Conversation so far:
What was Tom Pettys's first acting project?
when he had a cameo in FM.
What year was that?
Petty's first appearance in film took place in 1978.
What project followed after that?
He later had a small part in 1987's Made in Heaven.
Did he work on any movies?
Petty appeared in the 1997 film The Postman.
What role did he play in that film?
as the Bridge City Mayor.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
).
In 2002, he appeared on The Simpsons.

Question: What character was he on The Simpsons?
Self-contained rewrite: What character was Tom Petty on The Simpsons?