Full Name Tommy Ford Name Thomas Ford Other names Tommy Ford Role Actor | Occupation Actor Height 1.93 m Years active 1985—present Spouse Gina Sasso (m. 1997–2014) | |
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Born June 15, 1962 (age 62) ( 1962-06-15 ) Yonkers, New York United States Nominations NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Movies and TV shows Similar People Carl Anthony Payne II, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell‑Martin, Martin Lawrence, Reginald Ballard |
Thefight journal interview w thomas mikal ford tommy you ain t got no job from martin lawrence
Thomas Mikal Ford (September 5, 1964 – October 12, 2016), sometimes credited as Tommy Ford, was an American actor and comedian. Ford was best known for his role as Thomas "Tommy" Strawn on the FOX sitcom Martin which originally aired from 1992 until 1997. Ford also had a recurring role as Mel Parker in the UPN sitcom The Parkers from 1999 until 2001.
Contents
- Thefight journal interview w thomas mikal ford tommy you ain t got no job from martin lawrence
- Tommy Ford Acting Reel
- Early life and education
- Career
- Personal lifedeath
- Major roles in television and film
- References
![Thomas Mikal Ford Celebrity Photographer Ian Foxx and Actor Tommy Ford Team](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-9ab5533e-f1d0-4686-9682-14898484202-resize-750.jpg)
Tommy Ford Acting Reel
Early life and education
![Thomas Mikal Ford askkissycomwpcontentuploads201409thomasmik](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-2a4ec8dc-bb2d-4f34-bd39-4e3b4c2a061-resize-750.jpg)
Ford was born in Los Angeles and raised in Long Beach, California. His mother worked as a school secretary and his father as a pipe-fitter. As a child, Ford wanted to be a preacher. When he took drama lessons and started acting in high school plays, he decided to go into acting instead. After earning Associate of Arts degree from Long Beach City College in 1985, Ford transferred to the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting.
Career
![Thomas Mikal Ford Pictures from the Thomas Mikal Ford](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-196d25a8-4fb1-44d9-b748-49a53dad2af-resize-750.jpeg)
In Martin, Ford played Tommy Strawn who was, at times, the straight man for Martin Lawrence's jokes, but he very often inserted scene-stealing "bald-headed logic" and witty comments in odd situations. Also, his character was often the subject of many jokes regarding his mysterious employment status, though Tisha Campbell-Martin revealed he was a counselor and presumably unemployed after Ford complained that his character lacked development. Ford received an NAACP Image Awards nomination in 1996 in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
![Thomas Mikal Ford Martin Actor Thomas Mikal Ford Dies at 52 Publicist Confirms](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-ccadf1b6-8aa0-4a34-ac2a-51b9ee7d7c9-resize-750.jpeg)
After Martin ended, Ford found success in the detective drama New York Undercover as Lieutenant Malcolm Barker. He appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers in the recurring role of Nikki's ex-husband and Kim's father, Mel Parker, in seven episodes. He played Ben Cummings in The Power of Passion as one of the characters whose wife cheats on him with the pastor. He was also known as "The Pope of Comedy", due to exposure as a judge on TV One's comedy competition show Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes? In feature films, Ford appeared in the Kid 'n Play movie Class Act as "Mink". In Harlem Nights, he played Tommy Smalls, the brother of Arsenio Hall's character. He was seen in the crime drama Against the Law (1997).
![Thomas Mikal Ford Tommy Ford on Life Support Wife Asks Fans for Prayers](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-285536be-24ed-494a-88bd-6aeb1f89105-resize-750.jpeg)
In 1993, Ford directed and produced the play South of Where We Live, about six African-American professionals who return to the communities where they were raised and learn about the social issues that now exist. The play was performed at the Los Angeles Ebony Showcase Theatre, the oldest black theater in the country. Ford chose the Ebony Showcase in order to raise money for the theater, which was in danger of closing. The same year, he directed the play Jonin', a comedy about fraternity life at a historically black college in Washington, D.C.
![Thomas Mikal Ford Martin Star Thomas Mikal Ford Dead at 52 SPIN](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-992e1488-e04e-4379-a44b-b71b45b8eb0-resize-750.png)
Ford co-hosted the Texas Gospel Music Awards in 1993 with singer Yolanda Adams and actor Troy Curvey. In 1998, Ford founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called Be Still and Know. The organization's mission was to build better communities for youth.
![Thomas Mikal Ford Get Crystalized Martin Actor Tommy Ford Dead At 52 RIP](https://alchetron.com/cdn/thomas-mikal-ford-eecb30bd-9750-432e-a544-4300b19de5f-resize-750.jpeg)
Ford wrote two inspirational books for children, titled Positive Attitude and I am Responsible for Me. Ford spent time traveling to schools to inspire and empower children, and encourage responsibility. In June 2016, Ford directed a documentary on bullying, entitled Through My Lens Atl; it aired in October 2016, on Aspire TV.
Personal life/death
Ford was married once to Gina Sasso from 1997 to 2014. Ford had two children. Ford moved from Los Angeles to Kendall, Florida, around 2001. In 2015, Ford moved to Atlanta, GA where he lived with his girlfriend Viviane Brazil. Ford died on October 12, 2016, at an Atlanta area hospital after an aneurysm in his abdomen ruptured. He was 52.