Photo: Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Tom Alter was born on June 22, 1950 in Mussoorie, Dehradun district, India and was credited as a film actor, teacher and television actor. Tom Alter died on September 29, 2017 at the age of 67. Education on record includes Yale University. Recorded honors include Padma Shri in arts (2008).
My Take
What moves me most about Tom Alter is the direction of his devotion. An American by blood, born in the Himalayan foothills and Yale-educated, he could have gone anywhere, yet he poured himself into Hindi cinema and Indian theatre as if they were his birthright. That isn't borrowing a culture, it's adopting it heart and soul. His 2008 Padma Shri reads to me less like an award than a homeland's declaration that he belonged. I admire actors who teach as well, and Alter clearly cared about passing the craft on. He embodies the idea that identity is chosen, not inherited.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tom Alter
- Name (Japanese)
- トム・アルタル
- Reading
- とむ・あるたる
- Born
- June 22, 1950 – September 29, 2017
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Tiger
- Origin
- Mussoorie, Dehradun district, India
- Occupation
- film actor / teacher / television actor
2. Background
- University
- Yale University
Awards & achievements
- 2008 Padma Shri in arts
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%20Alter
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7814774
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Tom Alter born?
Born June 22, 1950.
When did Tom Alter die?
Died September 29, 2017, aged 67.
Where was Tom Alter from?
Tom Alter was from Mussoorie, Dehradun district, India.
What did Tom Alter do?
Tom Alter worked as film actor, teacher, television actor.
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