with Matthew Atkinson (Thomas, B&B)
■ Does Thomas feel bad about deceiving Zoe when he still wants Hope? “In his heart, I believe Thomas is a good guy. I genuinely believe that, but multiple times it has been apparent that he has allowed himself to compartmentalize his conscience in the pursuit of getting his son a mother. I think he’s tricking himself into thinking that Zoe is not getting deep feelings for him, which is not a great thing to do, but this is Thomas Forrester and once he focuses on one thing, that’s it.”
He seems pleased with the separation of Ridge and Brooke. “That makes him ecstatic. The last thing he wants to hear is Brooke saying one more word about how she can’t stand Thomas or thinks Thomas needs to be put in a mental institution. Brooke came in and ruined his family and since then he has had this animosity toward her, whether he likes it or not. At times, he has been able to put that aside in his life. He worked together with her years ago but lately, she stopped showing any sort of support for him as a person. As soon as everyone found out the truth about the baby, she has not given one inch, or even tried to give Thomas five seconds to explain himself. She has completely shut herself off, and he sees that.” Does Thomas believe he’ll succeed in splitting them up for good? “I think there’s a part of Thomas that realizes that this is not going to be easy and just because it looks like they’re stepping apart from each other doesn’t mean that they necessarily are, because it happens over and over again. Ridge always finds his way back to Brooke, so I think he’s tentative. It looks like it’s happening, but he also, in the back of his mind, is prepared for the worst.”
Are you enjoying Thomas’s rivalry with Liam? “As far as shooting those scenes goes, I love working with Scott [Clifton, Liam]. We constantly goof off right up until, ‘Action,’ cracking jokes and making fun of each other. But, as fun as these scenes are to hate each other, I think it’s even harder to not show how much I like Scott. At the end of those scenes, I think it’s the hardest thing in the world to not look into his soul and see this really good guy that I love to death. But, I think in a way that gives an interesting level to these scenes. I think Liam, in his heart, kind of respects Thomas in a couple of ways, and one of those ways is something he’s never been able to do, which is unparalleled commitment. That’s something that Thomas has that Liam has never had — and I think he sees that and he’s kind of envious of that. I also think there are things about Liam that Thomas is envious about as well. His easygoingness makes him lovable and a genuinely good person. I think that Thomas sees that and is a little envious of that because that’s not who he is at the heart of things. He’s so focused and so stubborn that he doesn’t allow himself to enjoy life, which is something that Liam is able to do. That’s a fun contrast that speaks on screen, even if it’s not in the dialogue.”