Thomas Wilson Brown was born on December 27, 1972, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The circumstances of his birth made him the stuff of legend at a young age, and he only grew in stature as an actor and entertainer from then on.
Today, he’s mostly known for his work in the films Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, and Teen Wolf. But how much do you know about the man behind the acting?
Who is Thomas Wilson Brown?
Thomas Wilson Brown entered the world in the back seat of a car in, of all places, deeply rural Wyoming. Wyoming’s population is less than that of Houston, Texas, but the state is so big that its low population density still allows it to rank number five in the United States by size.
The Brown family was living on a ranch at the time, and his "strong-willed mother" and Texan cowboy father raised him in their country lifestyle. They emphasized the importance of education and self-esteem, and soon enough, young Thomas Wilson Brown had developed a love for the arts.
For the first seven years of his life, Thomas Wilson Brown lived on his family’s 14,000-acre Lusk, Wyoming ranch. He spent time with a huge but close group of cousins and extended family, as well as many siblings.
He acquired his passion for the arts from his grandmother, who read to him often. He also enjoyed studying paintings and photographs. These images encouraged him to dream of being an artist or actor.
Beginnings of his career as an actor
Thomas Wilson Brown was supported in his acting career by his parents. At this time, his family moved from Wyoming to New Mexico, and he began to take dance lessons from his aunt.
His biography humorously relates that he used to be the only boy in the entire group, but that he enjoyed it tremendously.
Thomas would spend years studying classical dance and was quite talented at it. However, tragedy struck when his father passed away while Tom was just nine years old.
Although he was sad and frustrated by the emotions caused by his father’s passing, he emerged from his grief with a renewed determination to make a career for himself in the arts.
Before his family moved to California, a film crew arrived to work on the film Silverado. His mother took him to a casting call – his first big break.
The film Silverado is about a group of cowboys in the Old West. Thomas Wilson Brown was chosen to play a boy name Augie who plays a critical role in driving the plot for the film.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
His work on Silverado made him realize that acting was what he wanted to do most in life. From Silverado, he next starred in Down the Long Hill as Hardy Collins, and then in St. Elsewhere as Elvis in the episode "Rites of Passage."
His next big break, though, came in 1989, when he starred as Little Russ Thompson in Honey, I shrunk the Kids.
Honey, I shrunk the Kids starred Rick Moranis as Wayne Szalinski, a scientist who accidentally shrinks his own children and their neighborhood with a ray.
Thomas Wilson Brown played one of the kids and his character was well-known due to the cultural success of the film. This ended up making him quite popular among kids and college students at the time.
Knots Landing
His popularity also increased when he started in Knots Landing around the same time, early in his career. In this TV drama (or "soap opera"), he played Jason Lochner. Knots Landing ran for fourteen years, from 1979 until 1993.
The show focused on the lives of four women who lived in a wealthy cul-de-sac known as Seaview Circle.
Knots Landing was an immediate hit with audiences for its focus on adult issues and its location – it was set in a fictional neighborhood called Seaview in Los Angeles.
By the time the show concluded, it was considered a genre classic and was the third-longest running primetime drama in the US.
After Knots Landing, Thomas Wilson Brown started to appear in a wide variety of shows and movies, but was never able to recapture the success he had as Little Russ Thompson from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids.
He also appeared in Welcome Home (1989), Diggstown (1992), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1993), and Boy Meets World (1993).
He returned to his roots in several Western-style shows and films too, starring in Walker, Texas Ranger in 1998.
He acted in the early 2000s in films like Pearl Harbor, POV, and Flophouse, before more or less taking a hiatus from acting to focus on other interests.
He returned in 2012 to star as Richard in The Mooring, and most recently appeared in the 2020 show Prop Culture as himself, talking about the role of Little Russ Thompson that first launched him into stardom in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
What is Thomas Wilson Brown doing now?
Thomas Wilson Brown was active in the film industry since 2020, with roles in a variety of projects. In 2020, he appeared in “The Last Champion” as Ty Freed and “Alone” as Hammer. He also played Dave in “Last Three Days,” a role that has been a significant part of his recent work.
In an interview talking about Last Three Days, Brown also expressed his excitement about being part of the project from its early stages, lauding the script, the crew, and the collaborative atmosphere. He said he appreciated the opportunity to work with young director Brian Ulrich, whom he describes as a giving, prepared, and visionary filmmaker.
Personal Life
Thomas Wilson Brown is happyily married to Lisanne Brown. They have known each other for over 30 years and have been married for 23 years. They were married on November 2, 1998.
He and his wife currently reside in New Mexico, Montana, and California, splitting time between the three states.
Thomas Wilson Brown has two daughters, Mylah and Libby. He also has one son, Elijah, who unfortunately passed away at a young age. He also has three grandchildren.
Misc Thomas Wilson Brown Facts
- Tom stands 5’11" tall, and also has several other interesting passions.
- For example, he was a bareback rider in the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association).
- He plays the drums too and is a master carpenter. Both his parents died of cancer, and he is an experienced mountain climber and snow skiier.
- In his free time he likes to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
- Perhaps most interesting of all, Thomas Wilson Brown is the only actor to star in two consecutive but unrelated films with the words "Welcome Home" in their name – in 1989, he starred in "Welcome Home," and followed it up the next year by starring in 1990’s "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael."
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Out of curiosity, how was he both born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and in rural Wyoming?