Biography

Thomas J. McCarthy (June 23, 1936 – May 31, 2025) was an American actor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After serving in the U.S. Army and working as a bartender, he began acting in the mid-1960s, trained at the Hedgerow Theatre and performed in hundreds of stage productions in the Philadelphia area, winning a Barrymore Award for his Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. On screen he played a policeman in Brian De Palma's Blow Out and appeared in Mannequin, Fallen and Random Hearts, with television roles on Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, The West Wing, Hack and The Wire, where he played newspaper editor Tim Phelps. He also served for many years as president of the local Screen Actors Guild chapter and hosted the Delco Hi-Q high school quiz show.