Performer Of The Week

No matter how seasoned an actor is, beginning a new role is tough. Now, imagine coming in as a recast and playing against type during a crossover storyline. Tom accomplished this during his second week in Llanview, when Paul stole Babe's son from ALL MY CHILDREN and gave the infant to his sister, Kelly, who'd had a stillbirth on OLTL. In one day, Tom shed his nice-guy image from YOUNG AND RESTLESS (where he played Billy) to play sly, shady Paul - with a twist.
What made Tom's portrayal so intriguing is that Paul performed horrible deeds, but his motives weren't purely evil. Generous impulses - couples with a shocking lack of scruples - led to his bad behaviors, not greed or selfishness. Tom effectively conveyed Paul's mixed emotions as events forced him to make snap decisions. When babe (who is technically still his wife) called Paul for help in delivering her child (who could be his), he spoke in a low voice to soothe her. But as he looked around the cabin and saw Bianca, who has just given birth, his movements became desperate the viewers could practically see the idea to steal a bay take shape. When he called Kelly to tell her he "got" her a child, he chocked back tears of happiness for her. As Kelly balked, his tone hardened and he barked, "Shake it off! It's now or never."
After, Paul drugged Babe and faked a helicopter crash so it would look like one of the babies dies. During the despicable act, he continued to care for his ex. But when he held the baby, he started to awe. His face lit up as he assured the tot (and himself) that "you're meant to be Kelly's"
By the time Paul handed the boy over to his sister (played by Tom's real-life sibling, Heather Tom), he had convinced us that he believed he was doing the right thing. His eyes lowered, and he gently placed the baby in Kelly's arms, smiling. "Baby, here's your Mom," he whispered, as Kelly stared at him in shock. "He's yours. There's no going back now."
Nope, there isn't , and we should hate Paul for what he has done. But David Tom has imbued the character with enough tenderness that while we can see that he has misplaced his conscience and lost all common sense, he still has plenty of heart.