Tom Vaughan-Lawlor was born in 1977. He grew up in Dundrum, in Dublin. He attended De La Salle College Churchtown and credits his English teacher, Mr Corbet, with sparking his interest in drama, and he even wrote his own play whilst at the school. Afterwards Tom went to Trinity College and graduated with a degree in Drama Studies, continuing on to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
After leaving the Academy Tom Vaughan-Lawlor starred in many plays, such as The Quare Fellow, The Field, This Lime Tree Bower and The Playboy of the Western World, which toured in the USA. In 2007 he was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award for his role in Henry V. He also had small roles in The Tiger's Tail, which starred fellow Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, and Becoming Jane, which starred Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy.
In 2010 he began playing the role of Nigel 'Nidge' Delaney in the critically acclaimed Irish television crime drama Love/Hate . His portrayal of Nidge has been extremely well-received by critics and he has won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Television award at the 2012 IFTA Awards, and the Best Actor for Television award at the 2013 IFTA Awards, as well as being nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role in Television at the 2014 IFTA Awards, which will be held in April 2014.
Concerning his protrayal of Nidge, Tom said: 'It's very strange because I remember watching it and looking back, getting kind of upset. Because I thought, is that me?' However, there is no doubt the show has had a huge effect on him and has been an exceptional experience. 'One of the joys of playing the part is he's a different man in all four series, he's always changing and he's incredibly difficult to pinpoint. People are drawn to him because of his humour, the moments he has with his children and the moments he has with his own conscious.'
However, Tom has stated that his real love still lies with theatre. In early 2013 he starred in a one-man production of Howie The Rookie which opened to great reviews. In October 2013, he began working on the new three-part political drama Citizen Charlie which is based on the life of the late Taoiseach Charles Haughey. He will play political spin-doctor P. J. Mara in the drama.
Tom Vaughan-Lawlor currently lives in London with his wife Claire Cox and his one child. In 2013 a group of then-Transition Years invited Tom to the school and interviewed him as part of their radio module.