Dewey '01 lands role on new WB series 'The Mountain'

Girls on message boards across the Internet are declaring "Dewey Fever." And it's spreading; recent posts on the Warner Brothers website announced obsession from the likes of DeweyBar01 and Smitten. The only cure in sight for those afflicted is to tune in to the WB network's latest drama, "The Mountain," to catch a glimpse of the latest Princeton alum to make it to the small screen, Tommy Dewey '01.

Dewey, a Woodrow Wilson School major, has managed to escape the attention from his frenzied fan base in the mountains of Vancouver, where he recently relocated to film the show.

"Up here, we're kind of in a bubble," Dewey said by phone from Vancouver. "You can concentrate on the work and not get caught up in the press. It's not terribly glamorous, which is kind of nice."

Dewey is part of the 10-person ensemble cast of this latest addition to the WB's Wednesday night lineup. The show also stars Oliver Hudson ("Dawson's Creek"), Anson Mount ("Crossroads") and Barbara Hershey ("Beaches").

"It's a great cast . . . person to person, there are no weak links," Dewey said. "It's kind of like camp because we're all in Vancouver, so we spend a lot of time off the set on weekends."

"The Mountain" chronicles the lives of the Carver family, which is thrown into a frenzy after its patriarch dies and leaves the family ski resort, Boundary Mountain, to his wayward son. Thrown into the mix are several complicated love affairs, rampant sibling rivalry and power struggles with a neighboring real estate tycoon, Colin Dowling (Mitch Pileggi).

Dewey plays Michael Dowling, Colin Dowling's intelligent, if befuddled, son being groomed by his mogul father to take over the Dowling real estate empire and Boundary Mountain. Michael reluctantly succumbs to his father's wishes, but is disillusioned with the prospect of following in his father's footsteps.

For Dewey, playing the role of Michael reminds him of a time when he, too, was unsure of where his life was headed — his graduation from Princeton. Although his parents were "very receptive and supportive," Dewey recalls difficulty trying to find his identity outside Princeton.

"Now, being on the series, I'm much more stable and happy about where I am," Dewey said. "But there's definitely something strange about being thrown into the real world from the Princeton bubble."

Fortunately for Dewey, it was within this bubble that he got his first big break. When a foot injury forced him to forfeit cross-country season his freshman year, a friend encouraged him to join a new improvisational comedy troupe called Quipfire.

"I auditioned, started performing and caught the bug," Dewey recalled.

Dewey ended up performing with Quipfire for two years and directing his junior and senior years. He also dabbled in other areas of the performing arts, taking playwriting courses and performing in other school-sponsored plays. It was during one of these performances in his senior year that a visiting agent from New York noticed Dewey's spark and signed him.

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Throughout the remainder of his senior year, Dewey commuted between Princeton and New York for auditions and landed a few roles in commercials for Lowe's and Pizza Hut. After graduation, he landed the part of "Mike" on Guiding Light, a role fitting for the former president of the fraternity Kappa Alpha.

Between his stints in New York and role on "The Mountain," Dewey delved into the world of playwriting with fellow Princeton alumnus Greg Bratman '97. The duo wrote and starred in "Natalie," a two-man comedy that premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2003, and is currently pitching another two-man show to studios.

Now that Dewey has garnered a starring role on a major serial drama, however, he wants to take time to get acclimated to his newfound fame before venturing into further projects.

"My goal is just to do a variety of great stuff," Dewey said. His adoring fans will be waiting.