Tommy Pickles

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Tommy was born prematurely on August 11, 1990, as the eldest son of Stu Pickles, a self-taught toy inventor, and Didi Pickles, a schoolteacher. Though Stu works from the basement, Tommy and his younger brother Dil are primarily cared for by Didi, who reads child development books. The family celebrates both Christian and Jewish holidays—Easter, Passover, Christmas, and Hanukkah—since Stu is Christian and Didi is Jewish. Through Didi, Tommy is of European Jewish heritage; her parents were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States. His paternal grandparents are Lou and the late Trixie Pickles; his maternal grandparents are Boris and Minka Kropotkin. He has an uncle Drew and aunt Charlotte, whose daughter Angelica is his cousin. Tommy is brave and adventurous, naturally serving as leader of the babies. He has a strong sense of justice and is unafraid to stand up for what is right. His catchphrase is "A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do." He is closest to Chuckie, as twins Phil and Lil spend most time with each other. In *All Grown Up!*, Tommy is a preteen who bears resemblance to both parents, with palatinate hair like Stu and a button nose like Didi. He still carries his toy screwdriver on his keychain, has become more of an equal among friends, and shows a strong interest in filmmaking.

In Their Own Story

In the original unaired pilot, "Tommy Pickles and the Great White Thing," Tommy breaks out of his crib to investigate a toilet. The first aired episode, "Tommy's First Birthday" (August 11, 1991), centers on his birthday party, where the children believe eating dog food will turn them into dogs. In "A Rugrats Passover," Grandpa Boris tells the story of the Exodus, and the children imagine themselves in it, with Tommy playing Moses. *The Rugrats Movie* (1998) focuses on the birth of his brother Dil; Tommy struggles with the change and with Dil's inability to share or cooperate, ultimately accepting him. *Rugrats in Paris: The Movie* (2000) is set in Paris, focusing on Chuckie's father's wedding and Stu being summoned to fix a Reptar robot. *Rugrats Go Wild* (2003) is a crossover with *The Wild Thornberrys*, where Tommy and his family become shipwrecked on a deserted island. In *All Grown Up!*, Tommy develops an interest in filmmaking, making movies with a camcorder. The episode "Truth or Consequences" reveals he made his first film at 37 months. In "Bad Aptitude," he considers retiring from filmmaking after a flop and a poor career aptitude exam result, but reconsiders after rediscovering his passion.

Reader's Guide

Tommy Pickles is the main protagonist of *Rugrats*, appearing in the majority of episodes across the show's 13-year run. He is voiced by E. G. Daily for the entire series (except the unaired pilot, where Tami Holbrook voiced him), as well as the films and *All Grown Up!*. Daily based her performance on a child character she had been developing since her youth. Tommy is almost always depicted wearing only a baby blue shirt and diaper, though he wore a red-orange shirt and overalls in the first episode. He has only a few strands of hair of indeterminable color. He and other babies talk to each other when adults are not around or not paying attention, and also talk to toddlers like Angelica and Susie. He cannot communicate with his newborn brother Dil, which frustrates him. He often uses a plastic toy screwdriver to escape his crib. In *All Grown Up!*, Tommy wears a white shirt with yellow sleeves in the first season, then expands his wardrobe from the second season onward. He remains best friends with Chuckie and is somewhat critical of Dil's abnormal tendencies. In July 2018, a new *Rugrats* television series and a live-action CGI film were announced, but the film was shelved in November 2019.

Did You Know?

• Tommy's first name comes from co-creator Arlene Klasky's real-life son.
• Co-creator Paul Germain said Tommy's adventurous personality was partially modeled after actor John Wayne.
• Tommy was born prematurely on August 11, 1990.
• His catchphrase is "A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do."
• Voice actress E. G. Daily based her performance on a child character she had been developing since her youth.

Character Origins and Creative Inspiration

Thomas Malcolm Pickles is the protagonist of *Rugrats*, the reboot, and *All Grown Up!*. Co-creators Paul Germain and Arlene Klasky both claim to have created him, each saying he was based on their real-life sons. His first name comes from Germain's son, and he was drawn to resemble Klasky and her then-husband Gábor Csupó's son. Writer Steve Viksten said his adventurous personality was partially modeled after actor John Wayne. The character is voiced by E. G. Daily, who based her performance on a child character she had been developing since her youth. Daily voiced Tommy for the entire 13-year run of *Rugrats* (except the unaired pilot, voiced by Tami Holbrook), the films, and returned for *All Grown Up!* and the 2021 reboot. Tommy was considered pivotal in Nickelodeon's rise in the 1990s as the central character on the network's top-rated program.

Family Dynamics and Cultural Heritage

Tommy was born prematurely on August 11, 1990, as the eldest son of Stu Pickles, a self-taught inventor specializing in children's toys, and Didi Pickles, a schoolteacher. Though Stu works from the basement, Tommy and his younger brother Dil are primarily cared for by Didi, who reads books on child development. Stu is Christian and Didi is Jewish, so the family celebrates Easter, Passover, Christmas, and Hanukkah. Through Didi, Tommy is of European Jewish heritage; her parents were born and raised in Russia and later immigrated to the United States. His paternal grandparents are Lou and the late Trixie Pickles; his maternal grandparents are Boris and Minka Kropotkin. He has an uncle Drew and aunt Charlotte, whose daughter Angelica is his cousin, and a maternal uncle Ben and his wife Elaine, who is rarely seen or mentioned.

Personality Traits and Leadership Style

In the original series, Tommy is one year old and the leader of the other infant characters. He is inquisitive, wants to explore everything, and often breaks out of his crib to get into unusual situations. He is brave and adventurous, and it comes naturally for him to serve as their leader. In stark contrast to Angelica, who frequently serves as an antagonist, he has a strong sense of justice and is unafraid to stand up for what he believes is right. He is highly inquisitive and regularly breaks out of his crib using a plastic toy screwdriver. Because of his goodhearted nature, he is sometimes easily manipulated or lied to. He is closest to Chuckie, as Phil and Lil, being twins, spend most of their time with one another. His catchphrase is "A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do." In *All Grown Up!*, he has become less of a leader and more of an equal, and while he still has a strong sense of right and wrong, he is sometimes hesitant to do the right thing for fear of being rejected or teased.

Evolution Across Media and Voice Performance

Tommy is voiced by E. G. Daily for the entire 13-year run of *Rugrats* (except the unaired pilot, where he was voiced by Tami Holbrook), the films, and she returned to voice the older version in *All Grown Up!* and the 2021 reboot. Daily based her performance on a child character she had been developing since her youth. In *All Grown Up!*, Tommy is a preteen who bears resemblance to both parents, with palatinate hair like Stu and a button nose like Didi. He still carries his toy screwdriver on his keychain. He has become less of a leader and more of an equal, and shows a strong interest in filmmaking. In the first season, he wears a white shirt with yellow sleeves, but from the second season onward, he and other characters expanded their wardrobe. He remains best friends with Chuckie and is somewhat critical of Dil. He appeared as protagonist in *The Rugrats Movie* (1998), *Rugrats Go Wild* (2003), and as a major character in *Rugrats in Paris: The Movie* (2000). He also appeared in straight-to-DVD films *Rugrats Tales from the Crib* (2005–2006). In July 2018, a new series and a live-action CGI film were announced; the film was shelved in November 2019.