Veteran porn actor Tommy Gunn was born Thomas Joseph Strada in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A self-described "hyper kid" who needed a great deal of attention due to his small stature, he often asked his mother, "When will I grow up?" During his early years Tommy grew interested in sports, BMX bicycles and motorcycles, in addition to soccer. He was shy around girls for quite some time until he noticed how girls were interested in bigger and "buffer" guys, so he took up bodybuilding. He entered a "hot body" contest in a local bar, and although he lost the contest, he met a man who offered him work as a stripper. For ten years Tommy worked as a male stripper, traveling all over the country and the world. One of his girlfriends, who was also a stripper, asked him to join her on a trip to Los Angeles to become a porn star. While out there he met Brad Armstrong, another porn actor, who took Tommy under his wing and helped him establish what turned into a thriving career. For his work Tommy has won the AVN Best Supporting Actor (2006) and in 2007 won the AVN Male Performer of the Year.