Thomas Mathews (born November 28, 1958) is an American
actor best known for his roles as
Tommy Jarvis
Tommy Jarvis is a fictional character in the ''Friday the 13th'' franchise. He first appears in '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984) as a child interested in special effects who encounters a seemingly unstoppable slasher— Jason Voorhe ...
in the
''Friday the 13th'' franchise—in particular ''
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986)—and Freddy in ''
The Return of the Living Dead'' (1985). His other film roles include ''
Dangerously Close'' (1986), ''
Return of the Living Dead Part II'' (1988), and ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'' (1992).
Career
Acting and ''Friday the 13th''
Mathews began his acting career in the early 1980s as a
model and commercial
actor, starring in national television commercials for
Le Tigre,
Sprite and
Tostitos. From 1982 to 1984, Mathews guest starred on a string of
soap operas including ''
Falcon Crest
''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...
'' (1982; 1984), ''
Dynasty'' (1983) and ''
Paper Dolls'' (1984). In 1984, Mathews portrayed Erik in the
romantic comedy film ''
The Woman in Red'' although he was uncredited.
His first major role was Freddy in the 1985
cult film
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
''
The Return of the Living Dead''. The following year, Mathews starred in ''
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'', being the third actor to portray
Tommy Jarvis
Tommy Jarvis is a fictional character in the ''Friday the 13th'' franchise. He first appears in '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984) as a child interested in special effects who encounters a seemingly unstoppable slasher— Jason Voorhe ...
after
Corey Feldman and
John Shepherd. In 1987, he starred as Francis Kelly in the television film ''
The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission''. The same year, Mathews starred in the film ''
Down Twisted
''Down Twisted'' is a 1987 thriller film, directed by Albert Pyun, starring Carey Lowell, Charles Rocket, Courteney Cox, Norbert Weisser, Linda Kerridge, Trudi Dochtermann and Nicholas Guest.
Plot
A naïve, good-hearted Los Angeles waitress d ...
'' and guest starred on the
sitcom ''
Mr. President''. In 1988, he starred as Joey in ''
Return of the Living Dead Part II'' and Charmin' in ''
Alien from L.A.
''Alien from L.A.'' is a 1988 science fiction film directed by Albert Pyun and starring Kathy Ireland as a young woman who visits the underground civilization of Atlantis. The film was featured on ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. This film is lo ...
''. In 1989, Mathews guest starred on an episode of ''
CBS Summer Playhouse
''CBS Summer Playhouse'' is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.
Overview
Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid acted as hosts during the first ...
''.
In 1990, he portrayed Tim Murphy in the television film ''
Rock Hudson'', Sonny Hilderbrand in the television pilot ''Sporting Chance'', and David in the film ''Midnight Cabaret''. The following year, Mathews starred in the films ''
Bloodmatch
''Bloodmatch'' is a 1991 martial-arts film directed by Albert Pyun and starring Thom Mathews, Hope Marie Carlton, Marianne Taylor, Vincent Klyn, Michel Qissi, and Benny "The Jet" Urquidez.
Plot
The film opens with a man chasing another man. ...
'' and ''
Born to Ride'' and the television short ''The Letters from Moab''. In 1992, he starred in the film ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
''. In 1994, he portrayed Bill in ''
Kickboxer 4'' and Dan Donahue in ''In the Living Years''. The following year, Mathews starred in ''
Heatseeker''. The same year, he guest starred on an episode of ''
ER''. In 1996, Mathews starred in the television films ''If Looks Could Kill'' and ''
Raven Hawk''.
He reprised the role of Tommy Jarvis twice in 2017, providing his voice and likeness to the video game ''
Friday the 13th: The Game'' and making a cameo appearance in the unofficial
fan film ''
Never Hike Alone'' and its 2020 prequel, ''Never Hike in the Snow''. He repeated the role of Tommy Jarvis in 2022 in another unofficial fan film ''Vengeance Part 2: Bloodlines'' and he is to star in the sequel Never Hike Alone 2 set to release in October 2023. Mathews now owns a construction company, Hammer and Trowel.
Sharon
Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname.
In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
and
Ozzy Osbourne hired his company to remodel their home during the filming of their
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
reality show ''
The Osbournes''.
Personal life
On May 10, 2014, Mathews married
Karla Jensen Karla may refer to:
People
* Karla (name), a feminine given name
* Petras Karla (1937–1969), Soviet Olympic rower
Places
* Karla, Kose Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia
* Karla, Rae Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia
* ...
in
Los Cabos Municipality,
Mexico.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathews, Thom
Living people
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male video game actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni
1958 births