Thomas Michael Reilly III (born June 18, 1959, in Fort Riley North, Kansas) is an American actor, known for his role as Officer Bobby "Hot Dog" Nelson in ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. After the final first-run telecast on NBC in May 1983, the series went into reruns on Sundays fr ...

'', a television series about the motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol. Prior to his acting career, he was a star football player at Montclair State College (now

Montclair State University Montclair State University (MSU) is a public research university in Montclair, New Jersey, with parts of the campus extending into Clifton and into Little Falls. As of fall 2018, Montclair State was, by enrollment, the second largest public un ...

) in

Upper Montclair, New Jersey Upper Montclair is a census-designated place (CDP), Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and neighborhood within Montclair, New Jersey, Montclair in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U. ...

but eventually dropped out. On June 18, 1982, he went into NBC studios for a

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. It is typically a secondary or later stage in the audition process. The performer is generally given a scene, or sel ...

. His first role on ''

'' was Officer Rick Nichols in the May 23, 1982, episode "Force Seven," a rejected pilot for a new series. After the departure of

Larry Wilcox Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer (later captain) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the television series ''CHiPs'', which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A Vietnam vete ...

, Tom returned in the role of Officer Bobby Nelson, the new partner of Ponch (

Erik Estrada Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...

). His role of Officer Bobby Nelson was featured somewhat less prominently in the final episodes, with Officer Bruce Nelson (

Bruce Penhall Bruce Lee Penhall (born May 10, 1957) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway racer who later starred in television and in film. He was the World Speedway Champion in 1981 and 1982 and rode for the successful Cradley Heath Hea ...

), his younger brother, eventually becoming Ponch's partner in the episode "Fast Company." ''CHiPs'' was eventually cancelled by the spring of 1983. Bobby Nelson did not return in the reunion film, ''CHiPs '99''. He stopped acting in 1997. In 2005, he worked at the Orco Construction Supply in

Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Salt pan (geology), Salt Flats") is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County, California, Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is ...

. He lives in the

Monterey Peninsula The Monterey Peninsula anchors the northern portion on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California and comprises the cities of Monterey, California, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, California, P ...

and is currently dating singer/songwriter Judy Lynne of the Bay Area, California.

Appearances

Tom made appearances on the following shows: *''

'' (1982/1983).... Officer Rick Nichols/Officer Bobby 'Hot Dog' Nelson *'' $25,000 Pyramid'' (December 5–9, 1982) (TV) *'' Young Warriors'' (1983) .... Scott *'' Slaughterhouse Rock'' (1988) .... Richard Gardner *'' Terminal Exposure'' (1988) .... Maxwell *''Kiss and Be Killed'' (1991) .... Phil *'' Married... with Children'' (Just Shoe It) (1992) TV episode .... Caterer *'' Animal Instincts'' (1992) .... Ken *'' Mirror Images 2'' (1994) (TV) .... Jake *''Sworn to Vengeance'' (1993) (TV) *''Animal Instincts 2'' (1994) .... Man with Loose Tie *'' Valley of the Dolls'' (1994) .... Peter D'Allesio *''Caged Hearts'' (1995) .... Foreman #1 *'' Ice Cream Man'' (1995) .... Charley *''

Deep Cover Deep Cover may refer to: * ''Deep Cover'' (1992 film), a 1992 American crime film starring Laurence Fishburne. * ''Deep Cover'' (2025 film), a British action comedy film about improv actors going undercover for the police * ''Deep Cover'' (soundt ...

'' (1996) .... Jim *''

Shades of Gray Variations of gray or grey include achromatic grayscale shades, which lie exactly between white and black, and nearby colors with low colorfulness. A selection of a number of these various colors is shown below. Chart of computer web color ...

'' (1997) .... Frank

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reilly, Tom 1959 births Living people Montclair State University alumni People from Bergenfield, New Jersey Male actors from Kansas American male television actors American male film actors