9021 On 1 with Thomas Wilson Brown

oh my god, you're so good at that. You were so cute. I remember, but that was before, right of course, Yes, yeah, I was like, did you know then, Tori that did you make the connection between Joe wardlow and Howney? I shrank the kids. I don't. I can't remember, but I mean we never worked together on the episode, so probably not because yeah, we didn't really work together too off.

I think we you know, in and out we saw each other and not you could but I think it was quick and uh fast, so I don't think, but uh yeah, it was a couple of years prior. So yeah, you've done other shows like knots landing and I mean there's you did a lot of great TV appearances back in the nineties. Did you know Brian before the show? Oh? Yes, well I knew him. Actually, I knew him from acting classes. I we we studied the same place for a long time, and so I knew him prior to him doing nine

O two one. Who actually, and so it was kind of neat. But I don't think I barely worked with him on the show either, I don't. I don't even know if I saw him on the show. Yeah, you know you you worked with Steve brand in Dylan um and then you were in the peach pit with Andrea and Nat trying to think. I don't think we were together either. Oh ye, you came in at the Nope, you came in at the end from your dates with boys Brendan and Kelly coming at the end. I don't know.

Did you watch the episode? Sorry, watched it. We just watched it and appreciated. Hard to remember. We watched the episodes back now and we don't even remember filming. Some of them were like, oh, it's all it's like a brand new storyline, which is fine. Like the hottest item on the on the on the menu back in the day. Are you kidding? Back then, when I was working with you guys, you guys were guys are at so you know I was. We were all kind of a little

shell shocked with working you guys. Are you saying I had a chance? Oh I was. I was with my well, my now wife. I had been with her for probably a couple of years. I think, oh man, even then young I met my wife when I was eighteen. I've been with her for since then. Okay, tell her sorry, I didn't mean that. I mean, it's okay, that's so awesome. She came to the set and uh I remember, uh Luke Perry looking at my wife. I'm thinking, hey, I

gotta watch out. Okay, okay. My my big question for you is that jacket, the jean jacket with the with the shert but lining was that your choice? I don't remember, but I remember the jacket very well, which is still yeah, that was a moment jacket. I still have flashbacks every time I see the jacket like that. I'm like, oh it just I don't know. I wasn't. I know that those jackets were coming in then and they were popular,

but it was so big on you. It was like this huge jacket and you were like such this cool, good looking guy. I wanted to get off, but I was like, did they put the jacket? Because Steve so many times when like this to you, they needed to protect you somehow. Maybe I I also, I'm pretty like you know, as you see, I'm even buttoned up now.

I'm I I'm very kind of factually shy with my you know my it was showing off the bod, which I actually have a pretty good body, so I'm not gonna be hi that, but you know, it's a little bit different. You were definitely hot. I mean, what did you do you remember when you got the show or did you audition or what was the process like for

you coming onto the show? Oh? Yeah, I auditioned. A matter of fact, it was Joanna Ray who casted cast a show at the time, and she I had met her on multiple different projects and she was sort of a casting supporter of mine, and I think she kind of, you know, rallied on a lot of things. I kind of supported me in some projects, and um so yeah, I auditioned just like normal. And did you like the character of Joe Wardlo like in the beginning, we weren't sure if you were going to be a good guy

or a bad guy. What was going to happen? Uh, well, yeah, it's always fun to play kind of the the kind of the bad guy in a way. It is sort of fun, I mean, and I've kind of built a pretty good career out of it, um playing that character that's sort of edgy and has a chip on his shoulder and angry of some sort. I don't know why, because I think I'm a nice guy and I kind of but I think it's just sort of the way it looks. And by the way, obviously haven't something about

me that is intense, I guess. So you're the best. You have a good combo though you're like that edgy, kind of dangerous, maybe a jerky guy, but there's something likable about you that you can't deny and it ends up coming through. So that's always a great character. Thank you very much. I was going to ask if they if there was talk when you first auditioned or anything or got the part about the character coming back or be are being recurring because it was such a good character.

