Thomas McGowan

Thomas McGowan was born in 1948 in Cedar Rapids Iowa. He graduated from Washington High School. He Graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in History, Minors in Theater, Spanish, Theology, Family Counseling and Philosophy. He married Celia McFatridge on December 6, 1969 and they have three children, Thomas McGowan II, Matthew St.James McGowan and Catherine Scarlett McGowan(Dougan). They have five grandchildren. They left Iowa in 1976 when the children were 4, 3, and 6 months and drove to Hollywood with only $700 dollars, no place to live and no contacts. They used cardboard boxes for a table and sat on the floor in their small apartment, had a plastic cooler for baby Catie's formula and ate a lot of pancakes and spaghetti and the boys slept on air mattresses on the floor. After working varied and numerous jobs, Thomas became a member of Screen Actors Guild while being a stand in for Richard Harris in "The Last Word" when Harris insisted he be given a speaking role. Soon after joining Screen Actors Guild he became a member of Aftra and appeared on "General Hospital" and "The Young and The Restless" Thomas eventually moved the family to Malibu on a ranch where they had various animals for the children and views of the Pacific. Life was a far cry from the Iowa boy who used to stare up at the clouds and wonder if he would ever fly on a plane. Thomas moved the family to the East coast when he was offered a job on "Another Life" as Jeff Cummings. When that job finished he commuted to New York for a year and then moved the family to Connecticut where they remain to date. They also keep a home in Iowa and visit frequently. Tom has appeared on "All My Children" as various characters over the years and on "As The World Turns". He retired from Screen actors guild and AFTRA and sells high end Real Estate but continues to act on occasion. He has done dozens of national commercials,over 100 films (mostly uncredited), been a public speaker, fund raiser and preformed his one man show. When asked about the actors who have influenced him the most he says there are few and they are unique. Though he has worked with hundreds of major Film and Televesion Stars he picks Richard Harris for his free life style and support, Susan Lucci for her kindness, Elsa Lanchester for her kindness, John Carradine for achieving wisdom in his older age and sharing it with love, Meryl Streep for real human decency and most of all Kate Winslet for being the most generous, talented and focused Actor of her time. When asked who has influenced him the most as a human being in life he states it his wife (Celia) who taught him about unconditional love and he credits her with an unbelievable strength seen in no other woman. She has stood by him through it all, from rags to riches a couple of times,tumultuous living in Hollywood and New York and finally peaceful living in a New England Village with grandchildren a block away and trips to their small town home in Iowa. He has no regrets about never becoming a star as his has been an amazing life and the stories he can tell.