Tom Pelphrey

Tom Pelphrey was born on July 28, 1982, in Howell Township, New Jersey. He pursued an education in acting, attending FPAC at Howell High School and later earning a BFA in Acting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 2004. During his time at Rutgers, he also studied Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre in London, England. His professional career began in television, with his first role on the CBS daytime drama, “Guiding Light,” where he portrayed Jonathan Randall. This role brought him significant recognition and multiple Emmy Awards.

Following his work in daytime television, Pelphrey expanded his career into independent films and theater. He co-founded and served as artistic director of the Apothecary Theater Company, which produced the world premiere of “In God’s Hat.” His theater career also included a Broadway debut as Micky Deans in “End of the Rainbow” and an appearance in “Fool for Love” alongside Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda. He later gained wider recognition for his television roles, including Kurt Bunker in “Banshee” (2015-2016), Ward Meachum in Marvel’s “Iron Fist” (2017-2018), and Ben Davis in “Ozark” (2020-2022), the latter earning him a Primetime Emmy nomination.

Pelphrey’s film career includes playing Joseph Mankiewicz in David Fincher’s “Mank” (2020), which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. He also starred as Jason Derek Brown in the true crime film “American Murderer” (2022). More recently, he has appeared in television series such as “Outer Range” (2022-2024), “Love & Death” (2023), “A Man in Full” (2024), and has a forthcoming role as Robbie Prendergrast in “Task” (2025). Throughout his career, Pelphrey has consistently taken on complex characters, earning critical acclaim for his performances.