Tom Hughes question
Alright, I guess it's up to me to kick off the classic ATWT forum. Now, granted, I've only been watching ATWT since AW ended, but I've done a lot of reading on its history. I even bought the book! Anyway...
Everyone knows that Tom and Margo are soul mates and are ment to be together (3 different Toms and 4 Margos has proven that! How many other couples can have that many recasts and stay together?). My question is this, not counting Margo, who did you think was Tom's greatest love? The only person I can think of that was romanticly linked to Tom other than Margo (and Emily or Barbara ) was Natalie Bannon. However, I don't know too much about the nature of their relationship or marriage. Was Natalie Tom's other great love? Was it someone else?
His marriage with Carol was kind of nice, but her true love was Jay & they were a great couple! Better than Carol & Steve. I'm too young to remember it (although I'm sure I watched it) but I know my mom liked them together. I don't remember being impressed by his marriage to Natalie. It didn't last very long. Then came Babs (who I read he dated before when she was first on played by someone else around 1970) and I felt so bad for him when she dumped him at the altar for James! Tom did date Margo's aunt & Margo stole him away. I just loved Tom & Margo (the chemistry was so strong that it was no shock when Justin Deas & Margaret Colin got together in real life!) Margo is Tom's greatest love. And Tom is her only love (she never loved James or Alec.)
Re: Loverboy Tom
I agree with the above that Carol was probably Tom's other great love but then they were so young too.
One coupling that I and alot of others felt would work was that of Tom and Annie. I believe at the time that Julie Ridley and C. David Colson or maybe Tom Tammi were playing Annie and Tom. Neither had much of a storyline at the time and there was alot of talk in Soap Digest and Daytime TV magazine about a possible coupling.
Another coupling that many liked. I didn't care for it too much was that of Tom and Margo's aunt Maggie. I like the character of Maggie. She is the kind of character that ATWT needs in the DA's office. Mary Lynda Rapeyle was good in the role -- who was lucky in career but unlucky in love. I love the character of Jessica and love TAmara Tunie but she is not tough enough on witnesses and defendants to be the DA. That is just my opinion I guess.
But I would agree that Margo is Tom's true love and I guess CArol would follow in there somewhere.
But, there were other love interests back in the beginning.
In fact, the character of Carol was dropped by the show and she was not seen for maybe as long as a year.
That was when Tom was dating Meredith Halliday (Nina Hart), the ward of Simon Gilbey (Jerry Lacy). And, during that time, also, the character of Ellie (Swoozie Kurtz) was seen - and she appeared to have quite a crush on Tom also.
Ellie was just a walk-on, recurring role, though.
But, the writers changed (possibly this was when Irna Phillips returned to the show, but I am not sure) and Simon and Meredith were dropped.
Tom was at a party, and suddenly, we saw Carol. She had been off the show, and she commented, "It is good to see you, Tom. I haven't been seeing you for a long time."
And, she remained his girlfriend/love interest from that point on.
And, it is correct that Tom and Barbara dated back when Donna Wandrey played the role. I watched the show back then, but I do NOT remember either Judi Rolin (who I had loved on The Secret Storm) or Barbara Stranger in the role of Barbara. Donna Wandrey is the first one that I remember.
Re: Tom
I would loved to have seen Barbara Stanger in the role. She is a good actress and and quite beautiful too. The only role I really remember her in is as Mary Anderson on Days of Our Lives. I always thought she had great chemistry with Josh Taylor as Chris Kositchek on that show. I see from history that not only did Ms. Stanger play Barbara she also played Laura on Love Is A Many Splendored Thing for awhile.
Of course I do love Colleen Zenk Pinter as Babs but this another example Matt of characters getting younger. Barbara Stanger is definitely older than Colleen Zenk Pinter. And just about all the other Tom's have been older than Scott Holmes. I even believe and I may have this wrong but even Richard Thomas who played Tom as a child is older than Scott Holmes.
Re: Tom
An oddball preference, but I thought the person with the most chemistry with Scott Holmes as Tom was Margaret Reed as Shannon. When Hilary Bailey Smith was off having her baby (who ended up being Adam), there was a chance that HBS would not return to the role, so Doug tried out Shannon with Tom (since Duancan was off the show at that period). Shannon helped Tom with Lien and the two really sparked...but then HBS re-signed, and that coupling never came to anything. What could have been...
) was Natalie Bannon. However, I don't know too much about the nature of their relationship or marriage. Was Natalie Tom's other great love? Was it someone else?
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