Tom Bodett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Bodett
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Bodett on Brattleboro Community Television in 2013
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Thomas Edward Bodett
February 23, 1955 Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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| Occupation | Author, voice actor, radio host, columnist |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Thomas Edward Bodett (born February 23, 1955) is an American author, voice actor, and radio personality. He is well-known for being the voice of the motel chain Motel 6. Since 1986, he has ended their commercials with his famous line, "I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we'll leave the light on for you." He also hosts and appears on many shows for National Public Radio (NPR).
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About Tom Bodett
Thomas Edward Bodett was born in Champaign, Illinois, on February 23, 1955. He grew up in Sturgis, Michigan. He lives in Dummerston, Vermont, and is part of the town's local government.
After moving to Vermont, Bodett started working with wood. In 2019, he helped start HatchSpace. This is a non-profit workshop in Brattleboro, Vermont. It allows people to use tools and work together on projects.
Tom Bodett's Career
Voice Acting and Spokesperson Roles
Motel 6 Commercials
In 1986, Tom Bodett was building houses in Homer, Alaska. He also contributed to a radio show called All Things Considered on NPR. An advertising director heard his voice on the radio. He thought Bodett's voice would be perfect for commercials for Motel 6.
Bodett was hired and, during one recording, he came up with the famous line, "We'll leave the light on for you." He has been the voice of Motel 6 ever since. The director chose him because he sounded like a friendly, relatable person.
Motel 6 started using Bodett's voice for their wake-up calls in 2000. They wanted to make people's mornings feel more personal. His voice was also used on the first Motel 6 podcast for the holidays.
In November 2015, Motel 6 launched a new advertising campaign. It featured Bodett's voice, talking about how the motels were being updated and improved.
In June 2025, Bodett filed a lawsuit against Motel 6. He claimed the motel chain had missed an annual payment he was supposed to receive. His contract with Motel 6 is set to end in November 2025. Motel 6 still uses his voice and tagline on their national phone reservation system.
Other Spokesperson Work
From 1993 to 1994, Bodett was also the spokesperson for Jamesway department stores. These stores were located in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. He recorded radio commercials for them. Jamesway was a discount store chain that closed down at the end of 1995.
Media Appearances
Radio Shows
Tom Bodett has hosted several radio programs. These include The End of the Road (from 1988 to 1990) and Bodett & Company (in 1993).
In 1999, he started The Loose Leaf Book Company. This radio show focused on interviews with authors, book discussions, and dramatic readings.
He has also been a regular guest on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. This is a popular news quiz show on National Public Radio. In 2015, he was a guest on an episode of Live Wire Radio.
Television Programs
Bodett hosted a public television show called Travels on America's Historic Trails in 1997. He also did voice-overs for the Animaniacs cartoon series. He voiced segments like "Mime Time" and "Good Idea/Bad Idea" with Mr. Skullhead. He also narrated the Animaniacs movie Wakko's Wish in 1999.
Online Articles
Bodett used to write a regular column for an online magazine called Mr. Showbiz.
Podcasts
Tom Bodett's name has been used in a funny way in The Adventure Zone podcast series. His name was given to several characters in the game. These characters were voiced by the show's Dungeon Master, Griffin McElroy. In the graphic novel based on the series, a character who looks like Bodett appears.
Writing Books
Tom Bodett is also an author. In 1999, he published his first book for children, called Williwaw!.
Published Works
- As Far As You Can Go Without a Passport (1986)
- Small Comforts (1987)
- The End of the Road (1989)
- The Big Garage on Clear Shot (1990)
- The Free Fall of Webster Cummings (1996)
- America's Historic Trails (1997)
- Williwaw! (2000)
- Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier (2004)
Images for kids
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Tom Bodett on Brattleboro Community Television in 2013
