Soap Hub Performer of the Week for B&B: Naomi Matsuda

 

Finn being gone on The Bold and the Beautiful still doesn’t seem tangible given how quickly he was taken but the powerful reaction of his mother Li, played by Naomi Matsuda, is undeniably real. For her performance as a parent who is still protecting her son, Soap Hub gives Performer of the Week for B&B honors to Naomi Matsuda.

Naomi Matsuda

Naomi Matsuda was a standout in the Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) wedding reception scenes last summer when the groom’s birth mother Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) made a surprise appearance, revealing connection to Finn. Even in a group scene, Matsuda shined as a mother, determined to protect her son.

Alas, we haven’t seen all that much of the actress since then but that didn’t lessen the connection viewers felt as Li showed up at the hospital, grieving her son, and refusing to let Sheila see her child’s corpse. “He’s not your son, Sheila,” Li shot back at the naughty nanny after she expressed a desire to have one more visit with the child she birthed. “Finn is my son!”

After Ridge (Thorsten Kaye) and Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) excused themselves to get coffee, Finn’s two mothers were left alone and the intensity between them increased. “No, I’m looking after Finn now,” Li firmly explained when Sheila persisted. Naomi Matsuda showed Li’s humanity when she expressed sympathy and concern for Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and little Hayes, her grandson.

In group scenes as other characters doled out expository dialogue, Matsuda held her gaze on Sheila. She wasn’t going to give her any chance to achieve her objective – getting to see Finn’s body. Even Taylor (Krista Allen) at one point was subtly taken aback by Li’s determination. (Could there be an unknown reason why Li was acting this way? And where is Jack Finnegan, played by Ted King, Finn’s father, in all this?)

“You said your goodbyes when you gave him away,” Li shot at Sheila. “You chose not to be a part of his life!” Later, Ridge tried to comfort Li, pointing out that he knew Li was very proud of Finn. “How proud I am,” Li corrected, opting to use the present tense. (Hmm…) “I will always be proud of Finn.”

Perhaps Finn’s fate will give the outstanding Naomi Matsuda opportunities to shine. We certainly hope so. Based on these recent performances, B&B has a talented, strong actress in the talented Matsuda.

Honorable Mention: Big kudos to Finn’s other TV mother – Kimberlin Brown (Sheila). Sheila’s done some outlandish things over the years, many of which she’s deeply regretted. However, we’ve never quite seen Sheila’s insides being eaten up like they were after she realized she’d not only committed murder but she killed her own son! Here’s hoping we see more scenes between Brown and Naomi Matsuda as this story continues to unfold.