Tom Francis is having his moment in the sun.
The actor is making his Broadway debut in the revival of “ Sunset Boulevard ” at the St. James Theatre, performing eight shows a week alongside Nicole Scherzinger, who he says will be a “friend for life.”
“The Broadway community is such a beautifully intense environment,” Francis says, lounging on a couch in his seventh-floor dressing room. “You feel so supported over here.”
In the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Francis plays Joe Gillis, a young writer down on his luck until he is consumed into the world of Scherzinger’s character Norma Desmond, a seemingly obsolete and delusional old movie star. As the duo work together on a script Desmond has written, Gillis becomes caught in her web and stuck between two worlds, ultimately leading to tragedy.
While onstage, Francis is cold and disillusioned, in person he’s the opposite — all smiles and making jokes. His dressing room showcases this as well — there is a PlayStation and stacks of games, a disposable camera of backstage memories yet to be developed and a TV that’s often blasting music. But it’s not all fun and games. His couch pulls out into a bed, so he can take naps between shows. He even has a “Do Not Disturb” sign he hangs on the door to deter his cast mates from barging in.