Tommy Cole

All-American basketball player for Elon College, now Elon University

What is Tommy Cole known for?

Tommy Cole is a well-known American alumnus from Walter M. Williams High School located in Burlington, North Carolina. Born on December 20, 1941, in Burbank, California, Cole has made his mark in various facets of the entertainment industry, including as an actor, singer, and makeup artist.

In his early life, Tommy grew up in La Cañada, a suburb of Los Angeles. He showed an inclination towards performance arts, despite some family disapproval. His career began as a musician; he played the accordion and sang in a western swing band during his teenage years. Following a successful audition for the Mickey Mouse Club at the Disney Studio in 1955, Cole was selected to join the cast of Mouseketeers. His talent for singing earned him a promotion onto the Club's first-string Red Team, and he stayed on the show for its final two seasons.

After wrapping up his time at the Mickey Mouse Club, Cole ventured into other aspects of show business. He performed live shows, starred as a guest on various TV shows, and served in the Air Force. Realizing that his performing career was winding down by 1964, he sought another way to stay in the industry, which led to him finding a new passion - makeup.

Starting in an episode of "My Three Sons" in 1963, Tommy began learning from one of the show's regular makeup artists. He soon mastered the craft and worked for broadcasting giants ABC and NBC before embarking on a freelance career as a makeup artist in the 1970s. His artistry was appreciated and recognized, leading to multiple Emmy nominations culminating in a win in 1979 for "Backstairs at the White House." His subsequent work led to further nominations, and a win in 2000 at the Hollywood Makeup Artists and Hairstylist Guild Award for the TV special “Geppetto”.

Outside of his professional life, Cole is happily married to Aileen, a former dancer he met on a USO tour in Korea in the mid-1960s. Together, they have two children.

Tommy Cole is a brilliant example of a multi-talented personality whose work has spanned various roles in the entertainment industry. Despite the challenges, he remained self-motivated and made significant contributions to the field, inspiring many who followed in his footsteps.

You can read more about his life and career on his Wikipedia page.