Zsolt – known professionally as Tom Schlott – began his journey into the world of film exceptionally early, at the age of 4 or 5, when he started attending castings in Budapest alongside his siblings and cousins. This early industry experience laid the foundation for his later interest in acting. He participated in numerous casting calls and had the opportunity to meet well-known figures, including Róbert Koltai and Miklós Benedek. His last audition in Hungary was at the age of 18, for a popular television series.
In parallel, Zsolt also turned towards poetry. He represented a unique perspective, as he was more drawn to traditional poetic forms than to modern trends. In his poems, he often used hidden meanings and coded messages, which in Hungarian culture – especially during censorship-heavy periods – were commonly used tools. His poetry thus gained deeper, layered meanings – due to the characteristics of the Hungarian language, where the visual similarity of verbs or objects made writing playful and enjoyable for him. He would write as many as 5–30 poems a day.
While showing his happier side to the world, he could also express his deeper self through his poems. It is one reason he began to conceal things so that the emotions and events behind the poems would not be obvious. Due to his high empathy, he also wrote about the feelings of others.
Zsolt's interest in technology began at the age of eight, when he first started learning programming. In Hungary, he obtained a programming certificate and later took part in a system operator training course. However, his path was not without obstacles when he moved to England. He earned a degree in Cyber Security (BSc Hons) with a gold distinction from Kingston University.
In 2023, he was cast in a paid improv comedy project alongside Angus Miller and Elisha Mython in a comedic role. He felt fortunate that Michael Dapaah's team specifically sought him out because of his slightly crazy profile. Soon after, a modelling job followed from HSBC Productions, which he initially applied for half-jokingly, simply as a personal challenge, but he won the role within a few days. Here, he met Victoria Malinjod, a model, actor, director, and filmmaker, who has supported him ever since, along with Rico Morris and Kelly Riansanson. Since then, he has appeared in magazine features and minor roles as well.
Beyond acting, Zsolt runs the music-focused YouTube channel called Cantus88 and collaborates on editorial and fashion projects that contrast interestingly with his personal style and character. A balance of technical precision and emotional depth typically characterises his work.
