Tom Wopat (born September 9, 1951 in
Lodi, WisconsinLodi is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the census of 2000, the population was 2,882. The city's estimated 2005 population was 2,929...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer.
He first achieved fame as
Luke DukeLucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from 1979 to 1985. Luke was played by Tom Wopat....
in the long-running 1979 television series
The Dukes of Hazzard, along with
John SchneiderJohn Richard Schneider is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with Tom Wopat, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career,...
. He also played Jeff, one of
Cybill ShepherdCybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former fashion model.Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan in Cybill, as Betsy in Taxi Driver and as Phyllis Kroll in The L Word. She recently starred in the...
's ex-husbands in the TV series
CybillCybill is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from 1995 to 1998, starring Cybill Shepherd in the lead role.-Synopsis:Shepherd portrayed the character of somewhat faded television actress Cybill Sheridan who, because of her age, had been relegated to playing character roles, bit parts and TV...
.
Wopat attended the
University of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, and made his television debut in the daytime drama
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which has been broadcast on the ABC television network since July 15, 1968. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
; however, he achieved television fame in the popular long-running television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985).
He also embarked on a music career.
Tom Wopat (born September 9, 1951 in
Lodi, WisconsinLodi is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the census of 2000, the population was 2,882. The city's estimated 2005 population was 2,929...
) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer.
He first achieved fame as
Luke DukeLucas K. "Luke" Duke is a fictional character in the American television series The Dukes of Hazzard which ran from 1979 to 1985. Luke was played by Tom Wopat....
in the long-running 1979 television series
The Dukes of Hazzard, along with
John SchneiderJohn Richard Schneider is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with Tom Wopat, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career,...
. He also played Jeff, one of
Cybill ShepherdCybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former fashion model.Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan in Cybill, as Betsy in Taxi Driver and as Phyllis Kroll in The L Word. She recently starred in the...
's ex-husbands in the TV series
CybillCybill is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from 1995 to 1998, starring Cybill Shepherd in the lead role.-Synopsis:Shepherd portrayed the character of somewhat faded television actress Cybill Sheridan who, because of her age, had been relegated to playing character roles, bit parts and TV...
.
Career
Wopat attended the
University of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, and made his television debut in the daytime drama
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which has been broadcast on the ABC television network since July 15, 1968. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
; however, he achieved television fame in the popular long-running television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985).
He also embarked on a music career. He has recorded eight albums. Musically he switches between
rock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States after World War II in the late 1940s, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country music and gospel music scenes...
and
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
styles, though his last two albums have been of classic pop standards. The latter recording,
Dissertation on the State of Bliss, is a collection of
Harold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music.Having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to being the composer of The Wizard of Oz, Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook.His 1938 song "Over the Rainbow”...
songs.
Wopat first appeared on the
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
stage as a replacement in the 1977 musical
I Love My WifeI Love My Wife is a musical with a book and lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, based on a play by Luis Rego.A satire of the sexual revolution of the 1970s, the musical takes place on Christmas Eve in suburban Trenton, New Jersey, where two married couples who have been close friends...
, as "Wally". He then appeared as a replacement in the stage musicals
City of AngelsCity of Angels is an English language romance film directed by Brad Silberling in 1998. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 German film Wings of Desire , which was set in Berlin.-Story:In Los Angeles, Seth is one of...
, and
Guys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a musical, with the music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most...
. He finally appeared in the opening cast of the 1999 revival of
Annie Get Your GunAnnie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields...
opposite
Bernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress and singer from New York City. Over the course of a career that has already spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
,
Susan LucciSusan Victoria Lucci is an American actress, best known for portraying iconic character Erica Kane on the daytime drama All My Children. Lucci has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with New York Times and Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime...
and
Reba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is a Grammy award-winning American country music artist. She began her career in the music industry singing with her siblings on local radio shows and rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma City, which caught the attention of country artist Red...
, who played Annie Oakley (in consecutive order). He was nominated for a
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
in 1999 for his performance as "Frank Butler". He has since appeared in the revivals of the musicals
ChicagoChicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse...
and
42nd Street42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
.
In 1996, Wopat served as host for Dick Clark's new country music performance show on
The Nashville NetworkThe Nashville Network, or TNN as it is usually called, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
, Prime Time Country, however his time on the show was short-lived; before the first season was over, Wopat was replaced by Contemporary Christian artist
Gary ChapmanGary Chapman is a Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter and former television talk show host.-Music career:Chapman performed in bands throughout high school and college...
as host.
In 2005, Wopat appeared in a non-singing role in the
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
revival of
David MametDavid Alan Mamet is an American author, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and film director. His works are known for their clever, terse, sometimes vulgar dialogue and arcane stylized phrasing, as well as for their exploration of masculinity...
's
Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
-winning play
Glengarry Glen RossGlengarry Glen Ross is a 1982 play written by David Mamet. The play shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts—from lies and flattery to bribery, threats, intimidation, and burglary—to sell...
as the browbeaten customer, James Lingk.
