Robert Bagnell, informally known as 'Bags', is an American actor most notable for his series regular role playing Tom Peterman in the HBO ground-breaking TV cult comedy 'The Comeback', starring Lisa Kudrow. Robert also starred with Jon Hamm and Mel Gibson in Randall Wallace's film 'We Were Soldiers', adapted from the critically acclaimed novel 'We Were Soldiers Once And Young'.
Bagnell was raised in East Northport, Long Island NY with his one sister Diane Bagnell-Maguire. His mother was a registered nurse and his father a high school chemistry teacher. He graduated with a BFA in undergrad drama in 1996 from the Tisch School Of The Arts at New York University. After graduating, Bagnell procured talent representation after being noticed in a comedy play that he performed in with his NYU cronies at the Westbeth Theater in New York City's West Village in 1996. Bagnell concurrently worked as a rink guard at the Rochefeller Center Ice Skating Rink. He was also employed as a Night Manager at the Inn At Irving Place in Gramercy Park New York City.
On Bagnell's very first professional audition, he had the opportunity to audition for Liza Minnelli who was producing a play called 'Not A Well Woman'. He ended up booking the job. He then went on to appear in numerous TV commercials and landed his first recurring TV role on the daytime soap opera 'As The World Turns'.
