Tom Alter
TrendingAlso known as: Thomas Beach Alter
Quick Facts
- Full Name
- Tom Alter
- Born
- June 22, 1950
- Birthplace
- Mussoorie
- Age
- Died aged 67
- Zodiac Sign
- Cancer
- Height
- —
- Weight
- —
- Nationality
- 🇮🇳 India🇺🇸 United States
- Religion
- —
- Ethnicity
- —
- Eye Color
- —
- Hair Color
- —
- Profession
- Actor
- Net Worth
- —
- Education
- Film and Television Institute of India; Woodstock School; Yale University
- Spouse
- Carol Evans
- Children
- —
Last reviewed: Aug 5, 2026 · How we verify facts
Biography
Tom Alter is 76 years old, an actor, from India.
Thomas Beach Alter was an Indian actor of American descent who worked in Indian cinema. He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Born in Mussoorie in present-day Uttarakhand , Alter was the son of American Presbyterian missionaries of English , Scottish and Swiss German ancestry and lived for years in Mumbai and the Himalayan hill station of Landour .
His grandparents migrated to Madras , India from Ohio , U.S., in November 1916. From there, they moved to and settled in Lahore , in present-day Pakistan. His father was born in Sialkot . After the Partition of India , Alter's family split into two; his grandparents chose to stay in Pakistan while his parents moved to India.
After living in Allahabad , Jabalpur and Saharanpur , in 1954 they finally settled in Rajpur, Uttarakhand , then a small town located between Dehradun and Mussoorie; Rajpur is now considered a suburb of Dehradun. Alter's siblings are older sister Martha Chen , who teaches at Harvard University and brother John, a poet. Author Stephen Alter is a first cousin. As a child, Alter studied Hindi among other subjects in Mussoorie's Woodstock School . At 18, Alter left for the U.S.
for higher education and studied at Yale University for a year before returning to India upon losing interest in studies. The following year, he obtained work as a teacher at St. Thomas School, Jagadhri , in Haryana . He worked there for six months, simultaneously coaching his students in cricket .
Over the next two and a half years, Alter worked several jobs, teaching for a while at Woodstock School, Mussoorie, and working at a hospital in the U.S., and returning to India before continuing to work at Jagadhri. At Jagadhri, he began to watch Hindi films. It was during this time that he saw the Hindi film Aradhana , which proved to be a turning point in his career and drifted towards a career in acting, inspired by the lead actor Rajesh Khanna .
He headed to Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune , where he studied acting from 1972 to 1974 under Roshan Taneja .
Career & Filmography
Movies(26)
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Anuraga Karikkin Vellam |
| 2014 | Samvidhaan |
| 2012 | Kevi Rite Jaish |
| 2011 | Shama (TV show) |
| 2010 | The Hangman |
| 2006 | One Night with the King |
| 2005 | Subash Chandra Bose |
| 2004 | Veer-Zaara |
| 1998 | Captain Vyom |
| 1997 | Shaktimaan |
Family
Relationships
Romantic History
| Person | Status |
|---|---|
| Carol Evans | Married |
Family
Awards & Nominations
| Year | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Padma Shri in arts | Won |
Then vs. Now
Debut in Mrigayaa
Tom Alter's debut was Mrigayaa (1976).
41
yrs
Career Timeline
Tom Alter won the Padma Shri in arts.
Tom Alter's debut was Mrigayaa (1976).
22 June 1950
Tom Alter was born on 1950-06-22 in Mussoorie.
Interesting Facts
- Thomas Beach Alter (22 June 1950 – 29 September 2017) was an Indian actor of American descent who worked in Indian cinema.
- He was best known for his works in Hindi cinema, and Indian theatre.
- In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.
- Tom Alter has 2 children.
- Alter married Carol Evans, a fellow Woodstock School student, in 1977.
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Filmography
26 works
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