By Katie Bernardo
His name is Thomas Robie, but the world will soon know him as T.J. Robes. Senior Thomas Robie is a full-time student at Granada Hills Charter. Although he is a good student; when he is off school grounds, his real passions shine through.
Out of school, Robie is a singer, songwriter, and actor. Robie finds comfort in being passionate about both acting and singing because he is planning to pursue both in the future.
“I’ve been doing music since I was three and acting since I was five. The arts have been in my family forever and now it’s my turn to pursue it, ” Robie said.
Robie’s entrance into acting started with his father, who was an audio engineer working for Fox Studios. This is when Thomas met his dad’s friend Karen Semler who later became his acting manager.
“Call me when he learns how to read,” Robie recalls Semler saying to his dad.
Robie has been in and out of acting gigs since then. Because he’s been working with Semler throughout his career, he has always had help finding the right projects to work on. He mentions the ease of never needing to be torn between opportunities because of her and the agency Innovative Artists.
Robie will soon be in a film called “Natty Knocks,” releasing next month. The film is a horror movie directed by Dwight H. Little, who created “Halloween 4.” This is the biggest acting gig Robie has been involved in. He was proud to work with the first Freddy Krueger and an actor from “Chainsaw Massacre.”
“Being able to work with such professional people has helped inspire me to excel in my acting career,” Robie said.
Because of this project, Robie had to miss a large portion of his junior year similar to previous projects he has worked on, such as “Insidious: The Last Key” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
“When I was younger, missing school affected me more than it does now. But I love acting more than I did back then, so it’s worth it,” Robie said.
Robie is not just a talented actor, however; he is also a talented singer and musician.
Robie has been surrounded by different genres of music from a young age. Whether it was his dad telling him about his tours in his 80’s rock band or watching his sister play instruments as a child, Robie has been immersed in the music world as well.
Even as a senior, Robie has already released several alternative songs such as “Cheater,” “Sappy” and “Sitting.” He has made his singles and EP’s available on all music streaming platforms to widen his fanbase.
“I don’t even know how I made “Cheater.” I was just playing the chords that I wanted. Like that I just began the lyrics,” Robie said about one of his most popular songs.
Robie’s biggest musical inspirations are Tyler, the Creator, Kanye, Elton John and Earth Wind and Fire.
In order to stand out from other artists, Robie says he is planning on wearing a robe during live performances to act as a trademark.
“I’ve been working since I was like five, with auditions and music. I’ve just been waiting for that moment where everything blows up. I’ve been working to have this career because it’s the best,” Robie said.
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