Soap Opera Digest: Heather, you will mark a decade as Katie this year, and Kelly, you’ve been there from the beginning, so you’ll hit 30 years in March. What do you remember about when you first worked together?
Katherine Kelly Lang: I don’t think I’d ever met her before so I was really excited for it. I did know who she was, of course, and I was also personally happy to have the sisters back, the Logan family back. Katie was there from the very beginning, so it was exciting to have the character back. Heather is a fabulous actress, so I was looking forward to having some nitty- gritty scenes with her and we definitely have had that. It’s been really fun. It seems like she’s been there a lot longer; I don’t remember a time when she was not there.
Heather Tom: Starting BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, I hadn’t done daytime for like six months. I was a little rusty, but I also kind of felt like I was coming home. Maybe it was being in the building or working for the Bells, and so many of the crew were the same crew as when I worked here before [as Y&R’s Victoria]. I knew all of the cast members, but I don’t think I really expected to have the connection that we’ve developed. You never know how those things are going to be, and you never know if it’ll be like, “She’s a big diva,” which Kelly isn’t, by the way. So you do kind of come in with a little trepidation, but I had my first scene with her, so right out of the gate it was very comfortable and I could tell this was going to be fun. Our relationship has really grown into something that I really value. I kind of think of her in a sisterly way outside of work. I feel like we have really good chemistry together as sisters. I love doing scenes with her because I do feel like we’ve got a real bond that shows up on camera and I can allow myself to go there with her.
Digest: How important is the Logan sisters’ relationship to you?
Lang: Well, the audience seems to love the Logan sisters. They love to see them happy and together and they also love to see them at each other’s throats. But it’s all just so nice when we were together. I miss Jennifer Gareis, who plays Donna. I feel like something’s missing, so it’s nice when we all do get together, and Heather and I have scenes together. I think that’s an important part to show, the family connection and the family love and the family bond among all this other craziness happening. It resonates with people.
Tom: I think families are very important when it comes to daytime. There’s jealousy and there’s competition, but at the end of the day, there’s love and bonding in sharing a similar story with each other. You go through ups and downs, but at the end of the day, you’re sisters. You’re going to be there for each other. I think that it’s been really fun to play a storyline where you can do terrible things to each other and still look at each other and say, “I love you,” and the audience hopefully buys it, and find your way back to that love. So, I think that’s a really important part of the show.
Digest: Katie and Brooke have the same taste in men. How do they get past the complications as a result of that?
Tom: I think that Katie has pretty consistently displayed that she’s not willing to cut her sister out of her life, and so instead of constantly needing or expecting more from her, I think she’s kind of at a place where she’s like, “No, this is what she can give me and that’s okay.” I kind of love that, so I think that’s where we are right now.
Lang: Brooke is so forgiving, I think Brooke is definitely more forgiving than Katie is. Everybody always says, “Oh, Brooke is so terrible,” but let’s not forget what Katie did before Brooke and Ridge said their “I dos.” She faked a fainting attack! It cracks me up — nobody remembers that and I don’t know why!
Digest: Last year was very intense in terms of your story, with Brooke and Bill getting together when he was married to Katie. What were those scenes like for you?
Tom: I think at a certain point, Kelly was like, “I need to fight back,” and so I think she was able to do that toward the end where she said, “I tried to do right by you,” and kind of state her case a little bit. There was a period there where it was just Katie yelling at her over and over and over again, so for me it was somewhat cathartic, but at the same time, I think she at a certain point has to be able to say, “Well, here’s my point of view.” At the end of it all, each character was willing and able to take their responsibility for the horrible mess that was the end of Katie and Bill’s marriage.
Lang: When we had to revisit that story, we were all a little bit nervous because we already did that, but Brad [Bell, executive producer/head writer] went about it in such a different way that it was very interesting. And, of course, it brought Heather and me back around, Brooke and Katie back around to loving each other again as sisters. They still have a ways to go to really hang out and just enjoy each other again, but I believe that this is a truce. It’s a peaceful place where they’re in at the moment.
Digest: How realistic do you think the men-sharing dynamic is for sisters?
Tom: Did I ever tell you about that fan that came up to me a few years ago at an event? She came up and said, “Oh, Heather, can I get a picture?” And I was like, “Sure, yeah!” And she grabbed my hand afterward and in a very serious tone, she said, “I’m going through what you’re going through right now. My husband keeps sleeping with my sister.” And I was like, “Oh, wow, I’m — I’m sorry about that,” and she’s like, “Oh well. As long as the kids are okay.” So, apparently, yes. People can survive something like this, and as long as the kids are okay it’s just fine.
Lang: I think that actually happens more than we would like to know about, and that’s too bad.
Tom: Yup [laughs]. Obviously, our storylines are heightened — for some maybe not, but I think for most — but what Brad always says, and I’ve said this many times, is that every scene is a love scene, and at the base of our relationship, and Katie and Brooke’s relationship, is love. That is what keeps us surviving. That’s the core.
Digest: So, Donna was just back and she didn’t get to have scenes with Katie. How much do you miss having Donna in the Logan sister triangle?
Tom: I know. I don’t like it when all three Logan girls are not on the canvas. I think Jen brings such a beautiful and interesting thing to the dynamic, although Donna totally threw Katie under the bus! She’s there for Brooke’s wedding to Bill and she’s just like, “Oh, Brooke!” No mention of Katie whatsoever. So, whatever [laughs].
Lang: She came in and out of town so fast, but it was nice that she was there for Brooke on her wedding day that didn’t happen again. It was definitely great to have Jen there.
Digest: Do you ever get to do anything outside the studio?
Tom: Yeah, we do! Quite often actually, I mean, she and Dom [Zoida, Lang’s beau] and me and [husband] James [Achor] will go to dinner. We did her whole backyard, and her TV wall, her backsplash in her kitchen. We hang out quite a lot. It’s nice. It’s really nice.
Lang: We go to dinners and have trained for triathlons together, and yes, they did work on our house because James is a contractor and Heather is an interior designer. It’s nice to have a friendship outside the studio and really get to know them.
Digest: Is there a dream sister storyline that you guys would love to play? ”
Tom: Well, if we have a dream storyline, I think it should take place in Italy [laughs].
Lang: Going on a trip to Hawaii! I keep thinking about that scene where we had a slumber party and all the Logan sisters were there in Brooke’s bedroom, jumping up and down on the bed in our pajamas drinking champagne and having the best time, and that’s how I like to see them.
Digest: Well, now it would be cider, not champagne….
Lang: That’s right, for both Brooke and Katie. Donna can have all the champagne.
