Tom was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, and spent his childhood in the Roxbury, South Boston, and Dorchester sections of Boston. At the age of 18, he left home and embarked on a 21-year journey with the US Army, where he served as a Paratrooper for 12 years, including two tours of duty in Vietnam.
During his time in the Army, Tom worked his way up the enlisted ranks to become a Sergeant First Class and was later appointed as a Warrant Officer, eventually retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1973.
After retiring from the Army, Tom began his stage career while attending Ohio Dominican College in Columbus, Ohio under the G.I. Bill. He was cast in The Sound of Music and went on to star in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Hogan's Goat, and many other Community Theatre Productions in Ohio.
In 1980, Tom moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. Within six months, he became a member of SAG, AFTRA, and AEA. His most notable film performance was as Oly, the repo yard owner, in the cult classic "Repo Man."
In 1992, Tom received widespread recognition for his role as the principal performer in a Fedex commercial titled "Secretary," which was selected as the best commercial of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly and the runner-up for best commercial of 1992 by Time magazine.
Throughout his career, Tom's passion has been to portray Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" on stage. In 2013, he received his Master's Degree in Theatre Arts from California State University, San Bernardino.
Now retired from SAG/AFTRA, Tom currently lives a quiet life on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, where he spends his time writing plays, poetry, and his memoirs.
