.gif)
Tommy Solomon (3rd Rock from the Sun)
Encyclopedia
Tommy Solomon is a fictional character
created by Bonnie and Terry Turner
from the American
sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun
. He was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
.
, Tommy, despite being the oldest of the aliens, was given the body of a teenage
boy. Despite having to act like a kid all the time, Tommy's real age shines through, particularly when he plays the role of mentor to High Commander Dick
, ostensibly Tommy's father while on Earth. During one episode, Tommy announces he has retired from the mission, and starts behaving like a stereotypical old man, even hanging out at the old folks' home (where he poses as one of the resident's nephews). As Information Officer, Tommy is the smartest and most Earth-savvy of the Solomons, and he is typically charged with gathering information about humans, mainly from television shows and film
s. During the final season Joseph Gordon-Levitt
left the series and became a recurring character, so in the storyline Tommy is sent to college.
, but later gets fired by Harry (as the President of NBC) for being too conceited and demanding a large salary.
has charm, Sally
has looks and Harry
has an exotic sexual behavior. For example, in one episode, at the bar where Harry works later in the series, there was a machine that tests how sexy you are. When Tommy tries it out, he gets the lowest score, while Harry gets the highest.
s over the course of the show, August Leffler and Alissa Strudwick. He has a lot of difficulty maintaining a relationship with any girl, as he is often forced to come up with plausible explanations for his family's bizarre behavior. Therefore, much of his relationships seem to involve him begging his girlfriend to not leave him.
Tommy has had other love interests, although typically ones that only last a single episode. Among the most notable were his glee club teacher, a goth
student and even, on one occasion, Dr. Mary Albright
and her sexually experienced niece.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by Bonnie and Terry Turner
Bonnie and Terry Turner
Bonnie and Terry Turner are a husband-and-wife writing team, best known for creating the sitcoms 3rd Rock from the Sun and That '70s Show , for NBC and FOX respectively, as well as That '80s Show for FOX in 2002, and Normal, Ohio starring John Goodman in 2000.From 1986 until 1992, the team were...
from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
. He was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
.
Ironic age
When the Solomons originally arrived on EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, Tommy, despite being the oldest of the aliens, was given the body of a teenage
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
boy. Despite having to act like a kid all the time, Tommy's real age shines through, particularly when he plays the role of mentor to High Commander Dick
Dick Solomon
Dr. Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late '90s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The Big Giant Head...
, ostensibly Tommy's father while on Earth. During one episode, Tommy announces he has retired from the mission, and starts behaving like a stereotypical old man, even hanging out at the old folks' home (where he poses as one of the resident's nephews). As Information Officer, Tommy is the smartest and most Earth-savvy of the Solomons, and he is typically charged with gathering information about humans, mainly from television shows and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s. During the final season Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
left the series and became a recurring character, so in the storyline Tommy is sent to college.
Alternate Universe
In the Alternate Universe, Tommy is the star of Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, but later gets fired by Harry (as the President of NBC) for being too conceited and demanding a large salary.
Running gag
The major running gag of Tommy is that he is the "least" sexy of the alien colleagues, for DickDick Solomon
Dr. Richard Solomon, usually known as Dick Solomon, is a character played by John Lithgow in the late '90s NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. Solomon is the High Commander of a highly trained alien unit, sent to Earth by their leader, The Big Giant Head...
has charm, Sally
Sally Solomon
Sally Solomon is a fictional character from the television sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.-Role as female:Prior to arriving on Earth, the Solomons had some sort of contest to determine who would be male or female...
has looks and Harry
Harry Solomon
Harry S. Solomon is a character in 3rd Rock from the Sun, played by French Stewart. He is the brother of Dick Solomon and Sally Solomon, and the uncle of Tommy Solomon. His middle initial is mentioned in the episode "Dick the Vote." French Stewart said in a 1998 interview, "The way the character...
has an exotic sexual behavior. For example, in one episode, at the bar where Harry works later in the series, there was a machine that tests how sexy you are. When Tommy tries it out, he gets the lowest score, while Harry gets the highest.
Romantic life
Tommy has had two main girlfriendGirlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
s over the course of the show, August Leffler and Alissa Strudwick. He has a lot of difficulty maintaining a relationship with any girl, as he is often forced to come up with plausible explanations for his family's bizarre behavior. Therefore, much of his relationships seem to involve him begging his girlfriend to not leave him.
Tommy has had other love interests, although typically ones that only last a single episode. Among the most notable were his glee club teacher, a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
student and even, on one occasion, Dr. Mary Albright
Dr. Mary Albright
Mary Margaret Albright, Ph.D is a fictional character who was played by Jane Curtin in the American situation comedy 3rd Rock from the Sun. She serves as a straight foil and love interest for the eccentric Dick Solomon.-Casting:...
and her sexually experienced niece.