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IMDbPro

Tom Stern(I)

  • Director
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Tom Stern
Kevin Hart highlights the fascinating contributions of black history's unsung heroes in this entertaining -- and educational -- comedy special.
Play trailer1:28
Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (2019)
1 Video
1 Photo
In 1987, while at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Tom collaborated with underground rock legends Butthole Surfers on the short film Cherub. Also while at NYU he began a partnership with Alex Winter which lasted eight years - their college film Squeal of Death caught the attention of Sam Raimi who then developed a feature comedy script with them. After graduating, the pair went to Hollywood and directed IMPACT Video Magazine, which featured cutting edge artists and performers such as Bill Hicks, Survival Research Labs, Public Enemy, Robert Williams, Janes Addiction, and another short film with Butthole Surfers. Tom got his first mainstream show business job writing for the Jim Henson Hour on NBC. After that he collaborated with Alex Winter on the MTV Sketch Comedy show The Idiot Box (1991), which he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in. The Idiot Box was listed as one of the 40 best sketch comedy shows of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

Stern and Winter then shared writing and directing duties on their cult favorite feature film Freaked (1993) for 20th Century Fox, starring Randy Quaid, Mr. T, Keanu Reeves, Brooke Shields, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Larry "Bud" Melman.

Tom went on to co-write the feature An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) with Tim Burns. Tom and Tim then co-created The Chimp Channel (1999), a comedy series for TBS. Tom went on to co-create Wanderlust with Josh Gardner (2003), a comedy travel show for Comedy Central, which he also co-wrote, directed, and executive produced. He was a showrunner for Comedy Central's Crank Yankers (2002), and for MTV's The Andy Milonakis Show (2005-2006), both of which he also directed. Along the way Tom directed for The Man Show on Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, and was a staff writer for Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Comedy Central show That's My Bush (2001).

Tom was the director and executive producer for Adult Swim's series Saul of the Molemen (2007). He co-wrote, co-created and directed an innovative photo animated pilot for MTV called Hardin High and has directed music videos for such artists as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Butthole Surfers and Marilyn Manson.

Tom was the showrunner and director for an MTV pilot starring artist Marc Horowitz called Marc Saves America (2013), directed season three of Joe Schmo (2013) for creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland, Deadpool) , and was co-EP/director for two seasons of the VH1 sketch comedy show Stevie TV (2012-2013), starring the young Youtube comedy star Stevie Ryan. Tom also directed episodes of 2 Broke Girls (CBS).

In 2017 Tom and Josh Gardner created a serialized comedy series for Conoco and Warner Brothers Blue Ribbon Content called Golden Revenge. It's a cross between Homeward Bound and Kill Bill - and tells the story of three pets on a cross-country trek for bloody revenge. It shoots in early 2018 and will air on Verizon's new Go90 platform.

In 2017, Tom was showrunner/director on Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History and The Toys That Made Us, an 8 part documentary series on Netflix.

Tom is married to architect Barbara Bestor and lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 5 nominations

Known for

Freaked (1993)
Freaked
6.3
  • Director
  • 1993
An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)
An American Werewolf in Paris
5.1
  • Writer
  • 1997
Adams (2019)
Adams
7.0
Short
  • Director
  • 2019
Saul of the Mole Men (2007)
Saul of the Mole Men
5.3
TV Series
  • Director