And then for sure when I saw you, always like, oh this great looking guy, like goes to school show he's ruffling feathers, but now he's friends with them, like he's going to stay around. So I wish it had happened. I mean I was definitely open to it. I mean, the show was I think it was like with the third season or second third season, and the show was very successful obviously, So yeah, I was said I was. I thought there should fit. I mean that's the way

the storyline kind of traveled with his character. I thought, oh, yeah, for sure, now at least and yeah, so I was kind of hoping it would. But you know, I mean I could have seen you with Kelly. I could have seen Joe with Kelly actually well as a distraction to make Dylan jealous, I don't know, but I would have liked to have watched that. You were born in New Mexico, right, No,

actually I was born in Wyoming, Wyoming. I grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, and then I moved to New Mexico, which was where my family uh was originally from. And then you came from to Mexico to Beverly Hills to must have looked a lot different. Yeah, it was completely different because I grew up in the country, and you know, up to moving to l A, it was I grew up in the country, and so it was definitely different, and it's still even living here today, it's

still uh. I still try to get back to the country as much as I possibly can, because that's kind of where I feel more at home. You and me both, how old are your kids now? They're not kids anymore? Are they always our kids? I know? My youngest is twenty three h year old daughter, and my oldest who is my stepdaughter who is now, which I have to say because she's only twelve years younger than me, So it's kind of funny. It's one of those um she's

thirty seven, what's a fun party combo to have? It's funny. I mean, was twelve years old and I had my daughter. She's got kids. So I am actually grandfather now, wow, oh my god, you're like the youngest, hottest grandfather ever. Thank you? Grandpa? Wow? What do they call you? Grandpa? Pappy? But no, no, grandpa was not not even an option. It's granddad, Granddad. I had a granddad, so it was granddad and grandpa sounds really old. Granddad sounds good. I

like that. It's grand Do you do any of them one of the actors, Uh, the kids, the grandkids, you know, you know no, I mean they're the oldest one is seven, and they're all you know, they all have character ability. You know. My Uh, he's funny and he started playing guitar less he has taken guitar lessons now, and I mean no, I mean I see potential, but you know

it's seven years old. I'm not. I'm film industry from a young so I know it's uh, you kind of have to want it yourself in a way instead of kind of pushing, you know, you sort of have to kind of ye. So if he kind of if they lay themselves out for it, I think maybe they would. But I don't know if my daughter would. She's pretty uh, you know, she might be like, no, I don't, I'm not gonna go do all that. Did you know when

you were younger that you wanted to be an actor? Well? No, I It's actually kind of funny because my my I had a aunt that was a ballet teacher, and so I started taking ballet when I was like six, when we moved from when I went to New Mexico, which is kind of funny because I wanted to be a bull writer and a bull writer. Wait what you were a bull writer? Married the headline wait, which I was so mad at Luke Perry when he did eight Seconds because I was like, started with your wife and then

he took your role. But he was great in it. Yeah, yeah, and he was a nice guy, so it's hard to it was hard to hate him, and I was like, Madam, I was like, oh man, he's actually nice damn but he Uh. But I wanted to be a bull writer and all this stuff. So anyway, and so I started taking ballet classes. My mom to take me to town and I'd take classes to my aunt because she needed guys because it was all girls. But then when I was six seven years old, I was like the only

boy with like thirteen year old girls. So I was like, hey, this isn't actually a bad deal. And my love to dance, so I actually became pretty good dancer. Um, and then we do product productions and stuff like that, so it kind of became like I kind of was naturally kind of entertaining in that way. I knew being on the stage and kind of new stage presence and stuff like that. But no, I had no idea about being an actor. I literally the only reason I became an actors because

they were filming Silverado in New Mexico. Um, and it was a Western and I was eleven, and my mom got a her friend said, hey, I saw in the newspaper that there's a making a western and they're casting parts, local parts, and they're looking for specifically eleven year old boy could ride a horse. And I mean, I I that's well I was. I'd come home and get on my horse and ride to my friend's house. That's how

I got around. So she said, you want to try out for a movie, and I'm like, um, movie, Uh sure, I guess whatever. And so I went in there. I had my hat at my boots, and I mean I was like the real deal. And but that was like normal for me, and um, I just kept going back and back and audition, you know, and finally I was going back for callbacks and and end up here I'm working with Larry Kasiden and Kevin Costner and Scott Glenn and like this amazing cast of a epic movie that

became a BONI fied hit and had a blast. So I was like, oh, this is fun. And I had lost my father, uh from cancer about two years prior, so we were in a transition as a family. We were looking to move to Montana. Actually at the time, we had our place for sale, and so my mom said, well, do you want to move to Montana or do you want to try this acting thing and go to California.

