Tom Bodett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Bodett
Bodett on Brattleboro Community Television in 2013
Born	Thomas Edward Bodett (1955-02-23) February 23, 1955 (age 70) Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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 famous for his work on National Public Radio (NPR). Since 1986, he has been the voice of the Motel 6 motel chain. He always ends their commercials with his well-known line: "I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we'll leave the light on for you."

About Tom Bodett

Tom Bodett was born on February 23, 1955, in Champaign, Illinois. He grew up in Sturgis, Michigan. In 2013, he lived in Dummerston, Vermont. There, he was part of the town's local government.

After moving to Vermont, Tom Bodett started working with wood. In 2019, he helped start a place called 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 Work

The Voice of Motel 6

In 1986, Tom Bodett was building houses in Homer, Alaska. He was also sharing stories on NPR's All Things Considered. An advertising director heard his voice on NPR. He thought Tom would be perfect for a Motel 6 commercial.

Tom Bodett made up the famous line "We'll leave the light on for you" on the spot. He has been the voice of Motel 6 ever since. The director, David Fowler, chose him because Tom "sound[ed] like the kind of person who stays there."

In 2000, Motel 6 started using Tom Bodett for their wake-up calls. They wanted to add a personal touch for their guests. Tom was also featured on the first Motel 6 podcast for the holidays. In 2015, new commercials came out. They still featured Tom Bodett's voice. These ads talked about how Motel 6 was improving its hotels.

Other Voice Roles

From 1993 to 1994, Tom Bodett was also the voice for Jamesway department stores. These stores were in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Jamesway was a discount store chain. It closed down at the end of 1995.

Media Appearances

Radio Shows

Tom Bodett has hosted two radio programs. These were 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 authors and books. It included interviews, discussions, and even acted-out stories.

He also contributed to The Bob Edwards Show. He is still a regular guest on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. This is a fun news quiz show on National Public Radio. In 2015, he was a guest on the Live Wire Radio show.

Television Shows

Tom Bodett hosted a public television show called Travels on America's Historic Trails in 1997. He also lent his voice to the Animaniacs cartoon series. He did the voice-over for "Mime Time" and "Good Idea/Bad Idea" segments. He also had a small role in Pinky and the Brain. Tom narrated the Animaniacs movie Wakko's Wish in 1999.

Online Writing

Tom Bodett was a regular writer for the online magazine Mr. Showbiz.

Podcasts

Tom Bodett's name was used in a funny way in The Adventure Zone podcast. His name was given to characters that players could not control. These characters were voiced by the Dungeon Master, Griffin McElroy. In the graphic novel version, a character who looks like Tom Bodett appears.

Books by Tom Bodett

In 1999, Tom Bodett published his first book for children. It was 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) - This is a children's book.
• Norman Tuttle on the Last Frontier (2004) - This is also a children's book.
• "Alaska A to Z: The Most Comprehensive Book of Facts and Figures Ever Compiled About Alaska" (1993)
• "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings: Volume One of "Tom Bodett's American Odyssey" (1960)
• "America's Historic Trails: With Tom Bodett" (1997)
• "Growing Up, Growing Old & Going Fishing at the End of the Road"
• "Those Grand Occasions at the end of the Road"
• "As Far as You Can Go Without a Passport: Views from the End of the Road" (1985)
• "First Words"
• "Old Fools & Young Hearts"
• "No Place Like Home"
• "(The) Last Decent Parking Place in North America" (1991) - This was an audio cassette.
• "The Free Fall of Webster Cummings: Volume One of "Tom Bodett's American Odyssey" (1960) - Audio Cassette
• "The Great Divide, Volume Two (Tom Bodett's American Odyssey)" (1995) - Audio Cassette
• "Peach Picking Time, Volume Three (Tom Bodett's American Odyssey)" (1995) - Audio Cassette
• "No Place Like Home, Volume Four (Tom Bodett's American Odyssey)" (1996) - Audio Cassette
• "Ed's Fruits and Vegetables, Volume 5 (Tom Bodett's American Odyssey)" (1996) - Audio Cassette
• "Better Part of the Road"(1992) - Audio Cassette