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Tommy Dorfman, 33, is opening up about her experiences in Hollywood, her childhood traumas and adulthood transition in her new memoir, Maybe This Will Save Me. Among the most notable reflections she makes is about her time working on 13 Reason Why.
Nearly four years prior, Tommy came out as a trans woman in a July 2021 interview with Time. “For a year now, I have been privately identifying and living as a woman — a trans woman,” Tommy told the publication at the time. “It’s funny to think about coming out, because I haven’t gone anywhere. I view today as a reintroduction to me as a woman, having made a transition medically. Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out.”
Tommy further revealed in the interview that, despite transitioning, she wanted to keep her birth name to honor her mom’s late brother, who died shortly after she was born. “I love my name, I want to keep my name and give new life to my name,” Tommy said.
So who is Tommy Dorfman? Hollywood Life has rounded up five key facts to know about Tommy.
Tommy Dorfman in new ‘Time’ interview (Photo: Gizelle Hernandez for TIME)
Tommy Dorfman is BFFs with Kaia Gerber.
Cindy Crawford‘s look-a-like daughter Kaia Gerber has often been seen out-and-about with Tommy. The pair were last seen stepping out for dinner in Los Angeles on July 31, 2020 — face masks on, of course — while apart of each other’s “quarantine bubble.” Pre-quarantine, the duo also showed off their beach hangout in Jan. 2020! Posing in their swimsuits for a mirror selfie, Tommy captioned the pic “portrait of a respectful gay hand.”
Tommy is an actress
Tommy is best known for her role as Ryan Shaver on Netflix’s popular drama 13 Reasons Why alongside Brenda Strong, Ross Butler, and Dylan Minnette. She also played Bobby in The CW’s Jane The Virgin and Nick on American Princess. Most recently, she is credited for appearing in Freeform’s mini-series Love in the Time of Corona. “We were filming at my house, which was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be just from a practical standpoint of rolling out of bed and getting to work,” Tommy said to HollywoodLife exclusively about the project. “No commute, which was great. It ended up being really intimate, and it was a space we’ve individually spent a lot of time in together just as friends,” she added.
In 2025, Tommy starred in the Broadway production of Romeo & Juliet opposite Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor and company. The production was a modern rendition of Shakespeare’s play.
Tommy is Andi Dorfman’s cousin
Tommy isn’t the only famous Dorfman! She’s a cousin of attorney Andi Dorfman, who starred in the 10th season of The Bachelorette. She made an appearance in the Bachelor universe again during her runner-up Nick Viall‘s season and the pair made headlines for going on a jog back in June 2020.
Tommy is from Atlanta
Tommy was born on May 13, 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating high school, she packed her bags and headed to New York for college, where she enrolled at Fordham University. Tommy studied drama, earning her B.A. in Theatre Arts in 2015.
Tommy is more than 10 years sober
In her memoir, Maybe This Will Save Me, Tommy reflects on her past addiction, which happened before she committed to being an actor. From ages 12 through 21, Tommy used drugs including coke and went to rehab in Long Island, New York.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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