And because some of the people were saying, hey, you know, you can give it, you know, try it, and I mean and Liken Kevin Costner was like, hey, you know, I you know, introduced me to his agent, and I mean a lot of support. Kevin Costner wasn't the Kevin Costner as an anime that we know today. Obviously, he was kind of young and kind of up and coming,

but he was such a cool guy. But but all the a lot of other people were just so supportive, and it's like, well, I don't know, I mean, this is probably a lifetime I mean, once in a lifetime opportunity. I guess I could try it and Montana will always be there, I guess, and I'll go make a lot of money and go buy a ranch. And then I met a girl in California and that's changes everything. And so when I came out and obviously and stayed out here and worked and got sidetracked on making movies and

live in the fast life, I guess. And but you have that ranch in Montana now, right, You still have Montana? Yes, Montana is still there, and I have fan we have a family ranch out there. My my family has a ranch out there. So I go out there and spend time up there and pretty often, and just went out

there about a month ago. And where about Well the ranch they have now, because they've gone, We've had several different ranches they've gone, but the ranch they have now is eastern Montana, which is I guess the not so glamorous part. But it's a it's a real working cattle ranch, cowboy. It's not a pretty ranch, but it's beautiful to me. It's it's it's all grass. It's really nice. It sounds amazing,

sounds beautiful to me. So you go back and forth, though I spend as much time as I can there, Yes, yes, I do. Um. And then I have a property in Colorado as well. I bought some piece of property in Colorado and building a place there for my family. And I'm a carpenter as well too, so I'm pretty Uh I can. I like to work with my hands, So I'm gonna build a cabin out there. You do it all? What don't you do? Bull rides? He he ants? I write?

I write. I'm I'm a writer. I have a production cup, have written a couple of scripts I'm working on to develop, as we all know, is of the whole mission in itself being developed. And you know, it's a very uphill battle,

almost daunting mm hmm. Yeah, it's it's very You have to have a lot of tenacity, you and it's like and I'm pretty stubborn and tenacious, but it's just it's it's so hard, you know, it's just hard to find those right people to work with, to connact with that really believe in the project with you believe in you, you believe in them. Uh you know, you're asking things from them, they're asking things from you, and then it's a trust factor. You know, it's like, hey, do we

believe in you? And you know they're putting their name and reputation on the line and likewise, and so there's it's so difficult when you're trying to negotiate, making a navigate these waters of trying to make a project. You know, it really is difficult to connect with those people and to build those relationships. And like, you guys are the same vote. People say, well do you stay in touch

with some of these people? I'm like some of the people I worked with, we didn't have cell phones, Like like back in the day, it was like, I don't know, I had like eight phone numbers. You know that you would have somebody and then they would move and then you would lose contact, you know, so like sometimes you know, you just lost contact. You know. Now with cell phones you just sort of have had the same number for ten years, fifteen years. And I mean, you guys the

same boat. You know, you've been in the When you look back and you're like, wow, I've been in this industry for thirty years. That's a long time, a right, you know, people that seems like, you know, it seems like it was a blink in the eye for me sometimes, but you know, for other people, it's like you know, when new people come along and that all they've known is what the last ten years of it is totally

different industry. You know, it really has changed so much. Yeah, we're grateful there wasn't social media back then, because it's tough enough now seeing how people bully people on social media. But I can't imagine having to go through that as teenagers, like especially as young exactly when you're young and you're making you know, you make mistakes or you're going out with your friends and you're doing things, and yeah, it's

got to be tough for people. You know, it's just the you're living a glass house, um, and it's it's difficult when you're young, really is when you're older, it's difficult. How was that for you with your kids, like you raised them in l A but you have these sort of country and roots and morals and values. Was that

challenging for you or yeah it was? I mean, well, I mean it's I mean in a way, I mean it's I mean I've always taught my children to be kind of who they are and to have you know, I mean obviously believing themselves and to have their own voice, and to think for themselves and to you know, and to um, you know, judge people on their character, um, you know, not not in any other standards, and to

be accepting of people until they prove otherwise. Um. You know, a lot a lot of those things and um and and I like I do wear these hats of being very creative and but yet very realistic and like, um, what the the true nature of our lives are? And it's you know, basically, I think growing up my ranch taught me that, you know, it was important to learn to hard work was important and having a value that

contributed to society and not just being an entertainer. And I think that was hard for me as an actor because there was a part of me that felt like I wasn't really contributing other than just entertaining. And it

was definitely, it was definitely very difficult for me. It was I I definitely, Uh, that's why I leaned towards you know, carpentry and keep working, you know, and working on a ranch is and doing what I can to do that because and a big advocate for agriculture and stuff like that, because that's those are those are real things that people need, you know, people need homes, and people need to live and eat and you feel like you're actually doing and I feel great pride doing that.

