It was about twelve years ago that David Tom walked off the set of The Young and the Restless for the final time as Billy Abbott. He fully expected to be closing the door on the character and looked forward to exploring other options. Last October Tom was auditioning in LA and had given up on finding work. He was preparing to move back to NYC when his agent submitted him for a new role on Y&R. At the time Tom thought he was testing for the part of Paul’s son and he felt a little awkward about returning to the show as a different character in spite of so many years having passed.
When Y&R finally clued him in to the fact that the part that he was vying for was actually Billy, Tom told Soap Opera Digest that he was absolutely relieved. He also didn’t mind having to go through the whole auditioning process for a role that actually won him a Daytime Emmy, because Billy has been through so many life-altering experiences in the last 12 years.
Tom seems to really be enjoying his crash course on all-things-Billy and catching up on the characters life. It’s obviously helping him to connect with the character that he once knew so well and he is loving being back on set at CBS. Tom says his first scenes were with Jess Walton and it felt like no time has passed. He has also had a blast reconnecting with his old friends and making some new ones along the way. Still, Tom realizes that Billy Miller was extremely popular with Y&R’s fans and so he knows that he is going to have to work hard to win their support. Will you be tuning in to give Tom a chance? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below or on our Soap Opera Spy Facebook page!