Whatever happened to… Tom Hulce
When actor Tom Hulce got nominated for his role in 1984’s Amadeus, he was only in his early 30s. The most notable role he had played on film before that had been in the comedy classic Animal House. It’s hard to imagine a gifted actor such as Hulce not thriving in Hollywood after a nomination, yet besides 1989’s Parenthood, Hulce seemed to vanish. Which begs the question: whatever happened to Tom Hulce?
At the moment Hulce only has 31 roles on film and television attached to his name. That is a far cry from the amount of movies someone like Eric Roberts has made. The roles Hulce did play are not even all live action, or film. As an example: one of them is as the voice of Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, whereas the other is a guest spot on Frasier.
That doesn’t mean Hulce didn’t give working in film a shot. After Amadeus Hulce set up several projects, which unfortunately are mostly forgotten. There was the drama Echo Park (1985), and the thrillers Slam Dance (1987) and Black Rainbow (1989). Having an Oscar nomination (or win) to your name is great, but as Cuba Gooding Jr. and Adrien Brody can confirm: you’re only as hot as your latest film. Although the aforementioned Parenthood did good, Hulce was not the lead in the film, but part of an ensemble.
Despite making occasional appearances in movies after the 80s, Hulce pretty much turned his back on Hollywood after that decade. That doesn’t mean he gave up on showbiz all-together, as Hulce has since gone on to continue working in theater. It was that original passion that had led him to landing the lead role in Amadeus in the first place. He may have moved away from acting for the most part, but over the past decades he has received accolades for his work as a producer on plays such as Spring Awakening (2007), and Significant Other (2017).
Since 2018, he has continued to be involved in successful Broadway productions. One notable mention is his work as a producer on the Broadway hit Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, which opened in 2019 and received critical acclaim, including Tony nominations. Hulce’s involvement in producing has solidified his reputation as a major player in the theater world.
Hulce is currently living in Seattle. He still makes the occasional project in Hollywood such as a small acting role in 2008’s Sci-Fi bomb Jumper, and a producer role on 2018’s The Seagull.
Previously in this column we covered whatever happened to Bridget Fonda, whatever happened to Rick Moranis, and whatever happened to John McTiernan. Let us know who else you’re wondering about in the comments!
