Tom Cavanagh | |
|---|---|
 Cavanagh in 2023 | |
| Born | Thomas Cavanagh (1963-10-26)October 26, 1963 (age 62) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Thomas Cavanagh (born October 26, 1963[1]) is a Canadian actor. He is known for a variety of roles on American television, including starring roles inEd (2000–2004),Love Monkey (2006) andTrust Me (2009), and recurring roles onProvidence andScrubs. From 2014 to 2023, he portrayedHarrison Wells andEobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash onThe CW television seriesThe Flash; Cavanagh also directed several episodes ofThe Flash. In 2023, he became the host ofHey Yahoo! onGSN.[2]
Thomas Cavanagh was born on October 26, 1963 (although some sources state 1968)[3] inOttawa,Ontario,[1] to aRoman Catholic family of Irish descent.[4] Cavanagh moved with his family toWinneba, a small city inGhana when he was a child.[5]
In his teens, the family moved toLennoxville, Quebec when his father became the Academic Dean ofChamplain College.[6][7] He attended theSéminaire de Sherbrooke, where he studied in French and played basketball for the Barons. He later studied atChamplain College in Lennoxville at theCEGEP level. While attendingQueen's University, Kingston, Ontario, he became interested in theatre and music and playedice hockey and varsitybasketball. He graduated in 1987 with degrees inEnglish,biology and education.[1][8]
Cavanagh acted in his native Canada for many years, appearing on television dramas such asJake and the Kid in the late 1990s, and television commercials, appearing forOh Henry! chocolate bars[9] andLabatt Blue Light beer commercials[10] in the 1990s and forCIBC.
In 1989, he was cast in theBroadwayrevival ofShenandoah and in 2003 he starred as Bobby Strong in the Broadway cast ofUrinetown. Other stage credits include productions ofA Chorus Line,Cabaret,Brighton Beach Memoirs, andGrease. He appeared in the 2008 production ofSome Americans Abroad atSecond Stage Theatre inNew York City.[11]
After gaining notice for his recurring role as Doug the Dog Guy in theNBCtelevision programProvidence, Cavanagh was cast as the title character in the NBC programEd. Cavanagh received aGolden Globe nomination and aTV Guide Award for his work onEd, which ran for fourseasons beginning in October 2000 and concluding in February 2004.[5]
Cavanagh guest starred on thesitcomScrubs where he playedDan Dorian, the brother ofZach Braff's character. He made six subsequent appearances in the series, starting with 2002's "My Big Brother" and culminating with the eighth seasonfinale.
In 2005, Cavanagh filmed thepilotLove Monkey, withJason Priestley,Judy Greer andLarenz Tate. The show was selected byCBS as amidseason replacement and debuted on January 17, 2006.Love Monkey was given an eight-episode order, but only three aired on CBS before the show was placed on indefinite hiatus due to lowratings.VH1 bought all eight episodes which was played in the entirety in the spring of 2006.
He starred in theLifetime Movie Network television miniseriesThe Capture of the Green River Killer in which he portrayedKing County sheriffDavid Reichert. In March 2006, Cavanagh filmedMy Ex-Life, a comedy pilot for CBS about a divorced couple who remain friends. The pilot featuredLost actressCynthia Watros as his character's ex-wife. CBS did not select the show for its fall 2006 schedule. Cavanagh portrayed the lead role Nick Snowden (the heir to theSanta Claus identity) in themade-for-TV movieSnow in 2004.
In 2008, Cavanagh appeared in the short-livedABC seriesEli Stone, playing the father of the title character. From January to April 2009, Cavanagh starred in the television dramaTrust Me, co-starringEric McCormack, which aired onTNT until cancellation due to low ratings.[12][13]
Cavanagh hostedStories from the Vaults onSmithsonian Networks from 2008 to 2009. He made a guest appearance in the mid-season premiere of theUSA Network showRoyal Pains as former professional golfer Jack O'Malley. In 2012, he starred inLifetime'sA Killer Among Us remake.[14]
From 2014 to 2021, Cavanagh was a series regular onThe CW's live-action television seriesThe Flash, portrayingHarrison Wells;[15] most notablyEobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash impersonating theEarth-1 version in conjunction with several differentdoppelgängers, such asEarth-2's Harry,Earth-19 writer H. R.,Earth-221 detective Sherloque, and explorer Nash (also known asPariah). He was a regular cast member for seven seasons, and made guest appearances in the final two seasons.[16][17][18] In 2023, Cavanagh began hosting the game showHey Yahoo!.[19]
Cavanagh starred in the 2002 filmBang Bang You're Dead. Prior toEd, Cavanagh's film appearances were mainly in supporting roles.[5] After that series ended, he had his first starring role as an escaped convict in the thrillerHeart of the Storm. In 2005, he starred in the romantic comedyAlchemy, oppositeSarah Chalke; in 2006, he appeared in another romantic comedy,Gray Matters.
