Soap star Heather Tom to speak at local benefit

A two-time Emmy winner, Heather Tom was just 16 when she received that first award for the role of Victoria on "The Young and the Restless."

Now 33, Tom plays Katie Logan on "The Bold and the Beautiful." She also played Kelly Cramer on "One Life to Live" before landing her current role. She won a second Emmy in 1998 and is the most nominated actress under age 35 in the Television Academy's history, with nine consecutive nominations.

Tom will be in town next week as a speaker at Choice Cocktails, a Planned Parenthood fundraiser, and The Post and Courier spoke with her about life, soaps and her involvement in Planned Parenthood.

Q: You got your start on soaps early.

A: Yes, I've been in soaps more than half my life. I've been on daytime for almost 18 years. When I think of that, I'm like, "Wow!" I do a lot of other things, too, and it's nice to branch out from time to time, but having a steady gig is really great, too. Our business is just like anything else in this economy, and I'm just glad to have a job.

Q: You come from an acting family, don't you?

A: We all have the insanity. My brother and sister both work in the business. (Her siblings are actors David Tom, who was on "The Young and the Restless," "All My Children" and "Veronica Mars," and Nicholle Tom, who played Maggie on "The Nanny" for six years and was in "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman.") It's nice to have family members who can understand the pressures.

Q: What other projects are you working on?

A: I have an independent film coming out next year called "The Putt Putt Syndrome." It is sort of a dark comedy. It's about relationships and the ups and downs of suburban life.

Q: What do you think the future holds for soaps?

A: I think our audience is changing just like anything else. There are a lot more choices with the Internet and other forms of entertainment, so we are having to work harder to keep our audience and help grow our audience. For a lot of people, it's an escape in the middle of the day, and a lot of people tape it or DVR it and watch it at night.

Q: How have soap operas changed over the years?

A: It's not HBO, so we don't have to push the envelope. Sometimes that's not such a bad thing. Leaving something to the imagination can be good as well. We used to be the risque thing in the middle of the afternoon, and we aren't anymore.

Q: You sound kind of conservative.

A: I don't know. There are negative and positive connotations that go along with that word. But in some respects, I am a bit old-fashioned.

Q: How did you become involved in Planned Parenthood?

A: I've been involved with Planned Parenthood for a number of years. A long time, actually, when I think of it. The reason I got involved is, when I was younger, like 19 and 20, that is where I went for my reproductive health care. It was a very safe place for me to go, and it had the resources that I needed. It is very important to me.

Q: You founded Daytime for Planned Parenthood in 2003. Tell me about that.

A: Our main purpose is to raise awareness of reproductive health issues. We have events for the ladies -- and men -- of daytime to get together and show support for reproductive health. A lot of viewers look to daytime TV to get their information, and we really wanted to make sure we were putting out a responsible message.

Q: Why is Planned Parenthood important?

A: A lot of people that we service don't have health insurance. Fifty percent are between 20 and 24 years old, they are usually low income and this is where they get their primary health care.

Q: Tell me about the Choice Cocktails event.

A: It's going to be a really fun event. We are going to auction off a set tour of "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Q: As speaker, what will you talk about?

A: I'll talk about the importance of reproductive health care. With all the health care news going on these days, now is the time to really be paying attention, especially to women's health. We have a lot of expenses, and we need to make sure the people in Congress are paying attention.

Q: Have you ever been to Charleston?

A: I've only been there once, ... a quick trip for one day about 10 years ago. I'm very excited about coming there. This time, I'll be there for a few days. I'll have a full day where I can tour Charleston.