Early Life
McDermott was born on July 20, 1912, in McHenry, Illinois. He began his acting training as a student in Chicago, where he developed the stage craft that would define a 64-year professional career.1
Career
McDermott built his reputation primarily in the theater, accumulating a substantial Broadway resume over several decades. Among his most notable stage credits:1
- Three Sisters (Chekhov): appeared alongside Katharine Cornell and Judith Anderson in one of the prestige productions of the era.
- The Best Man: shared the stage with Melvyn Douglas in Gore Vidal's political drama.
- Macbeth: appeared with Nicol Williamson.
- Mastergate (1989): Larry Gelbart's political satire, in which McDermott played the harried Secretary of State.
Off-Broadway, he originated the role of Captain Vere in the first stage adaptation of Herman Melville's Billy Budd.1
His television career began in the earliest days of broadcast television. From 1949 to 1955 he appeared in Captain Video and His Video Rangers, playing the recurring alien character Permes Lykos -- a role critics later recognized as an early precursor to the Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock in Star Trek.1 His television work continued across more than four decades, including a 1973 production of Much Ado About Nothing.2
His film appearances include:2
- Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
- Liebestraum (1991)
- The Crucible (1996), which was released posthumously the same year he died
Ghostbusters
McDermott appeared in Ghostbusters (1984) in the role of the Archbishop2, seen during the Chapter 24 "Biblical" sequence. The scene features the Ghostbusters appearing before New York City officials, including the Archbishop among the assembled city and religious figures, as the Mayor decides how to respond to the supernatural threat gripping Manhattan.
Death
Tom McDermott died on March 6, 1996, in New York City, from prostate cancer. He was 83 years old. An obituary published in the Deseret News on March 17, 1996, noted that his career had lasted 64 years and that he had started out as a student in Chicago before rising to prominent roles on and off Broadway.1
References
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
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Deseret News, "TOM MCDERMOTT DIES AT 83 AFTER 64-YEAR ACTING CAREER" (March 17, 1996), https://www.deseret.com/1996/3/17/19231098/tom-mcdermott-dies-at-83-after-64-year-acting-career/
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IMDb, "Tom McDermott," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567582/