Um And as an actor, it's it's hard because you you're not even it's not even your voice. Sometimes you're you're really just saying the words of other people. And and and you know it's so I've always had this like Yin and Yang love affair of acting and industry and I I that's why I started writing, because it was it was a way for me to actually have my voice and have well, what what's what's what is it a value to me? What can I build? What can I bring to the table that's more than just

being an entertainer? Um that I can actually because of the films that I always believed in more than anything, or that I just have great memories, were something that I actually walked away from with a with an emotional feeling. It wasn't just a hey, this was fun out two hour movie that I forgot about. It was just something that actually kind of moved me really, that kind of

made me see the world a little bit different. Um. And so that was kind of what I wanted to try to achieve as as a writer and to kind of held myself into that direction. That's so relatable and so respectable because I can you know, I notory and I can both relate with that, like just that feeling of like am I doing enough? Am I what this is? Where I am and and these are the cards that I've been dealt. What can I do with these cards? And how can I make something more out of it?

I think we're always searching for that like meaning and and sort of that meat of the story, you know for sure. I mean that's why often the two of us create our own projects, because it is is it's so much more fulfilling than when you're just cast into something and you have no control um of any any of it. But I mean we all need entertainers as well, because they give us that little break from reality to be able to smile and laugh and and show emotions

that aren't related to our own lives. So right, and I agree, And that's a value. There's value to it, and I there's I'm not and I'm not been living that part of it. I just know from me it was something from me. I needed something else. I know people who are who this is their calling so much as an actor that I can't even imagine them doing

anything else. And they can't that it is in their being and um as a as just an actor as and I say just an actor, I mean, but as an actors being that they love that part of it that they liked the word of getting up there and being um, speaking other people's words and taking people on journeys through their performance. And I had of nothing, Well, that's great and I'm great people and and it is true we do need that. Um, this is a personal

thing for you my own sake. Yeah, and it comes for me and were just the roots of where I come from. From me it was you know, my my dad. I guess that my dad was a rancher cowboy and and uh that was sort of this is sort of become the homage to him in my life that you know, the legacy that I can leave for him is something

that he would be proud of. Would be me being somebody who actually has you know, working hands and who isn't on a on a trip to become the hustler or the big guy who can make a lot of money. And you know, it was it was somebody who's humble and doesn't mind being in the background but being a supportive person of the actual thing that can actually be built.

So that was sort of important for me. But I uh, I do I think it's great that you guys have this platform because you guys, I mean and have this ability to you know, you've created a way for your voices to be heard and and you guys continue to move forward and what you're doing and and uh, you know this is what we needed, especially um, you know more when gaining power and strength. I remember Tori meeting your mother on the set. Really, yes, she came to

the set. I was so nervous. Oh my god, I feel like she never came to set, come to see you across from me, and I was, and I wasn't. I don't think I think it was coincident. I don't think it was just and and it was. And I thought she must have come to set all the time, and someone said, oh no, she hardly ever shows up. So it was really neat. It was kind of neat to meet her and to see her and outside the

kind of just a neat little thing. And by the way, your husband is one of in one of my favorite movies, Open Range. To just give him a little that I will tell him that he'll be so thrilled that you said that. I'm sure he is a great movie. What's up next? What's what you're You're ready? You ever get on a bull? Oh that's a go. I'm like, how's the bull writing happening? Oh no, that's never been on a bull since you were a teenager. Now, no, I said, Actually,

what I did I started writing Bronx. I realized I was, I got older. They come back after you. Actually he was after even nine O two one. Oh, I actually was. I started writing Bronx and started writing and it was fun. I did it for a couple of years. Um, and got beat up. And how's the body feeling these days? Well, it's it's coming back to me. And I definitely feel that. You know, there's I've beat up my body in multiple ways.

I'm a downhill skier. Um, I grew up skiing a lot, and so between that and horses throwing you off, and yeah, just construction and contracting and stuff like that, you get beat up and stuff like that. So yeah, I'm but I'm still doing pretty good. I uh. I joined a flag football league and I just had my first game yesterday last night on the beach with some friends. And I got to the to the beach and I was hoping there's gonna be some older people there so I

wouldn't look so old and all young. And I was like, in this referee who was probably sixty. He actually said that. He says, Man, I thought I was old. Oh so that's very rude, and uh, and then I thought, what you're playing? He goes, No, I'm a raff but I did really good. I actually actually kudos though, man for getting out there. So I stay active. But um, but in terms of like production projects, I'm actually, yeah, I've

a couple of projects I'm really actively pushing. I've got producing a film with a partner of mine who wrote the project, and it's um a kind of a supernatural thriller about a young woman who's dealing with her sexuality and the late nineties, mid early nineties. Uh and um, it's a pretty neat projects kind of in vein of what lies beneath and uh, my favorite genre. You're exciting me right now. It's very cool. It's very neat. Excited

