Biography
Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, Tom showed a great interest and talent for the arts from a very early age. He started piano lessons at the age of 8. At the age of 14, and armed with his parents' 8mm movie camera, Tom began making films, which he continued to do throughout high school and college, and into adulthood. He is also an accomplished artist and sculptor, and transitioned to painting in oils at the age of 11. Commensurate with his artistic talents, Tom's aptitude for math and science prompted him to study engineering upon entering college. He graduated from the University of Missouri - Rolla in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering.
In 1981 while working in St. Louis, Tom made his acting debut as the lead in an award-winning student film, A Day in the Life, by his good friend and budding filmmaker, George Hickenlooper. In 1982, Tom executive produced another Hickenlooper student film, Newark Needs Insurance, for which he also composed, performed and recorded the musical soundtrack. After moving to Southern California, Tom enrolled in an acting class taught by Guy Stockwell, a seasoned Hollywood character actor and mentor. Encouraged by Guy's thoughtful coaching, Tom made his stage acting debut in 1987, singing and dancing as a sailor in the Redondo Beach Community Theater production of "South Pacific". He continued with the community theater to play the roles of both Mr. Jenkins and Benjamin Burton Daniel Ovington, in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in 1988. Then in 1996, Tom appeared in yet another Hickenlooper film, Dogtown (1997) which would be Tom's first Hollywood film. Since then, Tom has continued to hone his craft performing in independent short and feature films, music videos, television ads, and industry videos as well as acting on stage when the opportunity presents itself. Tom recently starred in his first leading role in a motion picture as Arthur Huff in Julian Jay Burton's independent crime/drama/mystery film, Dormant (2018).
