Fiss was born in San Diego, California. He attended Taft Middle School, part of the San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, California. At the age of 12, Fiss started his show business career in the young actors program at Multimedia Arts (MMA) of San Diego. Fiss’s first acting job was playing the role of Nathan Lukowski in The Full Monty (musical), which opened in San Diego. Fiss remained with the production when the show traveled to New York City, and celebrated his thirteenth birthday on Broadway, alternating with actor Nicholas Castro in the Nathan Lukowski role. On December 14, 2000, Fiss’s Broadway (New York City) career received notice in the San Diego City School’s Staff Bulletin. Volume 75, Number 10 of the publication reads, “The Full Monty has taken a hold of Taft Middle School student Thomas Michael Fiss. Fiss has the role of Nathan Lukowski in New York’s Broadway production of the award-winning musical, which had its birth at the Old Globe Theatre. The play is adapted from the popular English film about a motley male troupe of amateur strippers. Fiss plays the son of one of the would-be strippers. It’s not just fun-and-games. Nightly performances are preceded by a full day of backstage schoolwork handled by his mother.” As a high school senior, Fiss took part in a benefit to raise funds for the Coronado School of the Arts. The production was called “All You Need Is Love - Love of the Arts.” The event was held at the Wyndham Emerald Plaza Hotel in downtown San Diego on February 12, 2005, and the students raised $32,000 for their school’s programs. On June 16, 2005, Fiss graduated Coronado High School, a National Blue Ribbon School which is part of the Coronado Unified School District in Coronado (California). At the 7 p.m. ceremony, Fiss received the Coronado Longboard Surf Club Scholarship and the M.J. Brown Family Performing Arts Music Award. As part of the commencement exercises, Fiss accompanied himself on guitar as he sang his original composition, “Our Voices are Meant to Echo.” (A video of this performance currently can be viewed on the internet.) Fiss says that he “grew up on the beach, surfing and skating everyday.” In fact, Fiss started sailing at the age of six and eventually worked his way up to compete as a skipper in the Junior Olympics, in addition to taking part in surfing competitions. Fiss also enjoys fishing, camping, cliff jumping, and “anything outdoors.” Fiss is most proficient as an acoustic guitar player, having been playing that instrument since the age of ten, and honing his skills at open mic competitions in the San Diego area before the formation of Varsity Fanclub. Fiss has also played the drums for five years, the bass guitar for four years, and lists his piano playing and kazoo playing as “works in progress.” Fiss has eclectic tastes in music and enjoys “every type of music from classical to jazz to rock. Fiss lists Orange County, California’s “Something Corporate” and Boca Raton, Florida’s “Dashboard Confessional” as his favorite bands, but says that “all music gives inspiration.” Fiss says, “My family and friends back home mean everything to me. They’ve always supported me, even if I go against the grain.” Talented as hell!! |
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