Tom Cavanagh


Actor

About

Also Known As
Thomas Cavanagh
Birth Place
Ottawa, Ontario, CA
Born
October 26, 1963

Biography

Tom Cavanagh was a Canadian actor who was able to cross over into American fame, thanks to his soulful good looks and surprisingly wicked sense of humor, carving out a respectable career in both film and television. Born on October 26, 1963 in Ottawa, Canada, Cavanagh lived in Winneba, a small city in Ghana, for most of his childhood, before moving to Lennovxille, Quebec, as a teenager. ...

Family & Companions

Paula Cale
Companion
Actor. Co-starred on "Providence"; dated c. 2000; no longer together.
Maureen Grise
Wife
Photo editor. Met in 2002 on a New York City basketball court; married July 31, 2004 in Nantucket.

Biography

Tom Cavanagh was a Canadian actor who was able to cross over into American fame, thanks to his soulful good looks and surprisingly wicked sense of humor, carving out a respectable career in both film and television. Born on October 26, 1963 in Ottawa, Canada, Cavanagh lived in Winneba, a small city in Ghana, for most of his childhood, before moving to Lennovxille, Quebec, as a teenager. He attended college at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where he studied English, biology, and education. It was at college that Cavanagh first became interested in theatre. His first onstage role came in 1989, with a Broadway revival of "Shenandoah." Cavanagh would go on to tread the boards in such productions as "A Chorus Line," "Cabaret," "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Urinetown," and "Grease." In the 1990s, he returned to Canada and began booking TV roles, most notably a recurring role on the drama "Jake and the Kid" (CIBC, 1999). After a memorable cameo as Dog Boy on the series "Providence" (NBC, 1999-2002), Cavanagh landed his breakthrough role: Ed Stevens, a hotshot New York lawyer who returns to his quirky midwestern hometown after a series of personal and professional setbacks, on the hour-long dramedy "Ed" (NBC, 2000-2004). The show was a hit with both critics and audiences, winning multiple Emmys in 2001, while Cavanagh was nominated for a Golden Globe and a TV Guide Award for his performance. His next role came thanks to a resemblance to another actor, Zach Braff. On "Scrubs" (NBC/ABC, 2001-2010), Cavanagh often guest starred as Dan Dorian, older brother of Braff's lead character, J.D., beginning in 2002, and continuing for six more episodes throughout the show's run, exiting the program when Braff did, in 2008. Cavanagh broke some ground with his 2006 film "Breakfast With Scot," in which he played a retired gay hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs; making it the first gay-themed film to ever win permission to use a major sports franchise's real name and logo. Following a co-starring role on the short lived TNT crime drama "Trust Me" (TNT, 2009) and a starring role as Ranger Smith in the much-maligned live-action take on "Yogi Bear" (2010), Cavanagh took on the role you can see him in today, playing various iterations of Dr. Harrison Wells on the superhero adventure series "The Flash" (The CW, 2014-).

Life Events

1989

Made Broadway debut in the musical revival of "Shenandoah"

1991

Had early feature credit in the Canadian independent film "White Light"

1991

Was a regular on the independently produced Canadian series "No Place Like Home"

1993

Had early US TV credit on an episode of the NBC anthology drama "Secret Service"

1995

Had a cameo in the Canadian family adventure feature "Magic in the Water"

1995

Was a regular on the Canadian TV series "Jake and the Kid" (CBC)

1997

Featured in the Canadian film "Honeymoon"

1999

Had a recurring role on "Providence" (NBC) as Doug Boyce, a man nicknamed Dog Boy because he believes he is a dog

1999

Played a supporting role in the Canadian comedy film "Something More"

2000

Starred on the breakout hit comedy-drama "Ed" (NBC) as a New York City lawyer who moves back to his small hometown for a fresh start

2002

Guest-starred as as J.D.'s (Zach Braff) brother in the NBC comedy "Scrubs"

2006

Cast as Billy's dad in the family comedy "How to Eat Fried Worms"

2006

Played one of four siblings who returns home to say goodbye to their sick mother in "Two Weeks"

2006

Starred in film "Breakfast with Scot"

2007

Appeared opposite Heather Graham in the indie feature "Gray Matters"

2009

Co-starred with Eric McCormack as admen in the TNT drama "Trust Me"

2014

Co-starred as Dr. Harrison Wells on "The Flash"

Family

Tom Cavanagh
Father
Educator. Taught modern educational methods to local teachers in Ghana, Africa.
Rosemary Cavanagh
Mother
Educator. Taught local villagers in Ghana, Africa.

Companions

Paula Cale
Companion
Actor. Co-starred on "Providence"; dated c. 2000; no longer together.
Maureen Grise
Wife
Photo editor. Met in 2002 on a New York City basketball court; married July 31, 2004 in Nantucket.

Bibliography