Thomas Mikal Ford
| Thomas Mikal Ford | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Tommy Ford June 15, 1962 Yonkers, New York  United States |
| Other names | Tommy Ford |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985—present |
| Website | http://www.tommygotajob.com |
Thomas Mikal Ford (born June 15, 1962), known and also credited as Tommy Ford, is an American actor who is best known for his role as Tommy Strong in the sitcom Martin, and for his recurring role as Mel Parker in the UPN sitcom The Parkers.
Career
In Martin, Ford played Tommy Strawn who was, at times, the straight man for Martin Lawrence's jokes, but he very often inserted scene-stealing "bald-headed logic" and witty comments in odd situations. Also, his character was often the subject of many jokes regarding his mysterious employment status though Tisha Campbell-Martin revealed he was a counselor and presumably unemployed after Ford complained that his character lacked development. Ford received an NAACP Image Awards nomination in 1996 in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.[1]
After Martin ended, Ford found success in the revamped-for-1998 FOX detective drama New York Undercover. He played the role of Lieutenant Malcolm Barker.
Ford played a recurring role in the UPN sitcom The Parkers as Nikki's ex-husband (and Kim's father), Mel Parker, in 7 episodes. He played Ben Cummings in The Power of Passion as one of the characters whose wife cheats on him with the pastor. His lampoons of stereotypical African-American preachers appear throughout his work, beginning with Martin.
He is also known as The Pope of Comedy, due to exposure as a judge on TV One's comedy competition show Who's Got Jokes? starring Bill Bellamy.
In film, Ford appeared in the Kid 'n Play movie Class Act as Mink, a hustler. In Harlem Nights he played Tommy Smalls, the brother of Arsenio Hall's character. He can also be seen in the 1997 Nancy Allen crime drama Against the Law.
Major roles in television
- Martin (1992–1997) as Tommy Strawn
- New York Undercover (1998–1999) as Lt. Malcolm Barker
- The Jamie Foxx Show (1999) as Marcus
- The Parkers (1999–2001) as Mel Parker
- Who's Got Jokes? (2006–2008) as Pope of Comedy
- Let's Stay Together (2011) as the Reverend