Tom Pelphrey is an American actor born on 28 July 1982, and best known for playing the roles of Jonathan Randall, Ben Davis and Mick Dante in the television series “Guiding Light”, “Ozark”, and “As the World Turns” respectively. Tom also famously played Ward Meachum in the Netflix original series “Iron Fist”.
Pelphrey’s career started on stage after his graduation in 2004, and he moved on to television in the same year. One could say he hit the ground running from that point forwards. His breakthrough role as antihero Jonathan Randall earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards (2006 and 2008). Tom’s outstanding performance singled him out and quickly announced him as one of the best young actors of his time.
Rising to fame in an industry as populated and competitive like the film industry is a great feat. It is as much a proof of talent as it is of good fortune. Not so many get to climb the ladder fast enough to become relevant and recognized, and that makes it something of a big deal when anyone does. Tom has worked his way up in a star-studded and talent-filled industry, and in this piece, we will take a look at how he has done this. Keep reading to learn more about not only his acting career, but personal life, family, and net worth among other things. First, see these ten facts about Tom Pelphrey.
10 interesting Tom Pelphrey facts
- Tom’s foray into acting was influenced by his high school teacher, who encouraged him to audition for a play and uncovered his passion for acting.
- He is a two time Emmy Award-winning actor, winning the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series in 2006 and 2008 for his role as Jonathan Randall on the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light”.
- Paul started dating “Guiding Light” co-star Gina Tognoni in 2005, and the relationship only lasted for nine months before their breakup, which disappointed their fans.
- The “Ozark” star is a hunk of a man with a muscular body, and he is about 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) in height and weighs around 168 Ibs (76 kg).
- After years in theatre and television, Tom made his film debut in 2008 in the film “Birds of America” as Hitchhiker.
- He has received nods from awards like Critics Choice Award, Daytime Emmy Awards, Festival Prize, Satellite Award, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Gold Derby TV Awards, OFTA Television Awards, Soap Opera Digest Awards, and so on.
- In 2016, Tom revealed on social media that he was dating “Banshee” star Lili Simmons, but the relationship didn’t last too long either, and in 2021 he is single after he and actress Jaimie Alexander, who played Sif in the film “Thor” (2011), broke up their relationship.
- In 2012, he appeared with the Broadway cast of the musical drama “End of the Rainbow” as Mickey Deans, and in 2015, he was a cast of the Broadway show “Fool for Love”.
- While in school, Tom starred in several stage plays like “Two Gentlemen of Verona”, “Bus Stop”, and “Pursuit and Perception”.
- His career spans 15 years, and he has amassed a decent amount of wealth in that time, with his net worth currently estimated to be worth around $12 million.
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Early life and education
Tom Pelphrey was born on 28 July 1982 in Howell, New Jersey, United States of America, to parents Richard and Laurie Pelphrey. He grew up with his younger brother Robert Pelphrey. Not much information is available about his upbringing or childhood.
He completed his high school education at Howell High School in 2000. Later, he enrolled at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2004.
Career – Tom Pelphrey movies and TV shows
Tom’s acting journey started during his high school days after one of his teachers encouraged him to audition for a play. He took the suggestion and soon realised he actually had a passion for the craft. Thus began his pursuit of an acting career. He went ahead to study Fine Arts in college, and on graduating in 2004, he continued to participate in stage plays. It wasn’t long before he landed his first television role. He has continued to soar ever since.
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Guiding Light
“Guiding Light” is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in Guinness World Records as the second-longest-running drama in television in American history. The show aired on CBS for 57 years between 30 June 1952 and 18 September 2009. When it started airing, the show centred on Reverend John Ruthledge and those people’s lives that revolved around him. It, however, underwent a series of plot changes in the course of its 57-year run. Many other elements and families were introduced to the show, and thus the story evolved.
