Thomas McGowan was born in 1948 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended Washington High School and later graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, with minors in Theater, Spanish, Theology, Family Counseling, and Philosophy.
Thomas married Celia McFatridge on December 6, 1969, and they had three children, Thomas McGowan II, Matthew St. James McGowan, and Catherine Scarlett McGowan (Dougan). They have five grandchildren.
In 1976, Thomas and his family left Iowa and drove to Hollywood with only $700, no place to live, and no contacts. They used cardboard boxes as a table and sat on the floor in their small apartment, relying on a plastic cooler for baby Catherine's formula and eating a lot of pancakes and spaghetti. The boys slept on air mattresses on the floor.
Thomas eventually became a member of Screen Actors Guild after being a stand-in for Richard Harris in "The Last Word" and later joined AFTRA, appearing on "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless".
The family later moved to Malibu, where they had a ranch with various animals for the children and views of the Pacific. Thomas continued to work in the entertainment industry, appearing on "Another Life" as Jeff Cummings and later commuting to New York for a year before moving the family to Connecticut, where they currently reside.
Thomas has also appeared on "All My Children" and "As the World Turns" and has done numerous national commercials, over 100 films (mostly uncredited),and has been a public speaker, fundraiser, and performed his one-man show.
When asked about the actors who have influenced him the most, Thomas mentioned Richard Harris for his free-spirited lifestyle and support, Susan Lucci for her kindness, Elsa Lanchester for her kindness, John Carradine for achieving wisdom in his older age and sharing it with love, Meryl Streep for her real human decency, and Kate Winslet for being the most generous, talented, and focused actor of her time.
Thomas credits his wife, Celia, with teaching him about unconditional love and strength, stating that she has been his rock throughout their life together, from struggling in Hollywood and New York to finally finding peace in a New England village with their grandchildren nearby and trips to their small town home in Iowa.
