Tom Cavanagh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Cavanagh
Tom 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 TV shows. These include playing the main character in Ed (2000–2004). He also had important roles in Love Monkey (2006) and Trust Me (2009).

You might also know him from his recurring parts in Providence and Scrubs. From 2014 to 2023, he played different versions of Harrison Wells. He also played the villain Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash on The CW show The Flash. Tom Cavanagh 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. His birthplace was 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, as a teenager, his family moved to Lennoxville, Quebec. This happened because his father became a dean at Champlain College. Tom went to the Séminaire de Sherbrooke. There he studied in French and played basketball. He then studied at Champlain College.

While at Queen's University in Ontario, he found a love for acting and music. He also played ice hockey and varsity basketball. He finished university in 1987. He earned degrees in English, biology, and education.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles and Commercials

Tom Cavanagh acted in Canada for many years. In the late 1990s, he appeared in TV dramas like Jake and the Kid. He also starred in TV commercials. You might have seen him in ads for Oh Henry! chocolate bars or Labatt Blue Light beer. He also did commercials for CIBC.

Broadway and Stage Work

In 1989, Tom was part of a Broadway show. It was a new version of the musical Shenandoah. He also acted in other stage plays. These included A Chorus Line, Cabaret, and Grease. In 2008, he was in a play called Some Americans Abroad in New York City.

Popular TV Shows

Tom Cavanagh became well-known for his role as Doug the Dog Guy. This was on the NBC show Providence. After that, he got the main role in the NBC show Ed.

Tom Cavanagh in April 2008

Tom was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on Ed. The show ran for four seasons, from 2000 to 2004.

He also guest-starred on the funny show Scrubs. He played Dan Dorian, who was the brother of the main character, J.D. He appeared in Scrubs several times, starting in 2002.

In 2005, Tom filmed a TV pilot called Love Monkey. It was picked up by CBS and started in January 2006. Only three episodes aired on CBS before it was stopped. But VH1 later showed all eight episodes.

He starred in a TV miniseries called The Capture Of The Green River Killer. In it, he played King County sheriff David Reichert. Tom also played Nick Snowden in the TV movie Snow in 2005. This movie is shown every year on the Family Channel.

From 2014 to 2021, Tom Cavanagh was a regular on The CW show The Flash. He played many different versions of Harrison Wells. He also played the famous villain Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash. These characters came from different parallel universes. He was a main cast member for seven seasons. He still made guest appearances in the last two seasons.

Tom Cavanagh at the 2015 Paley Fest

In 2023, Tom Cavanagh started hosting the game show Hey Yahoo!.

Film Roles

Tom Cavanagh starred in the 2002 movie Bang Bang You're Dead. Before Ed, he mostly had smaller roles in movies. After Ed ended, he got his first main movie role. He played an escaped convict in the thriller Heart of the Storm. In 2005, he was in the romantic comedy Alchemy. In 2006, he appeared in another romantic comedy, Gray Matters.

In 2006, Tom started filming Breakfast with Scot. In this movie, he plays a gay retired hockey player. His character becomes an adoptive father to a young boy. The movie came out in 2007. It was special because it was the first gay-themed film to get approval from a major sports team. Tom's character used to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2010, he played Ranger Smith in the movie Yogi Bear.

Podcast Hosting

From 2010 to 2016, Tom Cavanagh co-hosted a podcast called Mike and Tom Eat Snacks. He did this with his Ed co-star Michael Ian Black. They started the podcast again 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 had a Catholic wedding in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The couple has two daughters and two sons.

Tom ran the 2006 New York City Marathon.

In 2008, he started the Cavanagh Classic. This is an annual basketball tournament with celebrities. It takes place at 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. Tom traveled to Rwanda in March 2009. He went with the United Nations Foundation to give out nets and teach people how to use them.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

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