about that. And then we're actually developing a project and that takes place in Wyoming about a prosecutor who's um deals with a human trafficking case that takes a turn into her personal life and and that we're actually kind of pitching too as a series. So I've got some other projects that i'm kind of like my passion projects that are sort of like sitting around kind of floating, and uh, we'll see how those things take off too. But wow, you have a lot going on. You always

had a lot going on in town. Yeah, I had a busy, great adventurous life. Oh my gosh, I'm so glad we interviewed you because I feel like so many people. You know, we all know actors from the movies, we love them and TV shows, but you don't always get to hear this side of it, of all their passions and what their life's been like. So they've been a real treat to hear about you, like it's completely unexpected. Appreciate this. Yeah, and my first crush didn't let me down,

so thank you. Well. I've always been sort of shy of media, even when I was Remember when Honey I Shrunk the Kids first premiered, Um, we were living here, we were here in California, and then um we went to the premier in Disney World and I was screened it and it was a pretty big deals. Disney really went all out on the screening of that film, and and it was a special effects movie. So you know, when you get special effects, you don't really know what

it's going to be until it's out. And Um, I was a very I thought I myself as a very serious actor, you know, so you know, I wanted to do like serious drama and here I'm doing honey, I shrunk the kid. So it was a little bit you know, you brought that element to that who I was. It was just likeoty, little brat guy. I don't without brat,

but moody kind of character. But when I watched the screening of it, and I was remember sitting towards the front of the you know, front of the crowd and big theater, and the end of the movie you know, ended in the credit started rolling, I instantaneously got this, like in this my stomach kind of hurt. I knew that this could like it was almost overwhelming that this was going to be a hit. It scared me to death. Um I wasn't prepared for it. Um I'm not a big I don't like a lot of a pension on me.

I was afraid even turn around. I knew as soon as I turned around, everybody in the audience was there and I was gonna have to walk this like walk through the crowd and walking to people, and it was just overwhelming. And yeah, so it actually became a huge success, and I ended up moving from California to back to New Mexico for a couple of years after that, and then just moved back and forth because work, you know, I come out for you know, for work and stuff

like that, because I didn't want the attention. Um and my agents, my managers were just beside themselves because I wouldn't do any interviews and I was so afraid of being pigeonholed as this one actor of this one you know, and and I it's just it was, it's sort of this weird dynamic that I had that I was so afraid of being recognized and being being only that in my life famous. It was I was. I was afraid of being famous. I was and and still still a

love hate relationship. You know, you want it, but you're like, until you really actually have it, you don't really know what it's like. I mean, people will say, you know,

it's gonna be great. I'm like, yeah, it's kind of you know, it's it's it's weird, you know, walk into a grocery store and having people walk up to you who don't know and they love you, and it's like it's so supportive and you you you understand, but it's the same side, it's kind of a little bit like it's just hard because all of a sudden, you putting attention on you know, everything's about you, and you're like, I, I don't and it's not just about me, you know,

and it's it's become overwhelming, and you seem like a really real like a real guy. And I think that those moments make you feel like too much focused on the superficial and the things that don't really matter in life because they don't really know you and they don't really love you, like they love what they see on the TV or they screen or whatever. So it's like a weird sort of battle exactly. And I and I'm and I find myself always trying to change the conversation

to them. I find myself, what do you do it's your name or what's well? Yeah, and I'm trying to find something about them that's kind of you know, that's yeah. You know anyway, Well, we've loved chatting with you and getting to know you a little bit better too. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Yeah, and you know, I worked with you know, Shannon prior. I worked with

her in our house as well. For Yeah, I worked with her, and like I was a recurring role in that with Chat Allen, and I was one of his buddies. And early on, you know, I was a little kid, I guess, so you know, it was twelve thirteen years old, and Shannon was the older sister, and so it was kind of neat to you know, back and work with her on that show. And obviously I've seen Stephen a lot after that, after what I worked with him and stuff like that. So it was just you never know, Well,

the paths are going to cross, I know what. When I heard I was gonna do thevie, I was like, I didn't with Jenny or Tory. I don't know what to talk about. It's so easy. I was like, I don't know what to talk about in this whole thing, and it's like, what are you gonna say? I'm like, I don't know. We never know either. Kudos to you

because we go wherever we feel like it. Well, we hope that I hope, I know, I hope our paths cross again at some point and we actually do get to work together in some level, even if it's writing a bronch or well an, it's both in mind when I developed these projects, always looking for talent. I always looking for it too. So great to talk to you alright, ladies. Thank you so much. I really do appreciate it. Thank

you so much. Thank you talking with us. Emily is in your health and all that and your adventures through this life. You know you too, Granddad, I know, love it. Take care okay, bye bye