Thomas Mikal Ford Net Worth

What was Thomas Mikal Ford's Net Worth?

Thomas Mikal Ford was an American actor and comedian who had a net worth of $2 million. Thomas Mikal Ford is best known for playing Tommy Strawn on the 1990s Fox sitcom "Martin." He also had major roles on "New York Undercover" and "The Parkers," and played the 'Pope of Comedy' on the stand-up comedy competition show "Who's Got Jokes?" Ford also acted in many films, including "Harlem Nights," "Across the Tracks," "Class Act," and "Against the Law." Unfortunately, Thomas died on October 12, 2016, at the age of 52.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Mikal Ford was born on September 5, 1964 in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Long Beach. Although he initially had goals of becoming a preacher, he caught the acting bug after taking drama lessons and performing in plays in high school. After obtaining an AA degree from Long Beach City College in 1985, Ford attended the University of Southern California, from which he earned his BFA degree in acting.

Television Career

Ford began acting on television in the late 1980s with guest roles on the shows "Kate & Allie," "A Different World," and "Booker." He also had a prominent role as the main villain in the television film "Nasty Boys." Kicking off the 1990s, Ford had a main role on the short-lived NBC sitcom "Singer & Sons" and a recurring role on the short-lived CBS series "Uncle Buck." He also appeared in episodes of "Equal Justice" and "Law & Order." Following further guest roles, including on "The Flash" and "MacGyver," Ford began his longest-running role in 1992, as Tommy Strawn on the Fox sitcom "Martin." He starred alongside Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, and Tichina Arnold. The show became one of the highest-rated on Fox, running for five seasons through 1997.

After the end of "Martin," Ford played the main role of Lieutenant Malcolm Barker in the fourth and final season of the Fox police drama series "New York Undercover." He subsequently had a recurring role in the first two seasons of the UPN sitcom "The Parkers," playing the wealthy ex-husband of Mo'Nique's main character Nikki. Ford mostly appeared in guest roles during the remainder of his career, with appearances on such shows as "The Pretender," "Judging Amy," "House," "Let's Stay Together," and "Zoe Ever After." One of his bigger roles was on the stand-up comedy competition show "Who's Got Jokes?," where he served as a judge dubbed the 'Pope of Comedy.' Ford's other small-screen credits included the television films "Sugar Mommas," "In the Meantime," and "Blaq Gold."

Film Career

Ford made his big-screen debut playing nightclub manager Tommy Smalls in Eddie Murphy's 1989 crime dramedy "Harlem Nights." He followed that with a role in the 1991 drama "Across the Tracks." In 1992, Ford appeared in the comedies "Brain Donors" and "Class Act." His other credits during the decade included the 1993 romantic drama "Mr. Jones" and the 1997 action crime film "Against the Law." Ford didn't appear in as many films in the '00s. He became more prolific in the 2010s with roles in a surfeit of low-budget films, such as "Highway," "Switchin' the Script," "Douglass U," "Could This Be Love," "Blues for Life," "The Ballerina," and "He Watches Over Me."

Other Endeavors

Ford was also involved in theater, having directed the plays "South of Where We Live" and "Jonin'" in 1993 at the Ebony Showcase in Los Angeles. The same year, he co-hosted the Texas Gospel Music Awards with Yolanda Adams and Troy Curvey. Later in the decade, Ford founded the nonprofit Be Still and Know to improve life for youth. As part of its mission, he penned two children's books and traveled to different schools to inspire kids.

Personal Life and Death

In 1997, Ford married Gina Sasso. They had two children before divorcing in 2014. The year after that, Ford moved to Atlanta, Georgia to live with his girlfriend Viviane Brazil.

On October 12, 2016, Ford died from an abdominal aortic aneurysm while at a hospital in the Atlanta area.