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| '''Tom Bower''' (born Ralph Thomas Bower; January 3, 1938 – May 30, 2024) was an American actor and producer born in [[w:Denver, Colorado|Denver, Colorado]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0101005/bio/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%20grew%20up%20in%20Denver|title=Tom Bower – Biography|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He portrayed the bartender [[Joe]] in the ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' Re-imagined Series episode "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]".<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_takingabreak_credits">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944310/fullcredits/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=Taking a Break from All Your Worries – Full Cast & Crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> Over a five-decade career he accumulated more than 180 screen credits, with his most sustained recognition coming from his recurring role as Dr. Curtis Willard on ''[[w:The Waltons|The Waltons]]'', his role as Marvin the janitor in ''[[w:Die Hard 2|Die Hard 2]]'' (1990), and a body of independent film work that brought him into repeated collaboration with directors including [[Robert Young|Robert M. Young]], [[w:Ed Harris|Ed Harris]], [[w:Scott Cooper (director)|Scott Cooper]], and [[w:Werner Herzog|Werner Herzog]].<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/tom-bower-dead-actor-the-waltons-die-hard-2-1235961050/#:~:text=more%20than%20180%20screen%20credits|title=Tom Bower Dies: Veteran Actor Best Known For 'The Waltons,' 'Die Hard 2' & 'Lucky Hank' Was 86|author=Tom Tapp|publisher=Deadline|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> | | '''Tom Bower''' (born Ralph Thomas Bower; January 3, 1938 – May 30, 2024) was an American actor and producer born in [[w:Denver, Colorado|Denver, Colorado]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_biography">{{cite web|url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0101005/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%20grew%20up%20in%20Denver|title=Tom Bower|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He portrayed the bartender [[Joe]] in the ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' Re-imagined Series episode "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]".<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_takingabreak_credits">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944310/fullcredits/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=Taking a Break from All Your Worries - Full Cast & Crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> A prolific character actor with a career spanning five decades, Bower appeared in more than 180 screen productions and was recognized particularly for his recurring role as Dr. Curtis Willard on ''[[w:The Waltons|The Waltons]]'' and as the janitor Marvin in ''[[w:Die Hard 2|Die Hard 2]]'' (1990).<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/06/tom-bower-dead-actor-the-waltons-die-hard-2-1235961050/#:~:text=more%20than%20180%20screen%20credits|title=Tom Bower Dies: Veteran Actor Best Known For 'The Waltons,' 'Die Hard 2' & 'Lucky Hank' Was 86|author=Tom Tapp|publisher=Deadline|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
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| ==Career== | | ==Career== |
| ===Early life and training===
| | Bower grew up in [[w:Denver, Colorado|Denver, Colorado]], where he played varsity baseball, basketball, and golf, and ran track, expecting a professional athletic career that did not materialize.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_biography" /> Following graduation, he spent a season of summer stock at Elitch Gardens Summer Theater in Denver — described as the oldest summer stock theater in the United States — before setting off for New York City.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_biography" /> In 1956, he enrolled at the [[w:American Academy of Dramatic Arts|American Academy of Dramatic Arts]], where [[w:Robert Redford|Robert Redford]] was also a classmate.<ref group="external" name="bower_foxnews_aada">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/die-hard-2-the-waltons-star-tom-bower-dead-86#:~:text=Bower%20attended%20the%20American%20Academy%20of%20Dramatic%20Arts%20in%201956|title='Die Hard 2' and 'The Waltons' star, Tom Bower, dead at 86|publisher=Fox News|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> After a year and a half at the Academy, he shifted to studying under [[w:John Cassavetes|John Cassavetes]] at his Shadows Workshop, and participated in the making of Cassavetes's debut feature ''[[w:Shadows (1959 film)|Shadows]]'', shot in 1957.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_biography" /><ref group="external" name="bower_thedailybeast_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/tom-bower-private-eye-turned-die-hard-2-star-dies-at-86/#:~:text=He%20moved%20to%20New%20York%20City%20and%20joined%20an%20acting%20workshop|title=Tom Bower, Private Eye Turned 'Die Hard 2' Star, Dies at 86|publisher=The Daily Beast|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
