Tom Collins (Rent character)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tom Collins is a character in Rent, written by Jonathan Larson. Collins is a computer-genius, a philosopher, a teacher, an anarchist, a rebel and the lover of Angel Dumott-Schunard. He is HIV+. He works as a professor of computer age philosophy at New York University (NYU). His trademark piece of clothing is a knit cap that is white throughout the first act of Rent and black through the second act (this is reflective of the show's themes: the first act is about celebration, while the second act is clearly a showcase about mourning).

The role of Collins was originated by Jesse L. Martin.