Tom Tate was born in London, England, to parents Nick Tate, an actor, and Hazel Tate. His family relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where his father pursued a career in film and television for three years. When Tom was five, his family moved back to Sydney, Australia, to their family home, where his father had grown up. With the beach mere seconds away, Tom developed a passion for swimming.
At the age of 11, the family relocated again, this time to Los Angeles, where Nick continued his acting career and established a lucrative voice-over career. Tom began to develop an interest in drama during his high school years, winning several drama competitions in the LA area and playing leading roles in the school musicals.
Tom's academic pursuits led him to attend college on a drama scholarship at the University of Michigan's drama program, where he played the iconic role of Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. However, he soon felt the urge to move on to the big time and transferred to the New York University (NYU) the following year, spending the next two years studying at the Stella Adler Conservatory at the Tisch School of the Arts.
After a brief break, during which he returned home for a year, Tom completed his education at NYU and was promptly cast as Cassio in a national tour of Othello with the Aquila Theater Company. The successful tour was followed by a two-month Off-Broadway run in New York City. Tom's subsequent stage production in Los Angeles, Glory Pie, saw him play the role of Sci-Fi star Barris alongside actress Bree Turner, earning widespread acclaim and audience adoration.
Following the production, Tom decided to remain in Los Angeles to pursue film and television opportunities. Less than four months later, he landed the role of Bryan Ford in his first feature film, The Redemption of Sara Cain.
