The Young and the Tireless

by Steve Cohen

SOAP DISH

Heather Tom, the tall, tempestuous Kelly on One Life to Live, will come to Philadelphia Tuesday to cook and host a dinner party at The Moshulu to benefit ActionAIDS.

The 29-year-old (pictured) is a two-time Emmy Award-winner for her leading role on The Young and the Restless, which she played from 1991 to 2003.

"Cooking, acting and politics are my three greatest interests," she told City Paper, "so this gives me the chance to do two of those. In a way, all three because I'm not really a professional chef." She will work with the cooking team at The Moshulu, preparing ceviche, bruschetta and roast loin of pork, and will mingle with guests at the cocktail party and sit-down dinner.

Brought to Los Angeles by her mom in 1988, Tom took classes at the Young Actors Space, paying for sessions with money she earned working at a cookie shop. She subsequently co-founded the Creative Outlet Theater in Los Angeles for young actors, where she played Daisy in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues. She also produced and starred in Gila, a play by Mark Medoff (Children of a Lesser God), which included sign language. This led to her being cast opposite Marlee Matlin on an episode of Law and Order. "I got to work with Jerry Orbach," she relates, "and he was very, very nice to me. When I saw him a year ago, there was no indication that he was sick." (Orbach died of cancer two weeks ago.)

She switched from Y & R to One Life to Live because the latter is shot in New York and she wants to do more theater. In March, she opens off-Broadway as Chrysothemis in a production of Elektra opposite Marisa Tomei. She also has been branching out in other ways: Politically, she worked with both Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez's and the Rock the Vote campaign last year and has been active with AIDS projects, including cooking for Project Angel Food in Southern California.

ActionAIDS Benefit, Tue., Jan. 18, 6 p.m. cocktails, $50, 8 p.m. dinner, $150, The Moshulu, 401 S. Columbus Blvd., 215-923-2500.