A billionaire inventor and sometimes sassy playboy, Tom Swift is a riveting new spinoff mystery series that will leave you intrigued. Tian Richards made history as the first gay black actor to star in a leading role on American network TV with his role as Tom Swift. He landed the role soon after his appearance as the character in the mystery series, Nancy Drew. Richards said it was great to play a character he could identify with and enjoyed the new take on Tom Swift, which would appeal to a new generation.
Tom Swift, the dashing billionaire, is known for his equally dashing outfits. This is thanks to costume designer Ayanna James Kimani, who was also the fashion genius behind Nancy Drew. The costumes not only had to be fashionable but functional. Richards drew inspiration from the fashion choices of Jaden Smith and Lenny Kravitz and also gave his insight into the fashion for the show. Richards said that fashion is extremely significant in black culture and for the character Tom Swift, his clothes are his armour. The clothes tell a story and give more insight into the character.
Watch Richards talk more about his role:
As an inventor, Tom Swift is super smart and is always using technical terms. Richards calls it โtech speakโ and said he had the script on his iPad to practice his lines and perfect the lingo in order to embody the character accurately. He also did a lot of research and read books from MIT to familiarise himself with the tech world.
Tom Swift hits your screens this month on Me, channel 115. Tune in from 14 March at 20:00.
Watch the trailer here: