--- name: "Tom Hulce" canonical: "https://film.one/person/tom-hulce" fi1m_id: "tom-hulce" imdb_id: "nm0001371" tmdb_id: 3999 wikidata_id: "Q315039" roles: ["Actor"] born: "6 December 1953" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 74 average_as: "actor" average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-04T23:46:10.238452+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Tom Hulce ## Identity Tom Hulce - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/tom-hulce - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** tom-hulce - **IMDb ID:** nm0001371 - **TMDB ID:** 3999 - **Wikidata ID:** Q315039 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hulce, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q315039, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001371/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3999 Actor. Born 6 December 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 6 December 1953, Detroit, Michigan, USA - **Active:** 1984–2006 - **Also known as:** Том Халс, Thomas Edward Hulce - **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 74, as actor, over 5 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 84 (2), 1990s 62 (2), 2000s 78 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 68 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 5 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 5, Comedy 2, Romance 2, Animation 1, Family 1, Fantasy 1 - **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $707m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hulce, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q315039, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001371/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3999 ## Streaming the US now - **Peacock:** [*Stranger Than Fiction*](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md) (78) - **Netflix:** [*Parenthood*](https://film.one/film/parenthood.md) (78) - **Disney+:** [*The Hunchback of Notre Dame*](https://film.one/film/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame.md) (70) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Tom Hulce > Tom Hulce is at his most persuasive when he lets a character be awkward company. His Mozart gives *Amadeus* much of its unruly pleasure, though the repeated childishness can make even this performance wearing. The laugh in *Amadeus* (1984) is not something we would want to hear across a dinner table. Hulce's Mozart is gauche, immature and quite capable of exhausting the people around him. We felt a welcome relief at his bad manners: a film about a great composer was allowing him to be a nuisance. Miloš Forman gets something valuable from this willingness to be disliked, giving F. Murray Abraham's Salieri ample reason to resent the man while the music makes that resentment look small. The early film roles included Larry 'Pinto' Kroger in *Animal House* (1978), before Mozart gave Hulce his screen breakthrough. He followed it with Dominick Luciano in *Dominick and Eugene* (1988) and Larry Buckman in *Parenthood* (1989). By the mid-1990s, his attention was moving towards stage producing and directing. He voiced Quasimodo in *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996), with occasional small film roles continuing after the change of direction. In *Amadeus*, the performance works because Forman lets it affect the acting around it. Hulce gives Abraham something concrete to react to, and Elizabeth Berridge's Constanze brings a welcome directness beside the two men. The writing gives her less space to develop, which is a pity when Mozart's childishness begins to repeat itself. Forman and Shaffer press that behaviour too hard, and Hulce can become wearing once the first surprise has passed. We would not want him made more respectable; we would welcome fewer reminders of how badly he behaves. Hulce later appears as Dr. Cayly in *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), a film we recommend for Will Ferrell's restraint and his warmth with Maggie Gyllenhaal. Its literary cleverness gets fussy, and the answers arrive too tidily. For a fuller sense of what Hulce can do, start with *Amadeus* and allow for a little irritation. Set aside an uninterrupted evening and keep the volume up for the music. ## Biography Tom Hulce is an American actor and theatre producer. He was born on 6 December 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, and trained at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Beloit College and the North Carolina School of the Arts. He is known for his performances as Larry 'Pinto' Kroger in *Animal House* (1978), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in *Amadeus* (1984), Larry Buckman in *Parenthood* (1989), and the voice of Quasimodo in *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996). He also appeared as Dr. Cayly in *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006) and Mr. Bowker in *Jumper* (2008). Hulce received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for *Amadeus*. He won an Emmy Award for *The Heidi Chronicles* and, as a lead producer, a Tony Award for Best Musical for *Spring Awakening* (2007). He largely retired from acting in the mid-1990s to concentrate on stage producing and directing. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), Fi1m 78, as Dr. Cayly — [page](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md) - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996), Fi1m 70, as Quasimodo (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame.md) - *Mary Shelley's Frankenstein* (1994), Fi1m 54, as Henry Clerval — [page](https://film.one/film/mary-shelleys-frankenstein.md) - *Parenthood* (1989), Fi1m 78, as Larry Buckman — [page](https://film.one/film/parenthood.md) - *Amadeus* (1984), Fi1m 91, as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — [page](https://film.one/film/amadeus.md) ## Complete filmography (36) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Once Upon a Studio* (2023), as Quasimodo (voice) - *John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection* (2018), as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (archive footage) (uncredited) - *The Seagull* (2018), Producer - *Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen* (2012), as (archive footage) - *Jumper* (2008), as Mr. Bowker - *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), as Dr. Cayly — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md) - *A Home at the End of the World* (2004), Producer - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame II* (2002), as Quasimodo (voice) - *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1996), as Quasimodo (voice) — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame.md) - *The Heidi Chronicles* (1995), as Peter Patrone - *Wings of Courage* (1995), as Antoine de Saint-Exupery - *Mary Shelley's Frankenstein* (1994), as Henry Clerval — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/mary-shelleys-frankenstein.md) - *Fearless* (1993), as Brillstein - *Frasier* (1993), series, as Keith (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md) - *The Inner Circle* (1992), as Ivan Sanshin - *The Hidden Room* (1991), series, as Joe - *Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers* (1991), as Reader - *Murder in Mississippi* (1990), as Mickey Schwerner - *Black Rainbow* (1989), as Gary Wallace - *Parenthood* (1989), as Larry Buckman — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/parenthood.md) - *Shadow Man* (1988), as David Rubenstin - *Dominick and Eugene* (1988), as Dominick Luciano - *Slam Dance* (1987), as C.C. Drood - *John Henry* (1986), as Quinn - *The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket* (1986), as Daniel Rocket - *Echo Park* (1985), as Jonathan - *Tall Tales & Legends* (1985), series, as Quinn - *Amadeus* (1984), as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/amadeus.md) - *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as John Doe #12 — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md) - *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Older Daniel - *Those Lips, Those Eyes* (1980), as Artie Shoemaker - *Animal House* (1978), as Larry 'Pinto' Kroger - *September 30, 1955* (1977), as Hanley - *Forget-Me-Not Lane* (1975), as Young Frank - *Great Performances* (1971), series, as young Frank - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Freddie ## Gallery - ![American actor Tom Hulce (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/99377/gallery-7f479dc8ead7.jpg) American actor Tom Hulce (2006) — BJ Barratt from New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/TomHulce.jpg/1280px-TomHulce.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Tom Hulce](https://film.one/media/person/99377/gallery-3c93e21ccbab.jpg) Tom Hulce — BJ Barratt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/TomHulce_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Tom Hulce and Faye Dunaway at the 1985 Golden Globe Awards](https://film.one/media/person/99377/gallery-a51b470622ee.jpg) Tom Hulce and Faye Dunaway at the 1985 Golden Globe Awards — George Long, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Tom_Hulce_and_Faye_Dunaway.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Tom Hulce](https://film.one/media/person/99377/gallery-93ee4b670ceb.jpg) Tom Hulce — Image via TMDB - ![Tom Hulce](https://film.one/media/person/99377/gallery-ca31694002e8.jpg) Tom Hulce — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - 1985: Best Actor (nominated), for *Amadeus* ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won - 1996: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *The Heidi Chronicles* ### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1990: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/tom-hulce