Get the scoop on the narrator of Bad Monkey, veteran character actor Tom Nowicki.
From Scrubs and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence comes a new black comedy series, Bad Monkey. In the Apple TV+ show, Vince Vaughn’s ex-detective Andrew Yancy gets more than he bargained for when he accepts a case involving a severed arm.
5 Interesting Facts About Bad Monkey’s Tom Nowicki
Tom Nowicki Started Acting Through High School Theater
Tom Nowicki entered the world of performance during his high school years. Speaking to Holr Magazine, Nowicki recounted how he took on a role in his school’s production of the classic Arthur Miller play The Crucible initially just for the extra credit:
"My 10th-grade English teacher offered extra credit to anyone who would audition for the school play. They were doing 'The Crucible' which we happened to be reading in class… I remember so clearly standing in the wings before my very first entrance on opening night, pretty sure that if I could even remember my lines I wouldn’t be able to say them."
Acting in this play proved to be transformative for the young Nowicki who described the experience as "exhilarating:"
“But by the time I left the stage, I was transformed. The experience of standing in front of a few hundred people who were hanging on my words as I told them the truth, (at least the truth the way the play saw it) was exhilarating beyond anything I had ever experienced.”
In a 2013 sit-down with Search My Trash, Tom mentioned that his further training in acting took him abroad:
"From there, I studied at Yale, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC, and with other groups."
Tom Has Starred in The Blind Side, The Punisher & More
Nowicki has been acting in movies and TV shows since the mid-1980s. His first film credit was in the Paul Newman flick Harry & Son, in which he played Jimmy.
But Tom Nowicki would arguably be best known for his more contemporary parts.
He’s had small roles in popular films like The Blind Side, in which he appeared as a teacher, as well as the Thomas Jane version of The Punisher from 2004. He portrayed one of the perpetrators of the murder of Frank Castle’s family.
Additionally, Nowicki cropped up as a representation of real-life high school football coach Ed Henry in the iconic sports movie Remember the Titans from 2000.
Tom Nowicki’s all-time favorite jobs include his work on the pilot for a television adaptation of the film L.A. Confidential, although the pilot itself was not picked up by the network.
He is also particularly fond of acting in The Cape, which ran for one season from 1996-97 (and is not to be confused with the short-lived NBC superhero drama adored by Community’s Abed Nadir).
Tom Is Inspired by Al Pacino and Bryan Cranston
When asked by Search My Trash about the actors and actresses from which he draws inspiration, Tom Nowicki rattled off a laundry list of notable names, including the legendary Al Pacino. Hoo-ah!
Other stars included Gene Hackman, Stephen Fry, Steve Coogan, Bryan Cranston, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Joan Plowright, Helen Mirren, Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Sam Waterston, and Emily Blunt. Nowicki even admitted that when it comes to his acting inspirations, "I could go on all day…"
Questioned by the outlet on his favorite movies, Nowicki also name-dropped some stone-cold classics:
"'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Bang the Drum Slowly,' 'Across the Universe,' 'Dr. Strangelove,' 'The Man Who Knew Too Little,' 'Slap Shot,' 'The Verdict'… again, there's so many.”
Reflecting on his style and sensibilities as a performer, he expressed that he sees himself as a "character-leading man:"
"I think I'm a character-leading man, and I'm a pretty traditional Stanislavsky actor, with a pretty good appetite for make-believe and play."
Tom Runs a Hydrotherapy Business for Dogs
An animal lover, Nowicki has a side gig operating Hip Dog Canine Hydrotherapy with his partner Kristina. Hydrotherapy pay is a type of alternative medicine focused around using water for pain relief.
Nowicki explained to Holr Magazine how he stumbled upon treating dogs with hydrotherapy somewhat by happenstance:
"My friend (now partner) Kristina had a three-legged spaniel named Cosmo, and it seemed perfect for him. She also had a pool, so we decided to get trained and help him. But once we were there studying, it occurred to us that it would be pretty selfish to know how to do this and keep it to ourselves."
According to the actor, this venture has been a great success and his business meets with 50 or 60 furry clients every week:
“That was in 2001. Today, we’re swimming with 50 to 60 dogs a week, not all by ourselves, we have help. Older dogs with arthritis; dogs with bad knees, bad hips, or bad backs; amputees, dogs fighting cancer. I know I don’t have to explain why it feels good to be able to help them.”
Nowicki finds helping man’s best friend move a little easier to be quite personally fulfilling:
"There have been many days when I haven’t really felt like going to the pool in the morning. But honestly, I’ve never gotten out of the pool at the end of the day when I haven’t felt like it was the best possible way to use my time."
Tom Wants Another Season of Bad Monkey
In Bad Monkey, Nowicki narrates the series as Captain Fitzpatrick, a wisened old fisherman. He thought the writing for the show was "brilliant" and appreciated the opportunities for improv:
"Vince Vaughn grew up in the improv theatre scene in Chicago, and turning things on their heads is a big part of his work, so there was that freedom in 'Bad Monkey.' The writing was brilliant and wildly funny, to begin with, but there were still places where we could pick up the ball and run."
As for where Tom Nowicki’s headed next, he’d prefer to stay put and is "praying to the TV gods" that Apple elects to renew Bad Monkey for a second season:
“What is next? At the moment, I’m spending a lot of time on my knees praying to the TV gods for another season of 'Bad Monkey'…”
AppleTV+’s Bad Monkey is now streaming:
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