Thom Bierdz | |
|---|---|
 Bierdz in 2016 | |
| Born | March 25, 1962 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Known for | Phillip Chancellor III on The Young and the Restless |
Thom Bierdz (born March 25, 1962) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Phillip Chancellor III on the daytime drama The Young and the Restless.
He appeared on The Young and the Restless, from 1986 to 1989, returning for a "dream sequence" in 2004, and in a surprising twist, returned to the role in May 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was also a recurring guest star on Melrose Place as Sarah's abusive boyfriend, Hank. Other TV credits include guest starred twice on Murder, She Wrote (1994, 1995), Matlock (1993), Robin's Hoods (1994) and Highway to Heaven (1986), Win, Lose or Draw (1989) and The New Hollywood Squares (1988, 1989). Bierdz played Bobby Burton on the web series Old Dogs New Tricks in 2012 and 2013.[1]
Bierdz co-founded American Art Awards in 2008. He has since been president of the prestigious online art competition which annually awards USA's Best Galleries & Museums, and with their critique, awards over 300 artists in 50 categories from over 60 countries. In 2023, he expanded to also launch World Art Awards, a similar online competition.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | St. Elmo's Fire | Rowdy Undergrad | |
| 1986 | Highway to Heaven | Paul Hiller | 1 episode: "The Torch" |
| The Gladiator | Kid | ||
| 1986–89, 2004, 2009–11 | The Young and the Restless | Phillip Chancellor III | 114 episodes |
| 1993 | Matlock | Bobby Simpson | 1 episode: "The Class" |
| 1994 | Robin's Hoods | Lenny Wimmer | 1 episode: "The Pawn" |
| Melrose Place | Hank | 2 episodes: "Imperfect Strangers" and "Devil with the G-String On" | |
| 1994-1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Richard Binyon (1994) / Phil Carmichael (1995) | 2 episodes: "Wheel of Death" and "A Quaking in Aspen" |
| 2000 | Warm Texas Rain | Michael | |
| 2002 | The Last Place on Earth | Rich (credited as Zoey Drake) | |
| 2012-2016 | Old Dogs & New Tricks | Bobby Burton | web series, 12 episodes |
Bierdz's ancestry is Polish on his father's side and Italian on his mother's side. He left The Young and the Restless in July 1989 to pursue film roles.
His youngest brother Troy, who had been living with him in Los Angeles, returned to Wisconsin. Shortly thereafter, in July 1989, Troy murdered their mother, Phyllis, with a baseball bat and is currently serving a sentence of 50 years without the possibility of parole in a Wisconsin prison. In May 2002, his brother Gregg committed suicide in May 2000. He has one sister. In 2018, Bierdz appeared in and narrated an episode of Evil Lives Here on the Investigation Discovery (ID) Network, based on his memoir Forgiving Troy. In the show, he recounts his brother Troy's life and his strange behavior leading to his mother's murder.
Bierdz is gay. After acting, Bierdz has devoted most of his life to painting. In 2005, he received the 2005 Out Magazine Best Emerging Artist of Los Angeles for painting pictures of cows. He is also the recipient of the Key to the Light Award from The Thalians.[2]
In September 2009, The Human Rights Campaign at a black tie gala themed "Speak Your Truth" presented Bierdz with its Visibility Award for his continued contributions to charity work for human rights through his visual art, acting and writing.[3]
