Joseph Sikora: The man behind ‘Tommy’ and his journey to TV fame on POWER

Learn more about actor Joseph Sikora, including his career to date and breakout role as “Tommy” on the hit 50 Cent show POWER.

While his break-out role is arguably Tommy Egan in the “Power” series, Joseph Sikora‘s acting credits date back to the 80s. As a child, Sikora even appeared in a commercial that starred musical icon Michael Jackson. Find out more about television, film and stage star Joseph Sikora below.

Joseph Sikora’s Personal Life

Jospeh Sikora is part Dutch and Polish, though he was born in Chicago. He has two brothers and was interested in acting early on. His post-secondary education and his early teen industry credits demonstrate acting is a career he chased as doggedly as Tommy Egan chased retribution in the fictional world of the “Power” series. Sikora attended the Theater School at DePaul University before graduating in 1998 from Columbia College in Chicago.

Sikora generally keeps his personal life private — a common approach for many actors and actresses who don’t want their spouses, romantic lives or children to become fodder for the tabloid news or social media grind.

Despite his commitment to staying under the radar, it’s public knowledge that Sikora is married to Tania Ribalow, an award-winning make-up artist. Sikora married Ribalow in 2014 after they met and fell in love on the set of “Boardwalk Empire.” The wedding was a private affair and most people didn’t realize the two were married until Sikora revealed the fact four years later on social media — an impressive accomplishment in an era where many celebrities aren’t low-key.

Whether or not Sikora is a parent is not something the public knows. As of mid-2024, there isn’t news or a record of Sikora having children of his own. 

Joseph Sikora’s Career

While Sikora did land some minor acting roles as a teenager, he wasn’t a breakout child star. His early roles tended to be one-episode stints in television series, though he did appear in some notable shows. Some of his earliest appearances include one-episode roles on shows like “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “Frasier.” He also had minor roles in films including “Rudy” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”

This trend continued throughout his adult career. Sikora has credits on shows including “Grey’s Anatomy”, “ER”, “NYPD Blue” and several of the CSI franchise, just to name a few. If there was a major television drama in the aughts, it seems like Sikora appeared in at least one episode. He also showed up in “Dollhouse,” “Lost,” “Prison Break,” “Without a Trace,” “JAG” and “Monk.” During the same time, he continued to garner small roles in feature films, including “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “Shutter Island.” 

Sikora has acted in diverse roles, including in comedies, though he’s become known for gritty, realistic appearances in suspense and crime stories. He’s had roles as both law enforcement officers and the criminals they chase.

Sikora also put his theater knowledge and skills to work by appearing on stage in various shows during this time. But making it in Hollywood can sometimes be a marathon, not a sprint, and Sikora’s own career journey reflects this. He showed up in one- or two-episode roles on numerous television shows, including “White Collar,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “The Good Wife.” He also earned a few small roles in feature films, including “Jack Reacher.”

It wasn’t until he landed the role of Tommy Egan in “Power” that he got his big break. From 2014 to 2020, Sikora has credits in 63 episodes. This HBO-series spawned spinoffs “Power Book II: Ghost” and “Power Book IV: Force,” and Sikora reprised his role in both. In “Force,” Tommy Egan is the main character, allowing Sikora to step his career up even further. 

Going beyond “Tommy”

Sikora and others have confirmed the end of spinoff series “Power Book IV: Force.” In statements about the story, the team says the show has run its course. However, Sikora has said this isn’t the end of the character “Tommy” and that there are other concepts in the works.

As far as other projects, the Internet Movie Data Base says that Sikora has a credit in a project called “Atypical Pirate,” which is in post-production as of August 2024. Sikora also has some small writing and directing credits in his past, and with the success of his breakout acting role, it’s possible that he may flex his other creative muscles again soon.

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