In 2006, Cavanagh began filmingBreakfast with Scot, in which he plays agay retiredhockey player who becomes an adoptive father to a young boy. The film, released in 2007, drew attention as the first gay-themed film ever to win approval from a major league sports franchise to use its real name and logo; Cavanagh's character formerly played for theToronto Maple Leafs. In 2007, he starred in the second installment of the direct-to-DVDRaw Feedhorror film series fromWarner Home Video,Sublime. In 2008, Cavanagh starred in the Crime/DramaThe Capture of the Green River Killer. He also starred asRanger Smith in the feature filmYogi Bear (2010).
From 2010 until 2016, Cavanagh co-hosted thepodcastMike and Tom Eat Snacks, with hisEd castmateMichael Ian Black, on theNerdist Podcast Network.[20] They re-launched the podcast in August 2021 on the Starburns Audio podcast network until going on hiatus again in early 2023. They re-relaunched the podcast in September 2025 as part of the Realm podcast network.
Cavanagh married Maureen Grise, animage editor forSports Illustrated, on July 31, 2004, in aCatholic ceremony onNantucket, Massachusetts.[21] The couple has two daughters and two sons.[22]
Cavanagh ran the 2006New York City Marathon.[23]
In summer 2008, he founded the Cavanagh Classic, an annual celebrity basketball tournament inRucker Park inHarlem to raise money and awareness forNothing But Nets. The charity's goal is to combatmalaria by sendingmosquito nets to families that need them. Cavanagh travelled toRwanda on a March 2009United Nations Foundation trip to distribute the nets and educate the recipients in their use.[24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | White Light | Ella's Secretary | |
| 1995 | Dangerous Intentions | Ron | |
| 1995 | Magic in the Water | Simon | |
| 1996 | Mask of Death | Joey | |
| 1996 | Midnight Heat | Bowlan | |
| 1996 | Profile for Murder | Tim Jonas | |
| 1997 | Honeymoon | Jamie | |
| 1999 | Something More | Harry | |
| 2003 | Freddy vs. Jason | Will's Father | |
| 2005 | Alchemy | Mal Downey | |
| 2006 | How to Eat Fried Worms | Mitch Forrester | |
| 2006 | Two Weeks | Barry Bergman | |
| 2006 | Gray Matters | Sam Baldwin | |
| 2007 | Sublime | George Grieves | |
| 2007 | The Cake Eaters | Lloyd | |
| 2007 | Breakfast with Scot | Eric McNally | |
| 2010 | Yogi Bear | Ranger John Smith | |
| 2013 | The Birder | Ron Spencer | |
| 2014 | The Games Maker | Mr. Drago | |
| 2015 | 400 Days | Zell | |
| 2016 | Sidekick | Darkman | |
| 2016 | Offer and Compromise | Henry Warner | |
| 2019 | Love & Debt | Henry Warner | |
| 2022 | Corrective Measures | Gordon Tweedy | [25] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Secret Service | Charlie | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Beyond Reality | N/A | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Sherlock Holmes Returns | Rookie Cop | Television film |
| 1993 | Other Women's Children | Marco | Television film |
| 1994 | Street Legal | Dr. Peter Shenfield | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Madison | Jesus | 1 episode |
| 1995, 1999 | The Outer Limits | Carl Toman, Vance Ridout | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Hawkeye | Corporal Charles Sykes | 1 episode |
| 1995 | A Vow to Kill | Jacey Jeffries | Television film |
| 1997 | Jake and the Kid | Paul Krause | Main role (season 2) |
| 1996 | Bloodhounds II | Levesh | Television film |
| 1997 | The Sentinel | Bill Collins | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Northern Lights | Frank | Television film |
| 1998 | Cold Squad | Spencer Taggart | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Viper | Charles Bennett | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Eyes of a Cowboy | Lonesome Cooper | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Twisteeria | Live Action Man | Television film |
