Quick Info
| Profession | Actor, Writer, Sports Journalist |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 22/06/1950 |
| Age | 67 years (died on 29, Sep, 2017) |
| Birthplace | Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India |
| Date of Death | 29/09/2017 |
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Bio/Wiki
| Thomas Beach Alter was an American-Indian actor best known for his works in Hindi cinema and Indian theatre. Born to American missionary parents, he was the third generation of the Alter family to live in India. He relinquished his US citizenship at an early age to become an Indian citizen and developed a deep attachment to India throughout his life. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 180 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | White |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School | Woodstock School, Mussoorie |
|---|---|
| College | Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (1972-1974) |
| Educational Qualification | Graduate |
Personal Life
| Religion | Christianity |
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| Hobbies | Reading Urdu Shayari, Playing and watching Cricket |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
|---|---|
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Carol Evans (Carol and Tom were classmates in Woodstock School, Mussoorie) |
| Wife/Spouse | Carol Evans |
| Marriage Date | 1977 |
| Children |
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| Spouse | Carol Evans |
Family
| Father | James Alter (Missionary) |
|---|---|
| Mother | Barbara Alter |
| Siblings |
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| Spouse | Carol Evans |
| Children |
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| Paternal Grandparents | Emmett Alter and Martha Alter (arrived from Ohio, USA in 1916 as Presbyterian missionaries) |
Career
| Graduated with a gold medal from the Film and Television Institute of India in 1974 | |
| First Hindi film role in 1976 | |
| Notable role as Captain Weston in Satyajit Ray's Shatranj ke Khilari (1977) | |
| Acted in over 300 films and numerous TV serials and plays | |
| Regular sports writer and cricket commentator for many years | |
| Conducted Sachin Tendulkar's first video interview in 1989 | |
| Provided Hindi commentary for ESPN | |
| Awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2008 |
Favourites
| Favourite Actor | Rajesh Khanna |
|---|---|
| Favourite Actress | Sharmila Tagore |
| Favourite Film | Aradhana (1969) |
| Favourite Sport | Cricket |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Tom's grandparents migrated from Ohio, United States to India in November 1916. | |
| 2. They lived in Chennai, then moved to Lahore. | |
| 3. After the partition of India and Pakistan, his grandparents stayed in Pakistan while his parents moved to India, settling in Rajpur near Mussoorie. | |
| 4. His parents founded the 'Massihi Dhyaan Kendra' ashram in Rajpur. | |
| 5. Before pursuing acting, Tom worked as a teacher and Cricket coach in various schools in India and the US. | |
| 6. His interest in acting sparked after watching the film Aradhana (1969) multiple times a week with his friends. | |
| 7. Naseeruddin Shah, Benjamin Gilani, and Shabana Azmi were Tom's batchmates at FTII, Pune. | |
| 8. Aside from acting, Tom authored popular books and worked as a sports journalist. | |
| 9. He also did Hindi commentary for ESPN. | |
| 10. Tom Alter conducted Sachin Tendulkar's first video interview in 1989. | |
| 11. In 2008, he received the Padma Shri award from the Indian government. | |
| 12. Diagnosed with Stage IV skin cancer in September 2017, Tom passed away later that month. | |
| 13. Known for his excellence in Hindi and Urdu, Tom was often called "Blue-eyed Saheb". | |
| 14. He has acted in various regional language films apart from Hindi films. | |
| 15. Remembered for his iconic roles in movies like Kranti, Junoon, and Shatranj Ke Khilari. | |
| 16. His Television serial roles in Shaktimaan and Captain Vyom are also cherished by many. | |
| 17. Tom acted in over 300 films, numerous TV serials, and plays. | |
| 18. He relinquished his US citizenship at an early age to become an Indian citizen. | |
| 19. His father James was born in Sialkot, Punjab (now Pakistan). | |
| 20. Fluent in Hindustani and Urdu from childhood, he developed a deep appreciation for and mastery of Urdu poetry. | |
| 21. He performed many plays in Urdu. | |
| 22. He acted in various regional language films apart from Hindi films. |