Biographie
Tommy Perna served as producer on the Independent Spirit Award nominated, critically acclaimed feature length film Mayor of the Sunset Strip, which made its world premiere as the centerpiece of the 2003 IFP/Los Angeles Film Festival,, Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival At Lincoln Center and The Royal London Film Festival. The film was purchased for worldwide theatrical distribution by First Look Media/Lakeshore Entertainment for the second largest sale in the history of docs at the time. Written and directed by George Hickenlooper, the film tells the story of music and fame through the eyes of pop impersario Rodney Bingenheimer and his friends David Bowie, Gwen Stefani, Coldplay, Courtney Love, Oasis, Brian Wilson, The Doors, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Mick Jagger, Brooke Shields, among many others. Mayor of the Sunset Strip marks the first feature film Perna has produced.
Perna began his producing journey in development at Viacom Productions for Daniel L. Paulson. He soon went on to produce, co-direct and star in the internationally acclaimed short Changes of Distance, which was screened and won awards at numerous international film festivals. Perna has served as a consultant on the documentary feature Rap Sheet: Hip Hop & The Cop's, has written a book of short stories entitled Silk City that's being developed for television and his new dark, campy series of short stories entitled My Mind's Eye (My Vitriolic Series Of Fantasies)
A native of Paterson, NJ, Perna started out on the New York stage as a dancer before moving on to star in numerous national commercials. He also enjoyed a short stint on the Emmy winning daytime drama Guiding Light.
Most recently, he played leading roles in the independent films Lava Lounge and Fuel.. Perna has appeared in several other films, including Deal starring Burt Reynolds, Factory Girl with Sienna Miller, The Big Brass Ring starring William Hurt, Beat starring Courtney Love and Kiefer Sutherland, Crime & Punishment in Suburbia starring Ellen Barkin, and George Hickenlooper's critically acclaimed The Man From Elysian Fields starring Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger and James Coburn.
In 2001, Perna starred in Proctor & Gamble's Emmy award winning "Dream Builder" series movie of the week Our Father. He has also guest-starred on a number of TV series, including Joey and Charmed & The Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Perna started painting about 20 years ago when a friend bought him an acrylic paint set as a gag gift and there's where the madness began..he has showed his work most recently at Los Angeles' ARTWALK in August 2010 to a packed house...
