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| About Tom * Chick Reid * Gallery * Interviews * Films * TV Theatre * FAQ * About Ground Control * Contact Info * Links |
| The Webmaster I first encountered Tom McCamus onscreen in the pilot episode of Mutant X, "The Shock of the New." I had started watching the series for two reasons. Firstly, I had previously read the comicbook Mutant X, which was a spinoff of the successful X-Men series. I hasten to point out that the comicbook Mutant X had absolutely nothing to do with the series, bar the name, but the name drew my attention. The other factor was actor John Shea, who I had loved as the charming but villainous Lex Luthor in Lois & Clark. Mutant X at the time was one of several new science-fiction shows I was watching, and it didn't really grab my attention until episode seven, "Lit Fuse". It wasn't a particularly good episode, and there were certainly better storylines in the series. However, this was the episode I had on tape on a particularly bad weekend, when it was pouring with rain outside and I had nothing much else to do. I watched it a couple of times, and quickly realised that the only scenes that really bore up to repeated viewings were those of the villain. In particular, I thought that one line was hilarious... The scene: Mason Eckhart is briefing one of his minions about the proper protocols for bringing in a renegade mutant. This particular mutant, Ashley, can control electricity. Mason's instructions? "It is imperative that you carry no electrical devices on your person when you make the arrest. Make certain you are not within a fifty yard radius of any power lines, power stations, transformers, or any electrical unit emitting over 500 volts... and you'll be fine." Well, I thought it was funny. I read up a bit about the actor behind Eckhart, and discovered that he was Tom McCamus (and not Tom McManus or any of the other misspellings I found in some interviews). When I read about his award-winning film I Love A Man In Uniform, I was intrigued enough to order it. After I had watched the movie, there was no doubt in my mind as to what an extraordinary actor I had stumbled upon. Since there was no other current website on Tom, I created Ground Control to serve as a directory for news, links, and information about Tom's work. In 2002 I traveled to Toronto, Canada to see my relatives who live in the area. At the same time, Tom was starring in my favourite play, Richard III, and The Threepenny Opera at the Stratford Festival. In addition, Tom's wife Chick Reid, who I had also seen in Mutant X, was appearing in Shadows. I bought tickets, hopped on a train, and went to see them. You can read about the whole Stratford story in The Stratford Report. About Me I'm currently working on my MA in Linguistics at the University of Haifa in Israel. My BA is in English and Film, from the University of Stirling, Scotland. What can I say - I move around a lot. If you have any questions or comments about the site, my email box is always open. |
| About Tom * Chick Reid * Gallery * Interviews * Films * TV Theatre * FAQ * About Ground Control * Contact Info * Links |