenage gig that resulted in so much more.

Catch all-new episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful weekdays on CBS and Paramount Plus.

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