Tom Cavanagh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Cavanagh
Cavanagh in 2023
Born	Thomas Cavanagh (1963-10-26) October 26, 1963 (age 61) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	Champlain College Queen's University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Maureen Grise ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	4

Thomas "Tom" Cavanagh (born October 26, 1963) is a Canadian actor. He is famous for his many roles on American television. You might know him from shows like Ed, Love Monkey, and Trust Me. He also had important roles in Providence and Scrubs.

From 2014 to 2023, Tom Cavanagh played several characters on The CW show The Flash. He was known for playing Harrison Wells and Eobard Thawne, also known as Reverse-Flash. He even directed some episodes of The Flash. In 2023, he started hosting the game show Hey Yahoo! on GSN.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Cavanagh was born on October 26, 1963, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His family was Roman Catholic and had Irish roots. When he was a child, Tom moved with his family to Winneba, a small city in Ghana.

Later, his family moved to Lennoxville, Quebec. His father became a dean at Champlain College. Tom went to the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, where he studied in French. He also played basketball for his school team.

College Years and Interests

Tom later attended Champlain College in Lennoxville. While studying at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, he became very interested in theatre and music. He also played ice hockey and varsity basketball. In 1987, he graduated with degrees in English, biology, and education.

Acting Career Highlights

Tom Cavanagh has had a long and successful acting career. He has appeared in many TV shows, movies, and plays.

Early Work and Commercials

Before becoming widely known, Tom Cavanagh worked in Canada for many years. He appeared in TV dramas like Jake and the Kid in the late 1990s. He was also in commercials for popular brands like Oh Henry! chocolate bars and Labatt Blue Light beer. He also appeared in commercials for the CIBC.

Broadway Stage Roles

In 1989, Tom Cavanagh performed on Broadway in a play called Shenandoah. In 2003, he starred as Bobby Strong in the Broadway show Urinetown. He has also been in other stage productions, including A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Grease. In 2008, he appeared in Some Americans Abroad in New York City.

Popular Television Roles

Tom Cavanagh became well-known for his role as Doug the Dog Guy in the NBC show Providence. After that, he got the main role in the NBC show Ed. For his work on Ed, which ran from 2000 to 2004, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won a TV Guide Award.

Cavanagh in April 2008

He also made guest appearances on the sitcom Scrubs. He played Dan Dorian, who was the brother of Zach Braff's character. He appeared in seven episodes of the series, starting in 2002 and ending with the final season.

In 2005, Cavanagh filmed the pilot for Love Monkey. This show was picked up by CBS and started airing in January 2006. Although only three episodes aired on CBS, VH1 later showed all eight episodes.

He starred in the Lifetime Movie Network miniseries The Capture Of The Green River Killer. In this series, he played King County sheriff David Reichert. In 2004, Cavanagh played Nick Snowden, the heir to the Santa Claus identity, in the TV movie Snow.

From 2008 to 2009, Cavanagh hosted Stories from the Vaults on Smithsonian Networks. He also appeared in the USA Network show Royal Pains as a former professional golfer named Jack O'Malley. In 2012, he starred in Lifetime's movie A Killer Among Us.

Cavanagh at the 2015 Paley Fest

From 2014 to 2021, Tom Cavanagh was a main actor on The CW's superhero show The Flash. He played many different versions of Harrison Wells. He also played Eobard Thawne, who is the Reverse-Flash. He was a regular cast member for seven seasons and made guest appearances in the last two seasons. In 2023, Cavanagh started hosting the game show Hey Yahoo!.

Film Appearances

Tom Cavanagh starred in the 2002 film Bang Bang You're Dead. After his show Ed ended, he had his first main movie role as an escaped convict in Heart of the Storm. In 2005, he starred in the romantic comedy Alchemy with Sarah Chalke. In 2006, he appeared in another romantic comedy called Gray Matters.

In 2006, Cavanagh began filming Breakfast with Scot. In this movie, he plays a retired hockey player who becomes an adoptive father to a young boy. The film was released in 2007. In 2007, he starred in the horror film Sublime. He also played Ranger Smith in the movie Yogi Bear (2010).

Podcast Hosting

From 2010 to 2016, Tom Cavanagh co-hosted a podcast called Mike and Tom Eat Snacks. He hosted it with his Ed co-star Michael Ian Black. They brought the podcast back in August 2021.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Tom Cavanagh married Maureen Grise on July 31, 2004. Maureen is an image editor for Sports Illustrated. They were married in a Catholic ceremony in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The couple has four children: two daughters and two sons.

Tom Cavanagh is also active in charity work. He ran the 2006 New York City Marathon. In 2008, he started the Cavanagh Classic. This is an annual celebrity basketball tournament held in Rucker Park in Harlem. The event raises money and awareness for Nothing But Nets. This charity helps fight malaria by sending mosquito nets to families who need them. In March 2009, Cavanagh traveled to Rwanda with the United Nations Foundation to help distribute these nets and teach people how to use them.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

As a Director

• Ed (2000–2004) – three episodes
• The Flash (2017–2018) – episodes: "The Once and Future Flash", "Elongated Journey Into Night" and the 100th episode, "What's Past Is Prologue".
• Superman & Lois (2021–2023) – two episodes: "Last Sons of Krypton", "Closer".

See also

In Spanish: Tom Cavanagh para niños