Man Of The House
Soap Opera Update
February 1, 2000
By Tracy Panzarella
Do not call THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS David Tom (Billy) an overnight success. Sure, he's one of daytime's hottest new faces, but Tom, 21, was acting long before he landed the role of Jill's spoiled-rotten son this past summer. As he puts it, he's been earning his keep as a performer "since I was three, walking down a catwalk."
Perhaps it is an easy mistake to make - assuming that daytime just rolled out the red carpet for Tom and he came strolling into the limelight. After all, his big sister happens to be Y&R's two- time Emmy winner Heather Tom (Victoria) But despite her obvious connections, she did little to help him get a spot on her show besides putting in a good word. When it came down to landing the role, her handsome sibling smiles, "It was me in the audition." From the outside, Tom appears to have been born under a lucky star, and then, through fate, became one The truth is, neither her nor his famous siblings - Tom's twin sister Nicholle played Maggie Sheffield on the CBS sitcom THE NANNY - would have made it had they had not been hard working and tenacious. Unlike Billy Abbot, Tom was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nor, despite the difficulties in his early years, would he have wanted to have been. "I wouldn't trade anything, any experience that I've had," he says. "I'm actually glad that I live a life with hard times."
Hard time were a way of life for Tom and his family. His parents divorced when he was young , and the three kids lived with their mother Marie. Tom's father was absent for most of his upbringing: "It wasn't easy," says a reflective Tom, but it defiantly taught me life."
Life Lesson 101 was in making ends meet. While other kids their age were busy being kids, Tom and his sisters were working to help support the family. Tom found success as a child model in the Chicago area, where he was born. When Tom was ten, the family picked up and relocated from Seattle to Los Angeles for a determined shot at the big time.
The gamble paid off, but not with some sacrifice. At least at first, the Toms were hardly living the Hollywood lifestyles. "It was tough," notes the actor. "We lived in a studio apartment with eight other people, a dog and a cat." Despite the cramped quarters and the uncertain future, Tom looks back on the experience as fun.
But as it turned out, things changed pretty quickly. In 1989, less than a year after making the big move, Tom got the family's first break by landing three jobs: a commercial, a sitcom called A BRAND NEW LIFE and leading role in a play. Tom was suddenly the family breadwinner, but he insists that he was too young to feel the burden that had fallen squarely on his shoulders. "I didn't really understand what was going on. I was just excited to see myself on television."
Unfortunately, A BRAND NEW LIFE was canceled , but Tom's role in the play kept the family afloat financially and committed to living in LA for another six months. Shortly after that, in 1991, Heather landed Y&R, and David went on to win small roles in movies like 1993's "Swing Kids" and 1998's "Pleasantville."
Tom claims that his new role on Y&R is his "greatest accomplishment" to date. He finds the pace of soaps challenging and is grateful to be working with - and learning from - pros like Jess Walton (Jill) Although he and heather do not see each other much on the set, they often critique each other's work. "We have always supported each other in our acting." says Tom. "There is no competition." Nothing matters more to Tom than to be good at the only think in life that he wants to do. "There were times when it was tough and I questioned if I really wanted to be an actor," he confesses. "But I know now that I will be one until the day I die." And a successful one, too .. even if it didn't happen overnight!
*This page was last updated on February 16, 2000*
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