Tom Wiggin (born July 6, 1955) is an American actor, writer, producer and director. He is best known for creating the role of nefarious businessman Kirk Anderson on the long-running
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
As the World Turns
''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...
''.
Early life, family and education
Wiggin was born in New York City and raised in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. He began acting in
community theater
Community theatre refers to any Theatre, theatrical performance made in relation to particular Community, communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a communit ...
at age eight.
He graduated from
St. Paul's School in
Concord,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, where he continued to act while playing three varsity sports.
He attended
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in New York for three semesters, then left to pursue his acting career.
Career
Wiggin has acted professionally on stage, TV and in films. He has also written for two
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
s (''
Another World'' and ''As the World Turns'') and had one screenplay optioned (''Gift of the Robin's Nest'').
Wiggin started his career in New York City. He landed the role of Danny Zuko in a national tour of ''
Grease'' and eventually joined the Broadway cast. He left ''Grease'' to star in an
Off Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production of the British play 'Class Enemy' during which he was cast as Mike, the ex-quarterback cutter, in the TV series ''
Breaking Away
''Breaking Away'' is a 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film produced and directed by Peter Yates and written by Steve Tesich. It follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high sch ...
''. Wiggin went on to contract roles on two soap operas, ''
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
'' (Joe Foster) and ''Another World'' (Gil Fenton), acting with
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...
and
Joe Morton
Joseph Thomas Morton Jr. (born October 18, 1947) is an American actor. Known as a character actor for his numerous roles on stage, television and film, he has received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a nomination for ...
. Between these two contracts, he joined the cast of the Broadway comedy ''
Breakfast with Les and Bess''. In the mid eighties, Wiggin joined the cast of the Off Broadway smash ''
The Foreigner'' (Owen) and played Agent Foster in the TV movie ''
Izzy and Moe
''Izzy and Moe'' is a 1985 American made-for-television comedy-crime film starring Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. It is a fictional account of two actual Prohibition-era policemen, Izzy Einstein and Moe Smith, and their adventures in tracking ...
'', starring
Jackie Gleason
Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...
and
Art Carney
Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best kn ...
.
After moving to Los Angeles, Wiggin guest-starred in episodes of ''
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
'' and ''
St. Elsewhere
''St. Elsewhere'' is an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'',
in addition to starring in the west coast premiere of the Australian play 'Down an Alley Filled with Cats' at the
Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...
. He returned to New York in 1988 when he was cast in ''
As the World Turns
''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...
''. He played Kirk Anderson for 10 years. In 1994 he appeared with
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television, and film. He has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actor ...
in the Lincoln Center production of ''
Abe Lincoln in Illinois''. Later he guest starred in an episode of ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
''. He had non-contract roles on ''
All My Children
''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...
'' (Stan), and ''
Guiding Light
''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...
'' (Sam). He played Warden Whitakker in ''
Iron Jawed Angels'' starring
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (19 ...
,
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. ...
in the mini series ''
The Bronx Is Burning'', starring
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
and he appeared again on Broadway, starring with
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played a ...
in ''
Bobbi Boland'', but the show closed in previews.
He played Lawrence Decker, a non-contract role on ''Guiding Light'' shortly before it went dark.
He has appeared in several independent films, 'Exposure', ''
Brother to Brother'' (starring
Anthony Mackie
Anthony Dwane Mackie (born September 23, 1978) is an American actor. He gained wide recognition for portraying Sam Wilson / Falcon / Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with the film '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier ...
) and ''
Diggers
The Diggers were a group of religious and political dissidents in England, associated with a political ideology and programme resembling what would later be called agrarian socialism.; ; ; Gerrard Winstanley and William Everard (Digger), Will ...
'', starring
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. Rudd studied theatre at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before making his acting debut in 1991. He was included on the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 li ...
and
Maura Tierney
Maura Lynn Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on the sitcom ''NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama '' ER'' (1999–2009) and Helen Solloway on the myst ...
.
In 2015 he guest starred on ''
Person of Interest
"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...
''. In 2016, he appeared at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., in "City of Conversation" and "All the Way" and he guest starred on "Madam Secretary" in 2017. In 2018 he returned to Arena Stage to play Robert McNamara in "The Great Society".
He currently lives in Charleston and makes filmed content a
Atomic Focus Entertainment He is currently co-directing a feature film on book bans called "Banned Together" scheduled for a 2024 release.
Awards and nominations
He has been nominated for two ''
Soap Opera Digest
''Soap Opera Digest'' was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional ...
'' awards. In 1990, he was nominated for Outstanding Comic Actor for ''As the World Turns''. He was nominated again in 1996 for Outstanding Male Scene Stealer (for ''As the World Turns'').
Personal life
He and his first wife, Amy Forte Wiggin, are divorced. They have two daughters. He remarried in 2010 to Jennifer Dumas, a theater and film producer.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
at atomic-focus.com
*
Interview with Tom Wigginat peteranthonyholder.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiggin, Tom
Living people
1955 births
American soap opera writers
American male television actors
American male film actors
Male actors from New York City
Screenwriters from New York (state)
American male television writers
American television writers