Tom Everett Scott
He captured the giddy thrill of a one-hit wonder as the drummer in That Thing You Do!, becoming a face of 90s cinematic charm.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor·Birthday: September 7·Generation X
Biography
Tom Everett Scott arrived on screen with an effortless, everyman charisma that made him instantly relatable. While his breakout role as the wide-eyed drummer Guy Patterson in Tom Hanks's 1996 film That Thing You Do! remains his signature, Scott has built a steady and varied career avoiding easy categorization. He shifted gears into darker indie fare like Boiler Room, held his own against Meryl Streep in One True Thing, and later brought a grounded warmth to studio comedies. His presence, whether in film, television, or a memorable cameo in La La Land, is marked by a genuine, unforced quality that has endeared him to audiences for decades, proving that a lasting career isn't always about being the loudest voice in the room.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tom was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as drummer Guy Patterson in the beloved 1996 musical comedy That Thing You Do!, directed by Tom Hanks.
- Played a key supporting role in the financial drama Boiler Room alongside Vin Diesel and Giovanni Ribisi.
- Portrayed the son of Meryl Streep's character in the family drama One True Thing.
- Appeared in the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in a cameo role as a restaurant host.
- Had a leading role in the horror-comedy An American Werewolf in Paris.
Did You Know?
He is a distant relative of legendary actor George C. Scott.
He originally auditioned for the role of Jimmy, the band's lead singer, in That Thing You Do!.
He is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox.
He provided the voice for the character Chase in the animated series Justice League Unlimited.
“You have to find the joy in the work, not just the result.”
