Tom Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4
soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. With Tom being a young
child for most of his tenure, his early years featured minimal
storylines, including the numerous death of his family, being abused
by Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix) and having various guardians including
Steph Cunningham (Carley Stenson) and Jack (Jimmy McKenna) and Frankie
Osborne (Helen Pearson). However, a turning point came for Tom when it
was announced that he would impregnate his girlfriend, Peri Lomax
(Ruby O'Donnell) and deal with Peri's subsequent decision to give the
baby away for adoption. Minor storylines have also included his
friendships with Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson) and Dylan
Jenkins (James Fletcher) and his relationships with Peri and his
foster sister Jade Albright (Kassius Nelson).The character has been
played by Ellis Hollins since 2003. The actors drama teacher Judith
Barker learned of the part through an agent friend and put him forward
for the role.Tom is born on Millennium Eve 1999 to parents Gordon
Cunningham (Bernard Latham) and Helen Cunningham (Kathryn George). Tom
had to deal with a lot of family tragedy's. Gordon's daughter Dawn
Cunningham (Lisa Williamson) died of Leukaemia two years before he was
born, the suicide of Helen's son Lewis Richardson (Ben Hull) in 2001,
Helen and Gordon are killed in a car crash in 2004 and Tom survived
the crash. Helen's daughter Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn)
becomes his legal guardian. Some time after, Mandy cannot cope looking
after Tom and hands him over to Gordon's son Max Cunningham (Matt
Littler). Max and best friend Sam "OB" O'Brien (Darren Jeffries) raise
Tom in their flat. Tom runs away from home after overhearing Max tell
OB he believes Tom will be better off in care. However, Mandy finds
him by his parents' grave.Max starts a relationship with Clare Devine
(Gemma Bissix). When Mandy's baby daughter Grace Hutchinson dies due
to S.I.D.S, Tom looks for a mother figure in Clare. After Clare and
Max marry, he soon begins to see through her. After Tom overhears her
on the phone to her father, who she previously claimed was dead, Clare
begins to manipulate Tom and makes Max believe Tom is lying. Clare
draws on the walls of Max's flat and pours water on his bed sheets and
blames Tom's misbehaviour. After Max tells Clare he wants to accompany
her to a fertility clinic, Clare poisons Tom's food so he is ill and
Max cannot come. Max has a heart attack and grows more ill when Clare
stops giving him his medication. At Christmas, Clare takes Max and Tom
to a lakeside where Clare pretends Tom has fallen into the water. Max
tries to save Tom and almost dies, but is revived by OB. Max finally
sees the real Clare and apologises to OB and Tom. Weeks later, Clare
tells Tom that he was the cause of his parents' death, and would
eventually kill Max. Clare calls a social worker, who arrives just as
Tom shouts he does not want to be near Max, and takes Tom is taken
into care. Tom refuses to see Max but after Max threatens Clare. The
brothers meet and Max explains that Clare was lying. Tom then moves
back in with Max.
soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. With Tom being a young
child for most of his tenure, his early years featured minimal
storylines, including the numerous death of his family, being abused
by Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix) and having various guardians including
Steph Cunningham (Carley Stenson) and Jack (Jimmy McKenna) and Frankie
Osborne (Helen Pearson). However, a turning point came for Tom when it
was announced that he would impregnate his girlfriend, Peri Lomax
(Ruby O'Donnell) and deal with Peri's subsequent decision to give the
baby away for adoption. Minor storylines have also included his
friendships with Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson) and Dylan
Jenkins (James Fletcher) and his relationships with Peri and his
foster sister Jade Albright (Kassius Nelson).The character has been
played by Ellis Hollins since 2003. The actors drama teacher Judith
Barker learned of the part through an agent friend and put him forward
for the role.Tom is born on Millennium Eve 1999 to parents Gordon
Cunningham (Bernard Latham) and Helen Cunningham (Kathryn George). Tom
had to deal with a lot of family tragedy's. Gordon's daughter Dawn
Cunningham (Lisa Williamson) died of Leukaemia two years before he was
born, the suicide of Helen's son Lewis Richardson (Ben Hull) in 2001,
Helen and Gordon are killed in a car crash in 2004 and Tom survived
the crash. Helen's daughter Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn)
becomes his legal guardian. Some time after, Mandy cannot cope looking
after Tom and hands him over to Gordon's son Max Cunningham (Matt
Littler). Max and best friend Sam "OB" O'Brien (Darren Jeffries) raise
Tom in their flat. Tom runs away from home after overhearing Max tell
OB he believes Tom will be better off in care. However, Mandy finds
him by his parents' grave.Max starts a relationship with Clare Devine
(Gemma Bissix). When Mandy's baby daughter Grace Hutchinson dies due
to S.I.D.S, Tom looks for a mother figure in Clare. After Clare and
Max marry, he soon begins to see through her. After Tom overhears her
on the phone to her father, who she previously claimed was dead, Clare
begins to manipulate Tom and makes Max believe Tom is lying. Clare
draws on the walls of Max's flat and pours water on his bed sheets and
blames Tom's misbehaviour. After Max tells Clare he wants to accompany
her to a fertility clinic, Clare poisons Tom's food so he is ill and
Max cannot come. Max has a heart attack and grows more ill when Clare
stops giving him his medication. At Christmas, Clare takes Max and Tom
to a lakeside where Clare pretends Tom has fallen into the water. Max
tries to save Tom and almost dies, but is revived by OB. Max finally
sees the real Clare and apologises to OB and Tom. Weeks later, Clare
tells Tom that he was the cause of his parents' death, and would
eventually kill Max. Clare calls a social worker, who arrives just as
Tom shouts he does not want to be near Max, and takes Tom is taken
into care. Tom refuses to see Max but after Max threatens Clare. The
brothers meet and Max explains that Clare was lying. Tom then moves
back in with Max.
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