| Bower grew up in [[w:Denver, Colorado|Denver, Colorado]], where he played varsity baseball, basketball, and football, and ran track.<ref group="external" name="bower_dolphin_2012">{{cite web|url=https://thedolphinlmc.com/arts-leisure/2012/03/01/actor-tom-bower-discusses-the-arts-at-le-moyne/#:~:text=Baseball%2C%20then%20basketball%2C%20football%2C%20track.%20I%20excelled|title=Actor Tom Bower discusses the arts at Le Moyne|publisher=The Dolphin (Le Moyne College)|date=March 1, 2012|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He described himself as an extraordinary athlete who until about age twenty fully believed baseball and later golf would be his livelihood.<ref group="external" name="bower_dolphin_2012" /> Torn ligaments and a sore arm from throwing curveballs prematurely ended that prospect. He later described the sliver separating the truly gifted from the very good as what determines the professional, and turned to acting through local theater groups and university productions in Denver.<ref group="external" name="bower_dolphin_2012" /> He described the moment he chose his senior play over his final baseball season as the point at which his course was set.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tom-bower-dead-waltons-die-hard-1235916410/#:~:text=when%20he%20chose%20a%20senior%20play%20over%20his%20senior%20season%20of%20baseball%2C%20the%20die%20was%20cast|title=Tom Bower, Actor in 'The Waltons' and 'Die Hard 2,' Dies at 86|author=Mike Barnes|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> | |
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| Following graduation — and a season of summer stock at Elitch Gardens Summer Theater in Denver, which he described as the oldest summer stock theater in the United States — he went to [[w:New York City|New York City]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> In 1956, at seventeen, he enrolled at the [[w:American Academy of Dramatic Arts|American Academy of Dramatic Arts]], where [[w:Robert Redford|Robert Redford]] was a classmate, though neither was known at the time.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> After a year and a half at the Academy he shifted to the [[w:John Cassavetes|John Cassavetes]] Shadows Workshop, and participated in the making of Cassavetes's debut feature ''[[w:Shadows (1959 film)|Shadows]]'', shot in 1957 over ten weeks with a 16mm camera and an improvisational method.<ref group="external" name="bower_thedailybeast_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/tom-bower-private-eye-turned-die-hard-2-star-dies-at-86/#:~:text=Ten%20weeks%20of%20shooting%20with%20a%2016mm%20camera|title=Tom Bower, Private Eye Turned 'Die Hard 2' Star, Dies at 86|publisher=The Daily Beast|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
| | Returning to Denver each summer to support a young family, Bower worked a range of jobs before spending approximately fifteen years as a private investigator.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_biography" /> He later moved to [[w:Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], where he continued working as a private detective between acting engagements,<ref group="external" name="bower_thedailybeast_obit" /> before eventually relocating to [[w:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] to pursue a full-time acting career. |
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| After ''Shadows'', Bower worked as a private investigator in [[w:Boston|Boston]], often alongside attorney [[w:F. Lee Bailey|F. Lee Bailey]].<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He co-founded the Boston Repertory Theater during this period, where he taught acting classes to [[w:Al Pacino|Al Pacino]].<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> While still working as a detective in 1972, Bower was cast in [[w:David Rabe|David Rabe]]'s ''[[w:The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel|The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel]]'' opposite Pacino; the production moved to Broadway and won a [[w:Tony Award|Tony Award]] in 1977.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He then drove to [[w:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] in a Volkswagen to pursue full-time screen acting, picking up early television roles on ''[[w:Get Christie Love!|Get Christie Love!]]'', ''[[w:Kojak|Kojak]]'', and ''[[w:The Rockford Files|The Rockford Files]]'' before landing on ''The Waltons''.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" />
| | Bower accumulated over eighty stage credits across productions in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, among other cities, and was a founding member and board member of the Met Theater in Santa Monica.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile">{{cite web|url=https://www.industrycentral.net/features/working_actors/tom_bower1#:~:text=he%20is%20one%20of%20the%20founding%20members%20and%20is%20on%20the%20Board%20of%20Directors|title=Tom Bower (1938-2024): he's been in hiding for a long time!|publisher=IndustryCentral|date=June 5, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> In 1981, he was invited by [[w:Robert Redford|Robert Redford]] to be a resource actor at the [[w:Sundance Institute|Sundance Institute]] for film and television, remaining active there for years and serving on its nominating committee.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile" /> He was also a member of the [[w:Actors Studio|Actors Studio]].<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile" /> |
