Table of Biography
Tom Atkins is an American Actor. Tom Atkins is popular for his roles in horror films like Night of the Creeps, Bruiser, Creepshow, and both John Carpenter’s Halloween III and The Fog. He also starred in The Ninth Configuration and Escape from New York.
Early Life and Education
Tom Atkins was born on November 13, 1935, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He is 88 years old and is under the astrological sign, Scorpio. He holds American nationality.
The name and information regarding Atkins’s parents are not available at the moment. Similarly, information related to his other family members such as his siblings, cousins, grandparents, and relatives are also not available until now. However, talking about his father, he worked in a steel mill in Pennsylvania.
Regarding Atkins’s educational background and qualifications, he enlisted in the United States Navy and “noticed that the officers lived great, but that was only because they had gone to college”.
So, after leaving the Navy, he went on to enroll in college where he met a girl who was involved in a theatre group. He then attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and was a member of the Gamma Phi fraternity.
Caption: Tom Atkins’s childhood picture (Source: Reddit)
Career and Professional Life
Tom Atkins initially had no desire to be an actor and assumed that he would follow in his father’s footsteps. However, after attending university, he started his career in stage plays both on and off Broadway.
He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film as well as television. And, his first movie role was in “The Detective”. Then, after appearing in TV series and movies, including portraying Lt. Alex Diel in seasons 1 and 2 of “The Rockford Files”, Atkins started working within the horror and science fiction genres.
He went on to appear in two films the 1980 ghost story “The Fog” and the 1981 science fiction thriller “Escape from New York”. He was very much praised for his acting and role in both of these horror films. Then, his next role was a leading role and was the third instalment of the Halloween franchise, the Carpenter-produced “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” in the year 1982.
He also had the opportunity to work with George A. Romero on three different projects. One of them was the anthology film Creepshow in 1982, which was written by Stephen King. They also went on to collaborate on “Two Evil Eyes” in the year 1990. Also, in 2000, they worked together on the film “Bruiser”.
Caption: Tom Atkins acting in the movie (Source: Nerdist)
More About Career
Likewise, he absolutely loved his role as Detective Ray Cameron in the 1986 horror film “Night of the Creeps”. Also, he has definitely made a name for himself in the thriller as well as police procedural genres. One of his most popular roles is as Michael Hunsaker in the 1987 film “Lethal Weapon”.
Atkins then went on to appear in “Striking Distance” in the year 1993. On top of that, he is not just limited to movies though and in the 1990s, he even reprised his role as Commander Diehl in a series of “Rockford Files” movies on television.
Tom Atkins is quite a versatile actor and has made quite a name for himself in the Pittsburgh theatre scene as well. And, one of his notable performances was in the one-man show, “The Chief at Pittsburgh Public Theater”. In that show, he went on to portray Art Rooney, the late founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also had the opportunity to play the title role in Macbeth, alongside Jean Smart as Lady Macbeth and Keith Fowler as Macduff.
Moreover, Atkins also starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Musical Christmas Carol at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. And for his appearance on “Broadway” in The Changing Room, he was able to receive the 1973 “Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Performer”.
Then, in the year 2009, he had a supporting role as a retired sheriff in the remake “My Bloody Valentine 3D” and co-starred with Nicolas Cage in “Todd Farmer’s Drive Angry” in the year in 2011. Furthermore, in the 2018 sci-fi movie Encounter, he was Professor Westlake, who studied the biology of the alien lifeform.
Relationship Status
Tom Atkins first tied the knot with his first wife, Garn Stephens on November 27, 1976. But later in the year 1985 they separated and divorced each other.
Atkins then met his current wife, Janis Lee Rodgers. They tied the knot with each other on March 15, 1986. The couple also has a son together and his name is E. Taylor Atkins.
Caption: Tom Atkins with his wife (Source: New Pittsburgh Courier)
Tom Atkins – Body Measurements
Tom Atkins has a height of 6 feet 1 inch and his weight is 75 Kg but his other body measurements are unknown and are still under review. Moreover, Atkins has brown eyes and white hair.
Social Media
Tom Atkins doesn’t seem to be active on any social media platforms. But there is a possibility that he has kept his social accounts private and away from the public.
Net Worth 2024
As per celebritynetworth, Tom Atkins has a net worth of $500K and his main income source is his career as an actor.