Born in Chicago, Oscar nominee, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Tom Berenger was raised in a working class home as the son of a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Tom attended the University of Missouri to study journalism. It was there he first auditioned for a role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at the college theater on a whim a...
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Born in Chicago, Oscar nominee, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Tom Berenger was raised in a working class home as the son of a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Tom attended the University of Missouri to study journalism. It was there he first auditioned for a role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" at the college theater on a whim and a bet with a roommate. He was accepted for the role of "Nick." After several stints in regional theater, Tom then attended the Herbert Berghof Studio School for Acting in New York City. While in New York, he pursued his professional career in theater and television. Tom's auspicious film debut in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) led to other roles in films such as Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), The Big Chill (1983), Platoon (1986), Someone to Watch Over Me (1987), Shoot to Kill (1988), _Betrayed_, Last Rites (1988), Major League (1989), Shattered (1991), Gettysburg (1993), The Substitute (1996), Sniper (1993), Rough Riders (1997), Inception (2010), Hatfields & McCoys (2012), among many others. Show less «
[in 2002] Since the '70s I've seen myself as a poet. Sometimes I express that poetry through acting,...Show more »
[in 2002] 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. Show less «
Even my agents say, 'We don't know what this business is anymore.' These days, you can do a TV serie...Show more »
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 (1998)? - 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. Show less «
[on Charlie Sheen] I've always liked him, and I always worry about him like his parents do. He was a...Show more »
[on Charlie Sheen] I've always liked him, and I always worry about him like his parents do. He was always a good listener, which is probably why he is a real good actor. Show less «
[on playing bad guys] I enjoy playing them. I find something human in them, with the exception of Lo...Show more »
[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. Show less «
[in 1975] I first started thinking about being an actor when I was in college at the University of M...Show more »
[in 1975] 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. Show less «
Your body really changes a lot in your 50s. You start feeling old injuries and things start coming b...Show more »
Your body really changes a lot in your 50s. You start feeling old injuries and things start coming back ... so you better get it together then. Show less «