Photo: Friedman-Abeles, New York. Stamp is partial, but the photographer did many New York theater photos; we have quite a few here at Commons. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Tom Ewell is the kind of character actor I treasure. Born Samuel Yewell Tompkins in Owensboro, Kentucky, he won a 1953 Tony before reprising his role as Richard Sherman in the film of The Seven Year Itch, holding the screen opposite Marilyn Monroe with rumpled, everyman comic timing rather than matinee-idol looks. He moved fluently between stage, film and television across a long career until his death in 1994. For me he represents the quiet backbone of mid-century American performance, the dependable, deeply human supporting talent whose warmth makes the stars around him shine brighter.
Overview
Tom Ewell (born Samuel Yewell Tompkins; April 29, 1909 – September 12, 1994) was an American film, stage and television actor, and producer. His most successful and most identifiable role was that of Richard Sherman in The Seven Year Itch, a character he played in the Broadway production (1952–1954) and reprised for the 1955 film adaptation.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tom Ewell
- Name (Japanese)
- トム・イーウェル
- Reading
- とむ・いーうぇる
- Born
- April 29, 1909 – September 12, 1994
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Rooster
- Origin
- Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / actor / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Owensboro High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1953 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
- Donaldson Awards
- Clarence Derwent Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.