BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- Heather Tom has been one of the cast members of the CBS daytime drama “The Bold and the Beautiful” since 2007. During her run on the series, she also at times has stepped behind the camera to write a script or direct an episode. She had never thought about doing all three until the idea came up for her to write, direct and star in a special episode of the daytime drama that will be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. March 27. This gigantic challenge is being done in connection with Women’s History Month and also is timed to pay tribute to the 35 years Tom has spent working in daytime television. “It’s never been done in daytime before for logistical reasons,” Tom says. “And it has only been done a handful of times across all television platforms. “But it sounded amazing, and I was onboard for it.” ‘Mid-Century Modern’ looking for its own comedy path Why this is such a rare feat starts with the writing. Along with having her regular day job as an actress, Tom had to find time to pen the script. As she has done in the past, Tom worked closely with Bradley Bell who is the executive producer and head writer of “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Then there is the crushing demand of being an actor on daytime television as she plays the character of Katie Logan. Because of the daily nature of the format, cast and crew must be able to produce a one-hour episode in a day, a feat with primetime programs that can take as much as eight days. The most difficult part was the directing. Actors who direct themselves in feature films or primetime television can control the action from the set. The speedy nature of daytime TV has the director sitting in a control booth where they can move from camera to camera. “You literally have to be in two places at once,” Tom says. Tom was able to guide the action from the set as she performed with the help through a bank of monitors that allowed her to see which shots were available. Tom had another director, Jennifer Howard, sit in the booth and make the moves between the various cameras. The episode Tom wrote features some very dramatic moments for her and some of the other cast members. After those scenes were filmed, she went to the booth to take a quick look at the footage to make sure they had the dramatic impact necessary. Taking on this historical challenge required someone with strong credentials in the daytime world. Tom has earned six Daytime Emmy Awards and holds the record for being the most Emmy Award nominations by anyone under the age of 40. Fifth season of ‘The Chosen’ looks at ‘Last Supper’ Tom joined the Directors Guild of America in 2016 and has helmed episodes of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “The Young and the Restless,” “Good Trouble” and “Dynasty.” Before becoming part of “The Bold and the Beautiful” cast, Tom spent 13 years starring as Victoria Newman on “The Young and the Restless” and three years starring as Kelly Cramer Buchanan on “One Life to Live.” The Illinois native’s work has not been confined to daytime. Along with a long list of stage credits, Tom has appeared in  “Ugly Betty,” “The Wedding Bells,” “Criminal Minds,” “The Mentalist,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Lucifer,” “Monk,” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” All her acting credits went into making her a better director in the daytime arena. She knows what it is like to make sure she is getting the most emotion out of a season while staying on a tight timetable. “My unique qualification to be a director is that I understand actors very well. I speak their language,” Tom says. “I do understand what it is like to be lost inside of something and have to fight your way through it. “It is also very, very important to me that the actors are comfortable and confident that whatever performance they are going to give, I am capturing it so that it resonates in the final product.” A big part of the emotional element of the episode is that the storyline deals with mothers and daughters. The construction of the script used the contrast of mothers and daughters dealing with triumph and tragedy. Tom’s role in the family drama comes from the fact that her character provides the moral center for all the Logan women. Rick’s Picks: The best baseball movies The actors who have major roles in the special episode made Tom’s work easier because she thinks of them as family on the show and away from the set. “I was very excited to write these scenes, to act in these scenes,” Tom says. “I love these actors and think they are wonderful.” And now they are part of television history accomplished by Tom. ...read more read less