Thomas Ian Griffith

The cliched description of tall, dark and handsome can apply to many actors, but in the case of Thomas Ian Griffith it is an appropriate one. With his shoulder-length tresses, sparkling blue eyes and lean, 6'5" muscular physique, the actor cuts an imposing figure. Trained as a musician and a dancer, Griffith spent part of his youth traveling throughout Great Britain and Ireland performing tradition Irish step dancing. He dropped out of college to pursue a stage career, landing his first gig as a dancing football player in the Broadway hit "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" in 1979. Several years of chorus work and small roles followed before the handsome player got his first break and his first taste of stardom playing Caitlin Ewing on the NBC daytime drama "Another World." After three years (1983-86) of playing a romantic lead on the soap (cast opposite real-life significant other Mary Page Keller), Griffith headed to the West Coast. He landed his first film role partly because his background fit the character. Griffith holds a black belt in karate so he was more than comfortable cast as a martial arts expert with a sadistic streak who takes on Ralph Macchio in "The Karate Kid III" (1989). In order to prove his versatility, the actor undertook the demanding title role in the NBC biopic "Rock Hudson" (1990), earning generally positive notices for his portrayal of the screen legend.