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| ===Television career===
| | His screen career began in 1973 with a television film and quickly expanded into regular guest work across the major network dramas of the era. His early television credits include ''[[w:The Rockford Files|The Rockford Files]]'', where he appeared as Congressman Jeffrey Cooperman and in another role across two episodes (1974–1976), and ''[[w:The Waltons|The Waltons]]'', where he was first seen as stunt pilot Rex Barker before being recast more prominently as Dr. Curtis Willard starting in Season 5.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> Bower appeared in 27 episodes of ''The Waltons'' as Willard, a romantic interest for and eventual husband of Mary Ellen (portrayed by [[w:Judy Norton|Judy Norton]]).<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> The character was written out in 1978 when he was killed off-screen at [[w:Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]]; Bower later recalled that his departure followed a request for a modest pay increase.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tom-bower-dead-waltons-die-hard-1235916410/#:~:text=Bower%20later%20said%20he%20was%20written%20off%20the%20show%20after%20asking%20for%20a%20small%20raise|title=Tom Bower, Actor in 'The Waltons' and 'Die Hard 2,' Dies at 86|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
| Bower's most sustained early television role was on ''[[w:The Waltons|The Waltons]]'' (CBS). He first appeared as stunt pilot Rex Barker in a fourth-season episode, then returned as Dr. Curtis Willard in Season 5.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> Willard was a physician who married Mary Ellen Walton, portrayed by [[w:Judy Norton|Judy Norton]]; Bower appeared in 27 episodes of the series.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> The character was written out in 1978 — killed off-screen at [[w:Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]]. In a 2022 conversation with Norton on her YouTube channel, Bower recalled that his departure followed a request for a modest pay increase, summarizing the outcome as being "sent to Pearl Harbor."<ref group="external" name="bower_norton_youtube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN80uB7j6MU#:~:text=Pearl%20Harbor|title=The Waltons – Behind the Scenes With Guest Tom Bower|publisher=Judy Norton (YouTube)|date=January 13, 2022|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He also noted in that conversation that ''Waltons'' star [[w:Ralph Waite|Ralph Waite]] had been displeased when Bower appeared more polished in his second season, and that he considered Waite's instinct correct in hindsight.<ref group="external" name="bower_norton_youtube" /> Bower attended the series' 45th anniversary reunion in [[w:Schuyler, Virginia|Schuyler, Virginia]], in March 2017, held in conjunction with the first anniversary of the death of ''Waltons'' creator [[w:Earl Hamner Jr.|Earl Hamner Jr.]]<ref group="external" name="bower_waltons_reunion">{{cite web|url=https://roanoke.com/news/virginia/waltons-fan-group-sets-out-to-purchase-childhood-home-of-earl-hamner-jr/article_5136119f-a0cc-5c63-ab66-535b672204fa.html#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%2C%20who%20portrayed%20Curt%20Willard|title='Waltons' fan group sets out to purchase childhood home of Earl Hamner Jr.|publisher=Roanoke.com (The News & Advance)|date=March 2017|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| His television guest work was wide-ranging. Early credits beyond ''The Waltons'' included ''[[w:The Blue Knight (TV series)|The Blue Knight]]'', ''[[w:The Bionic Woman|The Bionic Woman]]'', ''[[w:Baretta|Baretta]]'', ''[[w:Lou Grant|Lou Grant]]'', ''[[w:Barnaby Jones|Barnaby Jones]]'', ''[[w:Hill Street Blues|Hill Street Blues]]'', ''[[w:Miami Vice|Miami Vice]]'', ''[[w:Dallas (1978 TV series)|Dallas]]'', and ''[[w:Murder, She Wrote|Murder, She Wrote]]''.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> Later appearances included ''[[w:NYPD Blue|NYPD Blue]]'', ''[[w:The X-Files|The X-Files]]'', ''[[w:The West Wing|The West Wing]]'', ''[[w:The Practice|The Practice]]'' (as John Pierce), ''[[w:Law & Order|Law & Order]]'', ''[[w:Cold Case (TV series)|Cold Case]]'', and the [[w:HBO|HBO]] film ''[[w:The Laramie Project (film)|The Laramie Project]]'' (2002), in which he played Father Roger Schmit.