Tommy Ross

**Thomas Everett Ross**, best known as **Tommy Ross** is a supporting character of Stephen King’s first horror novel, Carrie.

He is the boyfriend of Sue Snell and a student at Ewen High School in Chamberlain, Maine. He took Carrie White to the prom in place of his girlfriend at Sue's request. Prior to this Tommy is a member of Ewen's track, football and baseball teams and is one of the most popular boys at the school. It was heavily insinuated that Sue was pregnant but miscarried due to the trauma of The Black Prom and telepathically feeling Carrie White dying.

## Novel

Tommy was involved in beating another student called Danny Patrick in Kennedy Junior High School.

When Sue proposed for him to take Carrie White to the prom both were making out in his car. Later during prom night pig's blood was dumped on Carrie the bucket hit him on the head but did not kill him but the subsequent fire did.

## 1976 Film

    Tommy Ross is portrayed by William Katt in the 1976 film. He is very athletic and seemingly very poetic.

His English teacher, Mr. Fromm reads a poem supposedly written by Tommy and offers the class an opportunity to give criticisms. However when the teacher begins putting too much into Carrie White's calling the poem "beautiful" Tommy draws fire away from her in his own way when Mr. Fromm criticizes her for that. Sue Snell approaches Tommy one day at the running track and proposes that he should take Carrie to the prom. Tommy is against the idea at first but later relents while he and Sue are doing some studying one evening. Tommy approaches Carrie in the library the following day and asks if she would like to accompany him to the prom next Friday. Carrie can not believe what she just hears someone actually asks her to the prom. But it is very difficult for her to trust anybody at her school after having spent countless years in the midst of cruel peers. After a refreshing pep talk of sorts with Miss Collins and Tommy's further pressure of the issue Carrie finally decides to go with Tommy. Sadly neither they nor Sue know that this particular prom night would be the most traumatic night of their young lives. prom night arrives and Tommy arrives at Carrie's house in his car and both proceed to the gymnasium where the prom takes place. At first Carrie is having second thoughts about Tommy and her being together saying it may have been a bad idea. Tommy assures Carrie that everyone at the prom is a "good crowd" and that she ought not to be so nervous. With that Tommy walks to the other side of his vehicle and opens the door for his lovely date. The prom is off to a big start when Carrie and Tommy enter. They met Frieda Jason and George Dawson at the main doors and Frieda escorts Carrie to her's and George's table. Immediately during this exchange Norma Watson, Chris Hargensen's best friend starts laughing hysterically. Some of the other prom goers just simply stare at Carrie who becomes nervous again. Later in the evening just after Miss Collins finishes talking to Carrie Tommy rejoins her and eventually asks Carrie if she wants to dance. She says she does not know how and once Tommy and her make it to the middle of the dance floor she begins to turn back. But Tommy guides the shy Carrie along gently and slowly. He keeps her going even after she steps on his foot. But after a minute or so the 2 stare at each other and Tommy leans over to Carrie and kisses her. Carrie later asks Tommy about why she is at the prom with him in the first place. He tells her as he had when he came to her house to ask her about the prom again and that she liked his "poem". But someone else wrote it Tommy admits it and that surprises Carrie. However, Tommy says that as long as he and Carrie are together that is enough. Carrie and Tommy eventually find out that they are on the ballot for prom king and queen. Carrie asks if he wants out but he doesn’t want to. He even suggests that they vote for themselves. Carrie is totally against the idea but Tommy manages to convince her that its only for prom night and that she should let go of false modesty. Carrie only smiles and grabs the pencil out of Tommy's hand to mark their names on the ballot. Of course she and Tommy win the nominations and are called to the stage. Their procession is a "slow motion" event which gives way to Sue's arrival at the prom her view of Carrie and Tommy together, the discovery of the rope attached to a wayward bucket, its source, Sue's eventual capture and removal by Miss Collins. Tommy sees Sue and thinks she is there only to make trouble but when he caught the sight of pig's blood spilling all over Carrie from above his thoughts turn from Sue back to Carrie. He looks up and sees the bucket swinging from a rope attach to a rafter.

Tommy is enraged at what happened to Carrie but that same bucket he saw swinging from the rafter crashes down on his head, breaking his skull like a mirror in the process and killing him while Carrie witnesses it. Later he is pronounced dead at the Black Prom tragedy.

## Trivia

* His death won The Dull Machete Award on the kill count by Dead Meat.