Biography

Tom Schmitt, who recently appeared on AMC's Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020) with Sally Field and Jason Segal, can also be seen in The Upside (2017) starring Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman and Kevin Hart. He is an award winning actor and filmmaker originally from the small town of Clayton, New Jersey. Tom is the oldest of four and son of master carpenter Tom Schmitt Sr. and occupational therapist Amy Ridgway.

Tom had been interested in acting for the stage and screen from an early age, motivated by his dream of portraying a character in the Star Wars universe, a passion inspired by his brother, screen writer Alex Schmitt. Tom was active in his grade school plays and skits at home with his sisters Nicole and Stephanie and would go on to pursue music and act for haunted attractions during high-school. With the odds of being a working actor stacked against him, Tom gave up on his passion after high school.

A few years passed with Tom trying to figure out what he could "practically" do with his life, dabbling in Computer Simulation Programming and Coding while obtaining his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. One evening, the phone rang with the horrific news of the death of his best friend; news that included an epiphany, "You really do only live once." With a grave side promise, Tom enrolled in film school, a backup plan that would support his primary goal of becoming a professional actor. Tom moved to Philadelphia, earning a B.S. in Digital Filmmaking and Video Production while starting his professional acting career in 2010.

Tom has since then worked on-stage, in commercials, television and in films all across the country. He currently splits his time between NYC and Philadelphia, auditioning and producing his own projects.

- IMDb mini biography by: Mark Tremonti