<ref group="external" name="tvinsider_bower_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1138948/tom-bower-dead-the-waltons-die-hard-2-lucky-hank-criminal-minds/#:~:text=guest%20appearances%20over%20his%20long%20career|title=Tom Bower, Actor in 'The Waltons' & 'Die Hard 2,' Dies at 86|publisher=TV Insider|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He played Marion Bartlett — the stepfather who is among the first victims of [[w:Charles Starkweather|Charles Starkweather]] — in the ABC miniseries ''[[w:Murder in the Heartland|Murder in the Heartland]]'' (1993), opposite [[w:Tim Roth|Tim Roth]] and [[w:Fairuza Balk|Fairuza Balk]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_murderheart">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107619/fullcredits/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=Murder in the Heartland – Full Cast & Crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> In his later years he had recurring roles on ''[[w:It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia|It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]'' (as Pop-Pop, 2005 and 2012), ''[[w:Ray Donovan|Ray Donovan]]'', ''[[w:Bosch (TV series)|Bosch]]'', and ''[[w:Lucky Hank|Lucky Hank]]'' (2023, AMC), where he played Henry Devereaux Sr., the estranged father of [[w:Bob Odenkirk|Bob Odenkirk]]'s title character.<ref group="external" name="bower_luckyhank_casting">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/bob-odenkirk-new-amc-series-premiere-date-1235294062/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=Bob Odenkirk's New AMC Series Has a Premiere Date|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 2023|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
| | Additional early television work included ''[[w:The Blue Knight (TV series)|The Blue Knight]]'', ''[[w:The Bionic Woman|The Bionic Woman]]'', ''[[w:Baretta|Baretta]]'', ''[[w:Kojak|Kojak]]'', ''[[w:Lou Grant|Lou Grant]]'', ''[[w:Barnaby Jones|Barnaby Jones]]'', ''[[w:Hill Street Blues|Hill Street Blues]]'', ''[[w:Miami Vice|Miami Vice]]'', ''[[w:Dallas (1978 TV series)|Dallas]]'', and ''[[w:Murder, She Wrote|Murder, She Wrote]]''.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> He continued into the 1990s and 2000s with appearances on ''[[w:NYPD Blue|NYPD Blue]]'', ''[[w:The X-Files|The X-Files]]'', ''[[w:The West Wing|The West Wing]]'', ''[[w:The Practice|The Practice]]'' (as John Pierce), ''[[w:Law & Order|Law & Order]]'', and ''[[w:Cold Case (TV series)|Cold Case]]''.<ref group="external" name="tvinsider_bower_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvinsider.com/1138948/tom-bower-dead-the-waltons-die-hard-2-lucky-hank-criminal-minds/#:~:text=guest%20appearances%20over%20his%20long%20career|title=Tom Bower, Actor in 'The Waltons' & 'Die Hard 2,' Dies at 86|publisher=TV Insider|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> In later years he had recurring roles on ''[[w:It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia|It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]]'' (as Pop-Pop, 2005 and 2012), ''[[w:Ray Donovan|Ray Donovan]]'', ''[[w:Bosch (TV series)|Bosch]]'', and ''[[w:Lucky Hank|Lucky Hank]]'' (2023), where he played the father of [[w:Bob Odenkirk|Bob Odenkirk]]'s title character.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> |
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| ===Film career===
| | On film, Bower collaborated with a range of prominent directors. His feature credits include ''[[w:The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez|The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez]]'' (1982), ''[[w:River's Edge (film)|River's Edge]]'' (1986), ''[[w:Beverly Hills Cop II|Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987), and ''[[w:Die Hard 2|Die Hard 2]]'' (1990), in which he played Marvin, the airport janitor who assists [[w:Bruce Willis|Bruce Willis]]'s Lt. John McClane and is present at the film's conclusion.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He portrayed Francis Nixon, father of the 37th President, in [[w:Oliver Stone|Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[w:Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995).<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> Additional film appearances include ''[[w:Pollock (film)|Pollock]]'' (2000) and ''[[w:Appaloosa (film)|Appaloosa]]'' (2008), both directed by [[w:Ed Harris|Ed Harris]]; ''[[w:Crazy Heart|Crazy Heart]]'' (2009) and ''[[w:Out of the Furnace|Out of the Furnace]]'' (2013), both directed by [[w:Scott Cooper (director)|Scott Cooper]]; ''[[w:The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'' (2006); ''[[w:Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans|Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans]]'' (2009), directed by [[w:Werner Herzog|Werner Herzog]]; and ''[[w:El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie|El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie]]'' (2019).<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> |
