Biography for
Tom Berenger More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

31 May 1949, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Birth Name

Thomas Michael Moore

Height

5' 11" (1.80 m)

Spouse

Patricia Alvaran	(23 January 1998 - present) 1 child
Lisa Berenger	(29 July 1986 - 1997) (divorced) 3 children
Barbara Wilson	(1976 - February 1984) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia

Listed as a "Promising New Actor of 1977" in vol. 29 of John Willis' Screen World.

He has two children with first wife, Barbara Wilson: Allison (b.1977) and Patrick (b.1979). He has 3 daughters with Lisa: Chelsea (b.1986), Chloe (b.1988) and Shiloh Rory (b.1993). He also has a daughter with Patricia named Scout (b.1998).

Earned the highest rating (3 stars) from "The Bare Facts" -- a printed guide to on-screen nudity -- for eligible scenes in In Praise of Older Women (1978) and At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991).".

Father of Chelsea Berenger and Chloe Berenger.

Considers Flesh & Blood (1979) (TV) as one of his best films.

Graduated from the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism.

He was offered his role in Nightmare & Dreamscapes 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.

His father was a traveling salesman.

Is a a major world history buff.

Lived in Puerto Rico for several months in his 20s.

Lives in Beaufort, South Carolina when not working on films.

Studied acting in New York at the Herbert Berghof Studios.

He claims that he had a few very bad years, from 1979 to 1981. The roles stopped coming, and he says, "I was just scraping by financially, and emotionally I was getting really defeated. I got to the point where I could hardly go on auditions anymore.".

Admitted that he hated making the movie Sliver, as it went through endless reshoots and script changes.

Was considered for the role of Jack Tripper on "Three's Company" (1977).

Personal Quotes

(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."

(1975 quote) "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."

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?--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.

(2002 quote) "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."

(On being famous) "I mean I've turned down magazine covers because, for one thing, I don't know if I want people sending them to me for autographs or whatever, and I don't like the idea of seeing myself on magazine racks. Another thing is I do like my privacy and I get very little of that as it is. I like to do what I want when I want, and I want to be able to walk down the street without an entourage or protection. It's bad enough for me already."

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