| 1998 | The 900 Lives of Jackie Frye | Jackie Frye | Television film |
| 1999 | Mentors | Lewis Carroll | 1 episode |
| 1999–2000 | Providence | Doug Boyce | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 1999 | Oh, Grow Up | Bruce | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Anya's Bell | Patrick Birmingham | Television film |
| 1999–2000 | Sports Night | Howard | 2 episodes |
| 2000–2004 | Ed | Ed Stevens | Lead role, 83 episodes |
| 2002 | Bang Bang You're Dead | Val Duncan | Television film |
| 2002–2009 | Scrubs | Dan Dorian | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | Jimmy McCallister | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Heart of the Storm | Simpson | Television film |
| 2004 | Snow | Nick Snowden | Television film |
| 2006 | Love Monkey | Tom Farrell | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2006 | My Ex Life | Nick | Television film |
| 2008 | Snow 2: Brain Freeze | Nick Snowden | Television film |
| 2008 | The Capture of the Green River Killer | Dave Reichert | Television miniseries |
| 2008–2009 | Eli Stone | Jeremy Stone | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2009 | Trust Me | Conner | Main role |
| 2009 | Christmas Dreams | Eli | Television film |
| 2010 | Edgar Floats | Edgar Floats | Television film |
| 2011 | Trading Christmas | Charles Johnson | Television film |
| 2011–2012 | Royal Pains | Jack O'Malley | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2012 | A Killer Among Us | Nick Carleton | Television film |
| 2013 | Doc McStuffins | Big Jack | Voice role; 1 episode |
| 2013 | The Goldbergs | Charles Kremp | 1 episode |
| 2013, 2023 | Blue Bloods | Mickey Patrick | Episodes: "Ties That Bind", "The Big Leagues" |
| 2014 | Lucky Duck | Snap | Voice role; television film |
| 2014 | The Following | Kingston Tanner | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Undateable | Frank | 1 episode |
| 2014–2023 | The Flash | Harrison Wells /Pariah,Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash / The Flash | Main role (seasons 1–7); recurring role (seasons 7-8); guest role (season 9) |
| 2015 | Robot Chicken | Eobard Thawne | Voice role; episode: "Ants on a Hamburger" |
| 2016 | Van Helsing | Micah | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Darrow & Darrow | Miles | Television film |
| 2017, 2019 | Supergirl | Harrison Wells / Pariah, Eobard Thawne | Episodes: "Crisis on Earth-X", "The Wrath of Rama Khan" (cameo), "Crisis on Infinite Earths" |
| 2017–2019 | Arrow | Harrison Wells, Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash | Episodes: "Crisis on Earth-X", "Purgatory" (cameo), "Elseworlds" |
| 2017, 2020 | Legends of Tomorrow | Crossover episodes: "Crisis on Earth-X", "Crisis on Infinite Earths" | |
| 2018 | Darrow & Darrow: In the Key of Murder | Miles | Television film |
| 2018 | Darrow & Darrow: Body of Evidence | Miles | Television film |
| 2019 | Witness to Murder: A Darrow Mystery | Miles | Television film |
| 2019 | Batwoman | Nash Wells | Episode: "A Mad Tea-Party" (cameo) |
| 2023 | Hey Yahoo (Game Show)[26] | Host | Game Show |
| 2024 | Superman & Lois | Gordon Godfrey | Episode: "Sharp Dressed Man" |
| 2024 | Mistletoe Murders | Glenn Shaw | 2 episodes |
| 2025 | FBI | Philip | 2 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Yogi Bear: The Video Game | Ranger Smith |
| 2025 | Marvel's Deadpool VR | Mephisto |
That was the start of it, so to speak, and we're Irish Catholic and Notre Dame, well, they're the Irish...
My parents are educators, and they were over there putting in teaching systems in Africa
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