| Bower's first significant film role was Boone Choate, the deputy whose imprecise translation of a Spanish exchange triggers a fatal misunderstanding and launches a massive manhunt, in ''[[w:The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez|The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez]]'' (1982), directed by [[Robert M. Young]] and produced by and starring [[Edward James Olmos]].<ref group="external" name="criterion_gregorio_cortez">{{cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/films/29142-the-ballad-of-gregorio-cortez#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez|publisher=The Criterion Collection|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> The film was later selected for preservation in the [[w:National Film Registry|National Film Registry]] of the [[w:Library of Congress|Library of Congress]].<ref group="external" name="criterion_gregorio_cortez" /> A 2016 cast-and-crew panel recorded in Los Angeles — preserved on the Criterion Collection Blu-ray release (2018) — brought Bower together with Olmos, Young, producer Moctesuma Esparza, and co-stars [[w:Bruce McGill|Bruce McGill]], [[w:Rosanna DeSoto|Rosanna DeSoto]], and [[w:Pepe Serna|Pepe Serna]].<ref group="external" name="criterion_panel_doc">{{cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/films/29142-the-ballad-of-gregorio-cortez#:~:text=Cast-and-crew%20panel%20from%202016|title=The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez – Special Features|publisher=The Criterion Collection|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| His lead performance in ''[[w:Wildrose (film)|Wildrose]]'' (1984), an independent drama set in a Minnesota iron mine co-starring [[w:Lisa Eichhorn|Lisa Eichhorn]], earned him a nomination for the [[w:Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead]] at the inaugural ceremony in 1986, alongside nominees including [[w:Rubén Blades|Rubén Blades]] and [[w:Treat Williams|Treat Williams]].<ref group="external" name="imdb_bower_awards">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0101005/awards/#:~:text=Independent%20Spirit%20Award|title=Tom Bower – Awards|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> The film also received a Gold Hugo nomination at the [[w:Chicago International Film Festival|Chicago International Film Festival]].<ref group="external" name="tvguide_wildrose">{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/wildrose/2030057588/#:~:text=Independent%20Spirit%20Award|title=Wildrose|publisher=TV Guide|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
| | Bower served on the Board of Directors of the [[w:Screen Actors Guild|Screen Actors Guild]] and was active in advocacy for working actors throughout his career.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile" /><ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_sagadvocacy">{{cite web|url=https://www.industrycentral.net/features/working_actors/tom_bower1#:~:text=His%20tireless%20work%20with%20the%20Screen%20Actors%20Guild|title=Tom Bower (1938-2024): he's been in hiding for a long time!|publisher=IndustryCentral|date=June 5, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> Fellow SAG member Mark Moses noted that Bower made lasting contributions to the union that benefited all its members.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" /> |
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| In 1985 he appeared in ''[[w:The Lightship (film)|The Lightship]]'', directed by [[w:Jerzy Skolimowski|Jerzy Skolimowski]] and co-starring [[w:Robert Duvall|Robert Duvall]] and [[w:Klaus Maria Brandauer|Klaus Maria Brandauer]], as a crew member called Coop.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> He played Detective Bennett in ''[[w:River's Edge (film)|River's Edge]]'' (1986), directed by [[w:Tim Hunter (director)|Tim Hunter]], a film that earned a year-end top-ten placement from Chicago Tribune critic [[w:Gene Siskel|Gene Siskel]].<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" />
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| He played Marvin, the airport janitor who teams up with [[w:Bruce Willis|Bruce Willis]]'s Lt. John McClane to thwart a terrorist cell, in ''[[w:Die Hard 2|Die Hard 2]]'' (1990); Marvin drives the reunited McClanes away from the airport in the film's final scene.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> Bower later cited Marvin, Cecil Skell in ''[[w:True Believer (film)|True Believer]]'' (1989), and an uncredited turn as a helicopter pilot in ''[[w:Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]'' (1994) as among his favorite roles, noting that people he met could often recite his characters' dialogue more readily than he could himself.<ref group="external" name="bower_dolphin_2012" /> He discussed the ''Die Hard 2'' production, his work on ''[[w:Beverly Hills Cop II|Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987), and ''[[w:High Crimes|High Crimes]]'' (2002) in a career retrospective interview recorded for the [[w:SAG-AFTRA Foundation|SAG-AFTRA Foundation]]'s Legacy Collection.<ref group="external" name="sagfoundation_bower_legacy">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLOsLPvlcQE#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%20shares%20stories|title=Tom Bower Career Retrospective – Legacy Collection – Conversations at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation|publisher=SAG-AFTRA Foundation (YouTube)|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| He played [[w:Francis Nixon|Francis Nixon]], the 37th President's father, in [[w:Oliver Stone|Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[w:Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995), starring [[w:Anthony Hopkins|Anthony Hopkins]].