Tom joined the cast in September 2004 and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of anti-hero Jonathan Randall. Jonathan was the son of royalty, and this put him in a particularly precarious position. While still a child, he was placed in the care of Marissa and Alfred Randall. After suffering years of abuse at the hand of Alfred, he arrived in Springfield as the thuggish ‘JB’ to wreak revenge on the family that had abandoned him. Jonathan engaged in many misdemeanours including, drugging his aunt to make it seem like they slept together, faking his own death, and a long list of blackmail and sabotage.
Tom appeared in 154 episodes between 2004 and 2009. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in 2005 and won it the following year in April 2006. For the same series, Pelphrey won his second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in 2008.
As The World Turns
“As the World Turns” is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years, from 2 April 1956 to 17 September 2010. With a total of 13,858 episodes, the show holds the record of the fourth longest-running daytime TV show in American television history. The story followed the lives of the Hughes, Snyder and Walsh families, who are the predominant forces in Oakdale, Illinois and have quite a history. Many of the various family members and friends struggle to do the right thing as they follow their hearts.
Pelphrey signed a contract to play Mick on the show in 2009. Mick was a medical researcher developing a youth serum who claims to be the deceased James Stenbeck. Tom’s run ended in February 2010 when his character was sent to prison for his misdeeds. He earned an Emmy prenomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Mick Dante.
Ozark season 3
“Ozark” is an American crime drama streaming television series that debuted on Netflix in 2017. It follows the story of Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (played by Laura Linney), a married couple who relocate their family to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, for money laundering. When the Byrdes arrive in Missouri, they become entangled with local criminals including, the Langmores, Snell families, and later the Kansas City Mafia.
Tom joined the series in its third season, playing the character Ben Davis, Wendy’s brother, who suffers from bipolar disorder. After getting fired from his job as a substitute teacher, Ben moves in with the Byrdes. Later in season 3, he becomes romantically involved with Ruth Langmore, Marty’s friend and business partner.
Iron Fist
Iron Fist is a Netflix original American television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.
It follows the return of Danny Rand to New York after being presumed dead for 15 years. Danny plans to reclaim his family company from Harold Meachum and his children Ward and Joy Meachum. When a threat emerges, Rand must choose between his family’s legacy and his duties as the Iron Fist.
Tom plays the role of Ward Meachum, the son of Harold Meachum, a childhood acquaintance of Rand. As a result of Rand’s return, Ward’s work building up Rand Enterprises with his sister Joy is threatened.
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Personal life
For his personal life, it is known that Pelphrey has never been married, though he has been romantically involved with a number of known faces. He was in a relationship with actress Gina Tognoni in 2005 which lasted for nine months.
Gina is known for her role in various daytime soap operas such as “One Life to Live”, “Guiding Light”, and “The Young and the Restless“. As a result of how close they were, it came as a surprise to fans when their relationship ended.
In 2016, he confirmed through a social media post that he was dating “Banshee” actress Lili Simmons. This relationship was short-lived too, and nothing is known about the reason for the breakup.
In 2018, Tom moved on to date Jaimie Alexander who played the character of Sif in the film Thor. The relationship however followed the same pattern as his previous ones. Tom has been single since then, except of course if he is dating secretly.
Tom Pelphrey net worth
As mentioned earlier, Tom’s career spans 15 years and he has amassed a decent amount of wealth in that time. Tom has also worked on the video game “Homefront” as the voice of Connor Morgan. He currently has a net worth of $12 million, and his wealth is expected to keep soaring as he continues to land lucrative acting gigs.
Latest news on Tom Pelphrey
Not a lot has been heard of Tom in recent times, but there is the issue of dissatisfaction among “Ozark” fans about how his character was killed off. Tom brings something special to every project, and fans had fallen in love with his character on the “Ozark” series. However, he had to leave the series to film the 2020 movie “Mank”. Fans were holding on to hopes that he might make a surprise appearance in the next season of Ozark, but that hope was dashed by the show’s creators, who say Ben Davis is actually dead and will stay so.
Conclusion
The film industry is flooded with talent, and it takes an extra something for anyone to stand out. Tom seems to have that extra something going on for him. He is loved in every role he plays, and this will draw many filmmakers to him because he is marketable. One hopes he keeps picking the right materials so he an maintain his course to the top.
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