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • The Idiot Box
    • Director
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1991–1992
  • The Butthole Surfers Movie
    • Director
    • Post-production
  • Earth to Ned (2020)
    Earth to Ned
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2020–2021
  • SpongeBob Appreciation Day: Patchy's Beach Bash! (2020)
    SpongeBob Appreciation Day: Patchy's Beach Bash!
    • Director
    • TV Special
    • 2020
  • Fred Savage in What Just Happened??! (2019)
    What Just Happened??!
    • segment director (as Tom J. Stern)
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Adams (2019)
    Adams
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2019
  • Ice-T, Trace Adkins, David Cross, Vince Lozano, Jessica Makinson, Karl T. Wright, Tamir Yardenne, Agnes Albright, Natasha Leggero, Mo Mandel, Frank Drank, Amy Argyle, Thelma Gudmunds, Amir Abdalla, and Matt Johnson in Golden Revenge (2018)
    Golden Revenge
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (2019)
    Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History
    • Director
    • TV Movie
    • 2019
  • The Toys That Made Us (2017)
    The Toys That Made Us
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2017–2018
  • Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs in 2 Broke Girls (2011)
    2 Broke Girls
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2016
  • Six Degrees of Everything (2015)
    Six Degrees of Everything
    • segment director
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Norm MacDonald is Trending
    • Director
    • TV Special
    • 2013
  • Stevie TV (2012)
    Stevie TV
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2012–2013
  • The Joe Schmo Show (2003)
    The Joe Schmo Show
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • Marc Saves America
    • Director
    • TV Movie
    • 2013
  • Munchie the Agent
    • Director
    • TV Series
    • 2010
  • Alligator Boots
    • Director
    • TV Movie
    • 2009

Producer

  • The Butthole Surfers Movie
    • producer
    • Post-production
  • Adams (2019)
    Adams
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2019
  • Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History (2019)
    Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History
    • executive producer
    • TV Movie
    • 2019
  • The Toys That Made Us (2017)
    The Toys That Made Us
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Six Degrees of Everything (2015)
    Six Degrees of Everything
    • consulting producer
    • TV Series
    • 2015
  • Hollywood Hillbillies (2014)
    Hollywood Hillbillies
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2014
  • The Capones (2014)
    The Capones
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2014
  • Urban Tarzan (2013)
    Urban Tarzan
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2013
  • 1000 Ways to Die (2008)
    1000 Ways to Die
    • supervising producer
    • TV Series
    • 2010–2012
  • Andy Milonakis in The Andy Milonakis Show (2005)
    The Andy Milonakis Show
    • co-executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2005–2007
  • Josh Gardner and Matt McLain in Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust (2003)
    Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust
    • producer
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2003
  • The Chimp Channel (1999)
    The Chimp Channel
    • producer
    • TV Series
    • 1999
  • Cherub
    • producer
    • Short
    • 1997

Writer

  • The Idiot Box
    • writer
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1991–1992
  • Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
    • teleplay by
    • In Production
    • 2024
  • The Butthole Surfers Movie
    • Writer
    • Post-production
  • Robo Force: The Animated
    • Writer
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Ice-T, Trace Adkins, David Cross, Vince Lozano, Jessica Makinson, Karl T. Wright, Tamir Yardenne, Agnes Albright, Natasha Leggero, Mo Mandel, Frank Drank, Amy Argyle, Thelma Gudmunds, Amir Abdalla, and Matt Johnson in Golden Revenge (2018)
    Golden Revenge
    • co-writer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Marc Saves America
    • writer
    • TV Movie
    • 2013
  • Andy Milonakis in The Andy Milonakis Show (2005)
    The Andy Milonakis Show
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 2005–2007
  • Saul of the Mole Men (2007)
    Saul of the Mole Men
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 2007
  • Josh Gardner and Matt McLain in Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust (2003)
    Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust
    • writer
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2003
  • That's My Bush! (2001)
    That's My Bush!
    • staff writer
    • written by
    • TV Series
    • 2001
  • The Chimp Channel (1999)
    The Chimp Channel
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 1999
  • Lacey Chabert, Flea, Danielle Harris, and Tom Kane in The Wild Thornberrys (1998)
    The Wild Thornberrys
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 1998
  • An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)
    An American Werewolf in Paris
    • written by
    • 1997
  • Freaked (1993)
    Freaked
    • written by
    • 1993
  • MuppeTelevision (1987)
    MuppeTelevision
    • writer
    • TV Series
    • 1987
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos1

Official Trailer
Trailer 1:28
Official Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • Official Site
  • Alternative names
    • Tom J. Stern

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Attended film school at New York University with Alex Winter; the two became good friends, and collaborated on several projects including Freaked (1993).

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