<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He appeared as Sgt. Cally in [[w:Brian De Palma|Brian De Palma]]'s ''[[w:Raising Cain|Raising Cain]]'' (1992); he discussed the film, his fellow cast members, and De Palma's visual style in an eight-minute interview — titled "The Cat's in the Bag" — produced for the Scream Factory Collector's Edition Blu-ray (2016).<ref group="external" name="screamfactory_raisingcain_bower">{{cite web|url=https://rockshockpop.com/articles/movies-aa/380384-raising-cain#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%20gets%20eight%20minutes|title=Raising Cain (Blu-ray Review)|publisher=Rock! Shock! Pop!|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| He appeared in both ''[[w:Pollock (film)|Pollock]]'' (2000) and ''[[w:Appaloosa (film)|Appaloosa]]'' (2008) for [[w:Ed Harris|Ed Harris]], a colleague from his years at the [[w:Met Theatre|Met Theatre]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> He appeared in both ''[[w:Crazy Heart|Crazy Heart]]'' (2009) — as Bill Wilson, the agent of [[w:Jeff Bridges|Jeff Bridges]]'s character Bad Blake — and ''[[w:Out of the Furnace|Out of the Furnace]]'' (2013) for [[w:Scott Cooper (director)|Scott Cooper]], with whom he had previously co-starred in ''[[w:Bill's Gun Shop|Bill's Gun Shop]]'' (2001), an independently produced Minneapolis crime film.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /><ref group="external" name="bower_billsgunshop_imdb">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264425/fullcredits/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower|title=Bill's Gun Shop – Full Cast & Crew|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He played Pat McDonagh, the recovering-alcoholic father of [[w:Nicolas Cage|Nicolas Cage]]'s corrupt detective, in [[w:Werner Herzog|Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[w:Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans|Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans]]'' (2009).<ref group="external" name="npr_badlieutenant">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2009/11/19/120452170/herzogs-bad-lieutenant-hes-crescent-city-crazy#:~:text=alcoholic%20parents%20(Tom%20Bower%20and%20Jennifer%20Coolidge)|title=Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant': He's Crescent City Crazy|author=Bob Mondello|publisher=NPR|date=November 19, 2009|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He appeared in ''[[w:The Hills Have Eyes (2006 film)|The Hills Have Eyes]]'' (2006) and in [[w:Casey Affleck|Casey Affleck]]'s post-apocalyptic ''[[w:Light of My Life (film)|Light of My Life]]'' (2019), where he played a devout man who confronts the film's central father-and-daughter pair; Owen Gleiberman in ''[[w:Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that Bower, "as a Bible thumper who has lost everything he cares about, has presence."<ref group="external" name="gleiberman_variety_loml">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/light-of-my-life-review-casey-affleck-1203132232/#:~:text=the%20veteran%20actor%20Tom%20Bower%2C%20as%20a%20Bible%20thumper|title='Light of My Life' Review|author=Owen Gleiberman|publisher=Variety|date=August 7, 2019|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He also appeared in Vince Gilligan's ''[[w:El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie|El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie]]'' (2019) as Lou, a former neighbor of [[w:Todd Alquist|Todd Alquist]]'s.<ref group="external" name="screenrant_elcamino">{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/el-camino-breaking-bad-movie-cast-character-guide/#:~:text=Tom%20Bower%20as%20Lou|title=El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Cast & Character Guide|publisher=ScreenRant|date=October 2019|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| As a producer, Bower worked on several independent films. He was executive producer on ''Human Error'' (2004), directed by Robert M. Young and based on Richard Dresser's play ''Below the Belt''; co-producer on ''Bill's Gun Shop'' (2001); and associate producer on ''[[w:Neither Wolf nor Dog (film)|Neither Wolf Nor Dog]]'' (2016), director [[w:Steven Lewis Simpson|Steven Lewis Simpson]]'s adaptation of [[w:Kent Nerburn|Kent Nerburn]]'s novel, with [[w:Dave Bald Eagle|Dave Bald Eagle]] in the lead role — a film that ran in more than 200 theaters across North America through a self-organized distribution campaign.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile">{{cite web|url=https://www.industrycentral.net/features/working_actors/tom_bower1#:~:text=Executive%20Producer|title=Tom Bower (1938–2024): he's been in hiding for a long time!|publisher=IndustryCentral|date=June 5, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref><ref group="external" name="firstamerican_wolfdog">{{cite web|url=https://firstamerican.art/neither-wolf-nor-dog/#:~:text=veteran%20actor%20and%20producer%20Tom%20Bower|title=Neither Wolf Nor Dog|publisher=First American Art Magazine|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| ===Stage work and theater producing===
