Chelsea Berenger, Scout Moore, Allison Moore, Chloe Berenger, Patrick Moore, Shiloh Moore
Siblings
Susan Moore
Nicknames
Thomas Michael Moore
Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (2012)
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (1986), Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (1993), Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast (2010)
Movies
“Inception” (2010), “Hawaii Five-0”, “Platoon” (1986), "Sniper" (1993), Hatfields & McCoys (2012), The Dogs of War (1980), The Big Chill (1983), Betrayed (1988), The Field (1990), Gettysburg (1993), The Substitute (1996)
TV Shows
Hatfields & McCoys, If Tomorrow Comes, Peacemakers, more
Star Sign
Gemini
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Quote
1
Your body really changes a lot in your 50s. You start feeling old injuries and things start coming back ... so you better get it together then.
2
[on Charlie Sheen] I've always liked him, and I always worry about him like his parents do. He was always a good listener, which is probably why he is a real good actor.
3
[in 2002] Since the '70s I've seen myself as a poet. Sometimes I express that poetry through acting, sometimes through cooking, and sometimes just having a good chat, you know, one of them chats you have when you're stoned and the hour is getting late. I don't know what's gonna come my way, but I think Berenger's gonna be big these next couple years.
4
Even my agents say, 'We don't know what this business is anymore.' These days, you can do a TV series for five years and all of a sudden be on top of the business. Features don't even run in theaters very long anymore before going right to television. And every other movie is one of those action things. I mean, Lost in Space (1998)? - a bunch of good actors running around shooting at special effects on a soundstage? I took my kids to see that and almost felt like I was on an acid trip. Most of what gets made now, you laugh your way through, go home and forget you've seen it.
5
[in 1975] I first started thinking about being an actor when I was in college at the University of Missouri. I auditioned for a television play, and the director, who has some professional New York credits, encouraged me to pursue acting. In college I had a double major--drama and film editing. I worked with 16 millimeter film upon graduating, and from Kansas City I went on to Dallas. All of this time I suppose I had an unrealized commitment to acting. But then, I guess I ran away from acting. I was afraid of the business--I still am.
6
[on playing bad guys] I enjoy playing them. I find something human in them, with the exception of Looking for Mr. Goodbar. It was such a slimy character with no redeeming qualities. To me it was like playing Charles Manson. I had nightmares after I finished shooting it. I felt dirty. Bad guys are interesting, even if you don't like them.
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Fact
1
Tom's first play was in high school was performed in the Spanish language for an advanced Spanish class. Being an extremely shy guy, he was forced to be in it by his teacher.
Berenger's earlier career before he became an actor was as a flight attendant for the defunct Eastern Air Lines.
6
Prior to acting, he was also a bellman at the former Alameda Plaza Hotel (now the Inter-Continental Hotel) in the Country Club Plaza section of Kansas City, Missouri.
7
He studied under Uta Hagen and Herbert Berghof at HB Studio while working in off-Broadway productions.
8
Started "The Tom Berenger Acting Scholarship Fund" This was established in 1988 by him to award Theatre students for excellence in performance.
9
He picked "Berenger" as his professional name, after a school friend, because there was already a "Tom Moore" in the Actors' Equity Association.
10
The role that seems the nearest to his heart is that of Lt. General James Longstreet, whom he portrayed in Gettysburg (1993).
11
Tom's great interest in Civil War history has led him to collect on and research the Civil War era in his personal life as well.
12
Was the second ill-fated Timmy Siegal on 'One Life To Live'.
13
Tom speaks Spanish and Italian.
14
Turned down the part of Det. Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice (1984). The studio was hoping to land a big star, and also approached Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges.
15
Admitted that he hated making Sliver (1993), as it went through endless reshoots and script changes.
16
Studied acting in New York at the Herbert Berghof Studios.
17
Lives in Beaufort, South Carolina when not working on films.
18
Lived in Puerto Rico for several months in his 20s.
19
Tom is a history buff.
20
His father was a traveling salesman.
21
He was offered his role in Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006) and had 24 hours to decide if he wanted. He agreed without even getting a chance to read the script. He read it for the first time on the flight to Australia for the filming.
22
Graduated from the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism.
23
Considers Flesh & Blood (1979) as one of his best films.
$8 Million
