A week after then-high school senior Tom Leach applied for his first job, he was on a plane to New York to interview Hugh Jackman for his new movie “Van Helsing.”
“I think (my parents) assumed that I would get a job at the local grocery store bagging groceries,” Leach said.
But Leach had an Apple computer at the time, which he used to make a hosting reel inspired by his favorite host Mark S. Allen of “Good Day Sacramento.” Soon after bringing his reel down to Allen, he began to fill in for him regularly, interviewing stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Dustin Hoffman and Halle Berry.
Today, UCLA Producers Program alumnus Tom Leach sits behind the silver screen as one of Hollywood’s youngest producers, and was recently announced to have made Forbes’ “30 Under 30: Entertainment” list.
After this high-profile high school job, Leach went on to Loyola Marymount University to study television production, where he worked with the administration to found the school’s TV station, the ROAR Network. With Leach working as the general manager of the station, the network began producing hours of original content a week, and was voted one of the best student-run TV stations in the country by mtvU.
Leach then moved on to UCLA’s Producers Program, which was the only graduate school he applied to.
“I was impressed that the program not only taught creative storytelling, but also the business as well,” Leach said. “I was also impressed at the faculty and staff because they would take time to go out of their way and teach, and meanwhile they were accomplishing and doing amazing things in the industry.”
Leach said his creative juices were also fueled by his classmates, producers from all walks of life whose mixed backgrounds opened his eyes to other storytelling styles.
“It was very intimate,” Leach said. “When you have a program that’s so small with so many brilliant people, it’s a perfect, ripe environment for creativity.”
Serving as the vice president of development and current programming at One Three Media, Leach works under Mark Burnett, the creator of “Survivor” and “The Apprentice.” As an apprentice himself to someone he calls a brilliant force in the television industry, Leach said he knows that he always has to bring his best ideas to the table when working with Burnett.
“My main job is focusing on what are the shows of the future,” Leach said. “What are the next shows that will be on for decades?”
On an average day, Leach said he might brainstorm with his fellow executives about ideas, put together pitch materials and strategies, and meet with other producers or talent including celebrity chefs and fashion designers. His co-worker Kyle Mack, the senior director of development, pointed out Leach’s aptitude for such tasks.
“Something he really stands out in is pitching shows, and being able to sell products to networks in a really compelling way,” Mack said. “He’s a great storyteller, but also has the intelligence and creativity to take a great pitch and turn it into a real show.”
Director of development at One Three Media Lindsey Gordon also said Leach’s charisma and passion contribute to his success in his job.
“One of his biggest talents is his ability to see beyond the creative elements of a show and build a package that better appeals to the buyer,” Gordon said. “If you’re going to get a pitch from Tom Leach, you’re in for a fun time because he brings so much enthusiasm and spirit to the project.”
But despite the praise he receives from those around him, Leach said he gets nervous when it’s all about him, and is always quick to give credit and acclaim to his colleagues, collaborators and especially his brother.
Leach said his younger brother Mike, who is currently a second-year graduate student at UCLA’s Producers Program, has shared his interests in entertainment from a young age.
“We shared a bedroom together when I was about 7 and he was about 4, and every night we would turn on the television in our room and watch ‘I Love Lucy’ on Nick at Nite,” Leach said. “From that age I knew that I loved entertainment and television, and that I wanted to make TV shows.”
But it is Mike who Leach said is secretly the smart one in the family, and a primary source of inspiration for Leach to this day.
“He’s a screenwriter and a genius that’s going to win the Oscar someday,” Leach said. “So all I’m trying to do is pass the time until I can collaborate with him. That’s my funny little secret that no one knows.”