Exclusive: B&B's Heather Tom On What's Next For Katie And Bill

Howard Wise/jpistudios.com

Katie has had her hackles up about the new woman in Bill's life, Poppy, for months — and just played a role in Poppy's arrest on suspicion of murder. Soap Opera Digest spoke to her portrayer, Heather Tom, about what this could mean for the future of the oft-married Katie and Bill.

Soap Opera Digest: Katie clearly thinks that Poppy is genuinely a threat to people she loves. But do you also think there’s an undercurrent of jealousy over the intimacy of the relationship Bill and Poppy have been forging?

Heather Tom: Yeah  — I mean, I certainly think that even though she says she’s not jealous, we can assume that Bill and Katie, no matter how much they say they’ve moved on from each other, they never really fully move on. And they certainly don't love seeing one or the other with another person! So I do think part of that is playing into this, absolutely. But she is legitimately concerned, and that plays into her motivation for going down this road. I don’t think it’s purely jealousy that is motivating her by any means.

Digest: How would you describe what went through Katie’s head when she was made privy to the letter in Poppy’s possession from Tom?

Tom: I think it kind of brings right into view for Katie and answers multiple questions. It answers, “Well, she could possibly be lying about Luna [being Bill’s daughter],” which is something Katie has been skeptical about the entire time. Then also, it gives her motive for killing these two people, because she’s got this nice cushy life and has clearly moved right in! And she is not the kind of person who is like, “Oh, maybe I’ll sit on this.” That’s just not who she is! She really has been trying to drive home to Bill, “This is moving too fast, maybe you should take a step back. And then the idea of Bill being in true danger just makes it more imperative for her to take action.

Digest: A lot of fans are wondering what all this could portend for Bill and Katie. What’s your take on that?

Tom: I think when you have two characters that kind of changed each other in such a profound way…. I mean, Katie was a certain person before Bill came to town and before they had their relationship and then he really changed her worldview. He changed how she saw herself, he changed how she saw what she could accomplish and do and gave her that confidence and that ambition to go after what she wants. And so he really transformed her, who she is and her life trajectory. And I think in a lot of ways, she did the same for him. Whenever you have two characters that impact each other in that way, that’s not something that just goes away. I think that’s definitely something that is always there between them, and on daytime, especially, that's something that plays out over many, many years. I think that Katie will always love Bill. That’s just in her. And so I think there is always that potential to rekindle that relationship.

Digest: What do you think would be interesting about Bill and Katie reconnecting at this stage in their lives, particularly with an older Will in the mix?

Tom: I think their relationship would be different. I think I'd like to see it be different in that now that they’ve been through so much and have their son back home — and who knows what kind of trouble he’s going to get into? Hopefully a lot [laughs]! I think that having that dynamic is going to change the way they relate to each other. Do they agree with their life choices? Is he going to be a kid that takes after Bill’s darker instincts? Does he have that inside him? I think that dynamic could be interesting to explore.

Digest: Now that Poppy is under arrest, how is Katie feeling about that development?

Tom: I think she’s vindicated, but I don’t think she takes pleasure in it. I think she’s relieved that her family is going to be safe and that justice is going to prevail. But I don’t think she is taking pleasure in seeing this go down and seeing Luna hurt and even the conflicted feelings that Bill has. But at the same time, I don’t think that there’s any question in her mind that [involving the police] was the right thing to do and that it had to be done. The conflict comes from, this is a terrible situation that she wishes never had to happen.

Digest: Does it create tension between Bill and Katie?

Tom: At this point, he is mostly trying to figure out how he is going to deal with Luna; that’s really where his mind is. And at this point, Katie is really trying to make sure that he gets another paternity test, because she’s going, “Well, you don’t really know if this thing is accurate! If Poppy can kill someone, then she can also fake a test!” So, his issue right now is really trying to figure out how he moves forward with this girl, and I think Katie is trying to walk a line there where she doesn’t disrespect his feelings about that, but at the same time, she’s really trying to push him to make sure he has the truth about things.

Digest: Well, I'm happy we're seeing more of you on screen and I know a lot of fans feel the same way.

Tom: It makes me feel good to hear that from people, and I have gotten that a lot from fans, which is so lovely. I'm so grateful for it and I hope people enjoy the story. It's fun and juicy and hopefully, people will have a good time watching it. I'm thrilled to be working, obviously, and to be in this storyline and I'm excited to see how it continues!