Thomas Sadoski joined Lyle Lovett for an acting and artistry discussion April 1 at the Black Box Theater in the Liberal Arts and Arts & Humanities Building.
Sadoski grew up in College Station and graduated from A&M Consolidated High School before embarking on an acting career in theatre, television and film. He began in the theatre in New York, and among his many credits is Neil LaBute’s “Reasons to Be Pretty,” which earned Sadoski nominations for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Award in 2009.
Film appearances include “Wild” (2014) with Reese Witherspoon; “John Wick” and its sequel (2014 and 2017) with Keanu Reeves; “I Smile Back” (2015) with Sarah Silverman; and “Lilly” (2024) with Patricia Clarkson. His television work includes “Life in Pieces” on CBS (2015-2019) and HBO’s “The Newsroom” (2012-2014). In 2025, Sadoski produced and starred in the family drama/comedy “Adult Children,” which won several film festival honors.
Sadoski’s latest film is “Group: The Schopenhauer Effect,” which was released on March 13.
He reminisced with Lovett about his early days in community theatre in Imagination Station — now The Theatre Company of Bryan College-Station — and his jobs around town, including working at Bullwinkle’s, Café Eccell, Coupe de Ville and Rosalie’s. He shared stories about performing alongside Ben Stiller and Mark Ruffalo. He fielded questions from students about what inspired him to pursue acting, and he offered advice for those aiming for a career in the arts.
“Never get to a point where you aren’t making your own work,” Sadoski said. “Expose yourself to all arts, educate yourself and don’t let anybody devalue you.”
He offered students advice on how to get started on their own projects and emphasized relying on their instincts to make art that feels important to share. He said it doesn’t matter if it’s good, but to make work that is honest.
“As it exists right now, the arts are desperately in need of people who are going to revolutionize the way that it’s done,” he said. “People are going to tear down the gatekeepers and that’s your job. I’m working on it, too.”
Sadoski began his acting career by studying at the Circle in the Square Theater School in New York for two years. After graduation, Sadoski worked with fight director and choreographer B.H. Barry in stage combat before landing a role in “Carmen” at the Metropolitan Opera House. He soon landed another role: understudy to Ruffalo in the play “This Is Our Youth.”
“I walked into the theater, and they handed me a script and they brought me into the dressing room, and I met Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rosenthal, Missy Yager and Kenny Lonergan, the playwright, and Mark Brokaw, the director,” Sadoski recalled. “Everybody was like, ‘Welcome to the family, welcome to the team.’ And off we went. I went on about 25 times over the course of eight months, and during that time, Mark Ruffalo became kind of a mentor to me as an artist.”
A student asked Sadoski if there was a moment he realized he wanted to pursue acting as a career. Sadoski said it was a compilation of “little moments.”
“It was waking up in the middle of the night in a hospital room when I was a kid, having just had kidney surgery and I had the wherewithal to turn on the TV, and there was a Three Stooges marathon on and I fell in love,” he said. “It was the first time my father showed me a VHS tape of Charlie Chaplin’s ‘One A.M.,’ I fell in love. It was the first time I saw ‘Inherit the Wind,’ the first time I saw ‘High Noon’ and the first time I saw ‘A Clockwork Orange.’”
Lovett thanked Sadoski for his eagerness to share his insight with students on campus.
“I’m so grateful that when I called and asked if you would consider coming down and spending a couple of days with us here at Texas A&M, you just said yes immediately, and you were willing to do whatever we needed to do,” Lovett said to Sadoski. “I appreciate you so much for being here.”
Lovett’s residency continues April 14 at 7 p.m. at Geren Auditorium with a screening and discussion of “Immediate Family,” a 2022 documentary by Danny Tedesco. It showcases legendary session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel, who recorded hit songs with artists including James Taylor, Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne and Phil Collins.
Lovett will be joined by Grammy-winning producer/engineer Chuck Ainlay, and by Sklar, renowned bassist and session musician who is a longtime member of Lovett’s Large Band and Acoustic Group.