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| Bower accumulated more than eighty stage credits across productions in Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, and other cities.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> He was a board member of the [[w:Met Theatre|Met Theatre]] in Hollywood, whose company included [[w:James Gammon|James Gammon]], [[w:Ed Harris|Ed Harris]], [[w:Amy Madigan|Amy Madigan]], [[w:Holly Hunter|Holly Hunter]], and [[w:Pulitzer Prize|Pulitzer Prize]]-winning playwright [[w:Beth Henley|Beth Henley]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> As a producer he mounted world premieres of [[w:John Patrick Shanley|John Patrick Shanley]]'s ''Italian American Reconciliation'' at the Gnu Theater in Los Angeles (1987), Tom Grimes's ''Spec'' at the Met Theatre (1991), and Murray Mednick's ''Scar'' starring [[w:Ed Harris|Ed Harris]] at the Met Theatre (1992).<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile" /> He was a lifetime member of the [[w:Actors Studio|Actors Studio]].<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" />
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| In 1981, Bower was invited by [[w:Robert Redford|Robert Redford]] to serve as a resource actor at the inaugural [[w:Sundance Institute|Sundance Institute]] Filmmakers Lab; he returned in 1985, remained active there for years, and served on the Institute's nominating committee.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_profile" />
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| ===Union leadership===
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| Bower joined both [[w:Screen Actors Guild|SAG]] and [[w:American Federation of Television and Radio Artists|AFTRA]] in 1973.<ref group="external" name="sagaftra_bower_tribute">{{cite web|url=https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-remembers-tom-bower#:~:text=Bower%2C%2086%2C%20joined%20both%20SAG%20and%20AFTRA%20in%201973|title=SAG-AFTRA Remembers Tom Bower|publisher=SAG-AFTRA|date=June 7, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> He served on the SAG National Board of Directors from 1995 to 2002, on the Hollywood Board, and on numerous committees including the SAG TV Residual Study, Global Rule One, Communications, National Agents Relations, and National New Technologies committees.<ref group="external" name="sagaftra_bower_tribute" /> He co-created what became [[w:SAGindie|SAGindie]], the program that guides independent filmmakers through the union signatory process.<ref group="external" name="sagindie_bower_tribute">{{cite web|url=https://www.sagindie.org/indieblog/tom-bower-1938-2024/#:~:text=co-creating%20the%20union%20resource%20that%20eventually%20became%20SAGindie|title=SAGindie Co-Creator Tom Bower, 1938–2024|publisher=SAGindie|date=June 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref>
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| As co-chair of SAG's Global Rule One committee, Bower publicly defended the union's 2002 initiative to enforce its membership rules on American productions shot outside the United States. When Canadian producers challenged the measure as unlawful, he responded that SAG's legal department had researched the question extensively, and that producers working abroad without SAG contracts had long avoided pension and health contributions owed to members.<ref group="external" name="variety_globalrule1">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2002/biz/news/canucks-buck-sag-on-rule-1-1117865582/#:~:text=It%20is%20absolutely%20legal%20for%20us%20to%20do%20this|title=Canucks buck SAG on Rule 1|author=Dave McNary and Brendan Kelly|publisher=Variety|date=April 17, 2002|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> Fellow SAG member Mark Moses noted after Bower's death that his union contributions benefited all members.<ref group="external" name="tapp_deadline_bower_obit" />
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| From 2005 until his death Bower served as President of the Jury and President of the Honorary Advisory Committee of the [[w:Syracuse International Film Festival|Syracuse International Film Festival]], and in 2011 received the Festival's Sophia Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> He won Best Actor at the Hollywood Film Festival in 2012 for the short film ''A Good Thing''.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" />
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| ==''Battlestar Galactica''== | | ==''Battlestar Galactica''== |
