Thomas Roy
Encyclopedia
Thomas Roy is an American
film
, television
and voice
actor
. Roy is, perhaps, best known for a small, but memorable, role as a street preacher in the 1995 film, 12 Monkeys, which was directed by Terry Gilliam
and co-starred Bruce Willis
, Brad Pitt
and Madeleine Stowe
.
Roy will star in the upcoming film, The Answer Man, which is directed by John Hindman and is scheduled for a July 24, 2009, release. He will appear opposite Jeff Daniels
, Lou Taylor Pucci
and Lauren Graham
in that film .
. He has a wife and son.
. Like many struggling actors, he often attended several casting calls in a day. He stated in a 2008 interview
with the Lancaster
Intelligencer Journal
that he, "always had to worry about the last job being my last job ever...All actors worry about that — even Dame Judi Dench
and Diane Keaton
have admitted that."
One of Thomas Roy's best known roles was a small part as a street preacher in 12 Monkeys. Roy's character
in the film seems to recognize the movie's main character, James Cole, a time traveler portrayed by Bruce Willis
. Roy has also pursued a successful career as a voice over and live radio
actor
, but still continues to work on screen. "I have a safety net now...And what's great is that just before getting the callback for 'Romans,' I was going to go into semiretirement — but then I was asked to audition. I'm still marketable as an actor.," said Roy in the same 2008 interview.
Roy recently appeared in the television movie
, Home, starring Marcia Gay Harden
. Roy's theater roles include the play
Jacob's Choice, portraying an Amish
grandfather, Isaac Fisher, at the F/X Theatre in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
.
by John Hindman and filmed on location in Philadelphia, co-stars Jeff Daniels
, Lou Taylor Pucci
, Lauren Graham
and Roy. Roy will play an alcoholic father who welcomes back his son, played by Taylor Pucci, who returns home from drug rehab. Roy commented on his role in Dream of the Romans, "My character is a drunk, but likable. The tone is light and altruistic. I just loved the script
."
In late 2009 Roy played Old Man Harrison in "Night Catches Us," written/directed by Tanya Hamilton and starring Anthony Mackie of "The Hurt Locker." The producers are currently seeking theatrical distribution.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and voice
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Roy is, perhaps, best known for a small, but memorable, role as a street preacher in the 1995 film, 12 Monkeys, which was directed by Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
and co-starred Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and Madeleine Stowe
Madeleine Stowe
Madeleine Mora Stowe is an American actress. She rose to prominence appearing in films such as Stakeout, Revenge, Unlawful Entry, The Last of the Mohicans, Blink, China Moon, 12 Monkeys, and We Were Soldiers...
.
Roy will star in the upcoming film, The Answer Man, which is directed by John Hindman and is scheduled for a July 24, 2009, release. He will appear opposite Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci is an American actor who first appeared on film in Rebecca Miller's well received Personal Velocity: Three Portraits in 2002....
and Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
in that film .
Personal life
Thomas Roy was born in the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia and raised in Hatboro, Montgomery Co, Pennsylvania]]. He currently resides in Lebanon, PennsylvaniaLebanon, Pennsylvania
Lebanon, formerly known as Steitztown, is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461...
. He has a wife and son.
Career
Roy began pursuing his career as a young actor in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Like many struggling actors, he often attended several casting calls in a day. He stated in a 2008 interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with the Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
Intelligencer Journal
Intelligencer Journal
The Intelligencer Journal, known locally as the Intell, is the daily, morning newspaper published by Lancaster Newspapers, Inc in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is the 7th oldest newspaper in the United States and one of the oldest newspapers to be continually published under the same name...
that he, "always had to worry about the last job being my last job ever...All actors worry about that — even Dame Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
and Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
have admitted that."
One of Thomas Roy's best known roles was a small part as a street preacher in 12 Monkeys. Roy's character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the film seems to recognize the movie's main character, James Cole, a time traveler portrayed by Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
. Roy has also pursued a successful career as a voice over and live radio
Live radio
Live radio is radio broadcast without delay. Before the days of television, audiences listened to live dramas, comedies, quiz shows, and concerts on the radio much the same way that they now do on TV. Most talk radio is live radio where people can speak about their opinions/lives....
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, but still continues to work on screen. "I have a safety net now...And what's great is that just before getting the callback for 'Romans,' I was going to go into semiretirement — but then I was asked to audition. I'm still marketable as an actor.," said Roy in the same 2008 interview.
Roy recently appeared in the television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
, Home, starring Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden is an American film and theatre actress. Harden's breakthrough role was in Miller's Crossing and then The First Wives Club which was followed by several roles which gained her wider fame including the hit comedy Flubber and Meet Joe Black...
. Roy's theater roles include the play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
Jacob's Choice, portraying an Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
grandfather, Isaac Fisher, at the F/X Theatre in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania
Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community with parts lying in East Lampeter Township, and Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County in the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community has a large Amish and Mennonite population...
.
Future projects
Thomas Roy finished filming, The Answer Man, a dark comedy which had a 2009 release. The film, which is directedFilm director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by John Hindman and filmed on location in Philadelphia, co-stars Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci
Lou Taylor Pucci is an American actor who first appeared on film in Rebecca Miller's well received Personal Velocity: Three Portraits in 2002....
, Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
and Roy. Roy will play an alcoholic father who welcomes back his son, played by Taylor Pucci, who returns home from drug rehab. Roy commented on his role in Dream of the Romans, "My character is a drunk, but likable. The tone is light and altruistic. I just loved the script
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
."
In late 2009 Roy played Old Man Harrison in "Night Catches Us," written/directed by Tanya Hamilton and starring Anthony Mackie of "The Hurt Locker." The producers are currently seeking theatrical distribution.