Originally from Indianapolis, Thomas “TP” Hearn has considered Los Angeles home for the past 30 years. As a young adult, he served the nation through his service in the Army and Air Force reserves. His military career would later evolve into another endeavor that was extremely different – comedy. TP became a regular fixture on popular television comedy standup shows including BET’s ComicView and HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. He also performed on legendary stages such as Showtime at the Apollo and Evening at the Improv. His distinctive voice, punctuating claps, and skill for hilarious storytelling, can still be enjoyed today with a quick search of his name on YouTube.
Yet what did not appear on the television screen was TP’s struggle with a substance addiction that has plagued many who have achieved fame and wealth in the entertainment industry. His addiction spiraled and cost him much of what he had worked so hard to acquire. He found himself in an unthinkable place— homeless and panhandling on the streets of Los Angeles. It happened, though, that a twist of fate would lead TP to recovery.