Nov 3, 2005: A 'Smallville' episode called 'Exposed' reunited Tom Wopat and John Schneider. Wopat played Sen. Jack Jennings, an old friend of Jonathan Kent's who comes to Smallville to seek his help in an upcoming campaign.
Wopat starred in the North Carolina Theatre's production of
The Music ManThe Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. The show is based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping...
, in the role of Harold Hill in November 2006.
Playbill reported that Wopat, along with
Nathan LaneNathan Lane is a two-time Tony and Emmy award winning American actor of stage and screen. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in Mousehunt, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and...
, took part in a workshop of a musical,
Catch Me If You Can, in July 2007.
In 2008 Wopat starred on Broadway as the father in the musical
A Catered AffairA Catered Affair is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by John Bucchino. It is based on both the 1956 film The Catered Affair written by Gore Vidal and the original 1955 teleplay by Paddy Chayefsky, set in 1953 in the Bronx...
, written by
Harvey FiersteinHarvey Forbes Fierstein is an American actor and playwright, noted for the early distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and playing the lead role in his long-running play Torch Song Trilogy, about a gay transvestite-performer and his quest for true love and family...
(book) and
John BucchinoJohn Bucchino is an American composer.He has done work for several off-Broadway shows and highly acclaimed concertsBucchino made his Broadway debut with A Catered Affair as composer/lyricist with four time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein as bookwriter and co-star...
(score), which opened on April 17, 2008 at the
Walter Kerr TheatreThe Walter Kerr Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre. Located at 218 West 48th Street, it is owned by the Jujamcyn Amusement Corporation. One of the smaller auditoriums in the theatre district, it seats 975....
. . He received his second Tony nomination for that performance.
Wopat starred as Detective Jones in the Independent Black Comedy,
The UnderstudyThe Understudy could refer to;*"The Understudy" , a 1975 fifth series Upstairs, Downstairs episode*"The Understudy" , a 1995 sixth season Seinfeld episode*The Understudy a 2008 Black Comedy...
Wopat has returned to the Madison area for various occasions, including performances at various area theatres.
Wopat also provided a minor voice part as a member of the "Bloodhounds" on the 2007 release,
Manhunt 2Manhunt 2 is an action/adventure video game developed by Rockstar Games and the sequel to 2003's Manhunt. The game was released in North America for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii on October 31, 2007...
video game.
On May 26 2008 Wopat sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and "
God Bless America"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song originally written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938, as sung by Kate Smith ....
" at the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals MLB game.
In 2009 he appeared opposite
Kevin BaconKevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Footloose, Flatliners, A Few Good Men, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, and Tremors....
in
Taking ChanceTaking Chance is a 2009 historical drama based upon the experiences of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl escorting the body of a Marine, PFC Chance Phelps , back to his hometown from the Iraq War....
, the HBO production about the returning home of a young man named
Chance PhelpsChance Russel Phelps was a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps who served with 2nd Platoon, Battery L, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Phelps was killed in Iraq as the convoy he was escorting...
, a United States Marine, who was killed in
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
. Wopat plays
Chance PhelpsChance Russel Phelps was a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps who served with 2nd Platoon, Battery L, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment , 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Phelps was killed in Iraq as the convoy he was escorting...
father in the movie, which is based on a true story.
On April 21st, and 22nd of 2009 Wopat appeared at the Baltimore Lyric Opera House in the musical "Chicago" as the greedy lawyer Billy Flynn.
In July 2009, Wopat will be originating the role of Frank Abignale, Sr. in the new musical "
Catch Me if You CanCatch Me If You Can is a 2002 comedy-drama crime film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor and Louisiana attorney and parish prosecutor...
" based on the highly successful 2002 film directed by
Steven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. In a career of over four decades, Spielberg's films have touched on many themes and genres. Spielberg's early sci-fi and adventure films, sometimes centering on children, were seen as an archetype of modern...
and starring
Tom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title role in Forrest Gump, Commander James...
and Leonardo DeCaprio.
Albums
| Year |
Album |
| 1983 |
Tom Wopat |
| 1987 |
A Little Bit Closer |
| 1990 |
Don't Look Back |
| 1992 |
Learning to Love |
| 1995 |
Hands On |
| 2000 |
In the Still of the Night |
| 2005 |
Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen:
Dissertation on the State of Bliss |
| 2009 |
Consider it Swung |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart Positions |
Album |
| US Country Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
|
CAN Country |
| 1986 |
"True Love (Never Did Run Smooth)" |
39 |
|
A Little Bit Closer |
| "I Won't Let You Down" |
44 |
|
| 1987 |
"The Rock and Roll of Love" |
16 |
14 |
| "Put Me Out of My Misery" |
28 |
25 |
| "Susannah" |
20 |
|
| 1988 |
"A Little Bit Closer" |
18 |
|
| "Hey Little Sister" |
40 |
|
singles only |
| "Not Enough Love" |
29 |
|
| 1991 |
"Too Many Honky Tonks (On My Way Home)" |
46 |
46 |
Learning to Love |
| "Back to the Well" |
51 |
54 |