| Bower appeared in the third-season ''Battlestar Galactica'' episode "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]" (2007), as [[Joe]], the civilian bartender who runs [[Joe's bar|Joe's bar]] aboard the ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. In the episode, Apollo introduces Chief Tyrol to the newly established drinking establishment, a makeshift lounge on one of the hangar decks. The episode's title came from a lyric in the ''[[w:Cheers (TV series)|Cheers]]'' theme song; it originally reflected a plan for the story to revolve more centrally around the bar's creation, but the narrative shifted during development. Joe's bar appeared in later episodes, though the character Joe did not. | | Bower appeared in the third-season ''Battlestar Galactica'' episode "[[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]" (2007), portraying [[Joe]], the civilian bartender who runs [[Joe's bar|Joe's bar]] aboard the ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.<ref group="external" name="imdb_bsg_takingabreak_credits" /> In the episode, {{Callsign|Apollo}} introduces Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] to the newly established drinking establishment, a makeshift lounge carved out of one of the hangar decks. Joe's bar lent the episode its title — the bar was originally intended to be a more central element of the story — and continued to serve as a recurring setting in subsequent episodes of the series, though Joe himself did not reappear after this one.<ref group="external" name="bsg_joes_bar_wiki">{{cite web|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Joe%27s_bar#:~:text=run%20by%20a%20civilian%2C%20for%20whom%20it%20is%20named|title=Joe's bar|publisher=Battlestar Wiki|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
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| ==Personal life== | | ==Personal life== |
| Bower married twice; his first marriage ended in divorce. He later married Ursula Bower, who predeceased him in August 2023 at the age of 75.<ref group="external" name="bower_nme_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/film/die-hard-2-actor-tom-bower-dies-aged-86-3764054#:~:text=Ursula%2C%20Bower%27s%20wife%20of%2051%20years|title='Die Hard 2' actor Tom Bower dies aged 86|publisher=NME|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> They were married 51 years and, according to his sister-in-law, never spent a day apart.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> They had four grandchildren.<ref group="external" name="bower_imdb_bio" /> His family described the three most important things in his life as his wife, acting, and his commitment to fairness for fellow actors.<ref group="external" name="bower_foxnews_family_statement">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/die-hard-2-the-waltons-star-tom-bower-dead-86#:~:text=The%20three%20most%20important%20things%20in%20Tom%27s%20life%20were%3A%20His%20wife%2C%20Ursula|title='Die Hard 2' and 'The Waltons' star, Tom Bower, dead at 86|publisher=Fox News|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> | | Bower married twice. His first marriage ended in divorce. He later married Ursula Bower, whom he described as the love of his life; she predeceased him by approximately two years.<ref group="external" name="bower_industrycentral_obituarynote">{{cite web|url=https://www.industrycentral.net/features/working_actors/tom_bower1#:~:text=He%20has%20now%20joined%20the%20love%20of%20his%20life%2C%20wife%20Ursula|title=Tom Bower (1938-2024): he's been in hiding for a long time!|publisher=IndustryCentral|date=June 5, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> His family described the three most important things in his life as his wife, acting, and his commitment to fairness for fellow actors.<ref group="external" name="bower_foxnews_family_statement">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/die-hard-2-the-waltons-star-tom-bower-dead-86#:~:text=The%20three%20most%20important%20things%20in%20Tom%27s%20life%20were%3A%20His%20wife%2C%20Ursula|title='Die Hard 2' and 'The Waltons' star, Tom Bower, dead at 86|publisher=Fox News|date=June 6, 2024|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
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| Bower died in his sleep at his home in [[w:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] on May 30, 2024. His death was confirmed to ''[[w:The Hollywood Reporter|The Hollywood Reporter]]'' by his sister-in-law, Mary Miller.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He is interred at [[w:Hollywood Forever Cemetery|Hollywood Forever Cemetery]] in Hollywood, California.<ref group="external" name="bower_findagrave">{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/271183028/tom-bower#:~:text=Hollywood%20Forever|title=Tom Bower (1938–2024)|publisher=Find a Grave|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> | | Bower died in his sleep at his home in [[w:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] on May 30, 2024, at the age of 86. His death was confirmed to ''[[w:The Hollywood Reporter|The Hollywood Reporter]]'' by his sister-in-law, Mary Miller.<ref group="external" name="bower_thr_obit" /> He is interred at [[w:Hollywood Forever Cemetery|Hollywood Forever Cemetery]] in Hollywood, California.<ref group="external" name="bower_findagrave">{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/271183028/tom-bower#:~:text=Hollywood%20Forever|title=Tom Bower (1938–2024)|publisher=Find a Grave|accessdate=May 21, 2026}}</ref> |
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
| === External Sources === | | === External Sources === |
| {{reflist|group=external}} | | {{reflist|group=external}} |
