This Old House cast over the years and the people who made it a hit
This Old House is America's longest-running home improvement show. Since its premiere in 1979, some of This Old House cast members, like Tom Silva, have continued working on the show, while others have retired or passed away, including Roger Cook and Tom Wirth.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Some cast members, including Tom Wirth and Roger Cook, have passed away, but their contributions to the show and its legacy remain cherished by fans.
- Richard Trethewey, Kevin O’Connor, and Tom Silva, continue acting.
- Steve Thomas, transitioned into public speaking, writing, or other fields.
Get to know the This Old House cast
This Old House is known for providing trusted home improvement information and expert advice to home remodellers through its cast members. However, some have passed away or retired, and others have pursued other ventures.
| Cast | Role |
| Norm Abram | Master carpenter |
| Jenn Nawada | Landscape contractor and designer |
| Roger Cook | Landscape contractor |
| Tom Silva | General contractor |
| Heath Eastman | Electrician |
| Richard Trethewey | Plumbing and heating expert |
| Charlie Silva | Home builder |
| Kevin O'Connor | Host |
| Mauro Henrique | Painter |
| Bob Vila | Host |
| Zack Dettmore | Builder |
| Nathan Gilbert | Carpenter |
| Jeff Sweenor | Home builder |
| Steve Thomas | Host |
| Tom Wirth | Landscape architect |
| Mark Ferrante | Tile contractor |
| Mark McCullough | Mason |
| Allen Gallant | Master electrician |
1. Norm Abram
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Norm Abram
- Date of birth: 3 October 1949
- Age: 75 years (old as of 2025)
- Profession: Master carpenter
Norm Abram is among the This Old House original cast, who has since retired from the program. He is also known for his work on the PBS television program The New Yankee Workshop. Through these programs, he has inspired millions to renovate their homes.
2. Jenn Nawada
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Jenn Nawada Evans
- Date of birth: 7 July 1973
- Age: 52 years (old as of 2025)
- Profession: Landscape contractor and designer
Jenn Nawada is a renowned residential landscape designer and the founder of Nawada Landscape Design, Inc. She is known for creating and installing sophisticated landscape plans. Jenn is best recognised for her appearances in This Old House and Ask This Old House.
3. Roger Cook
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Roger A. Cook
- Date of birth: 1954
- Date of death: 21 August 2024
- Profession: Landscape contractor, TV personality
Roger Cook was a central figure on This Old House. His time with This Old House spanned nearly 40 years, from his first involvement in 1982, the show’s second season, until 2020, when he officially retired from the show due to health issues. Cook died on 21 August 2024.
4. Tom Silva
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Tom Silva
- Date of birth: 17 January 1947
- Age: 78 years (old as of 2025)
- Profession: General contractor
Tom Silva is an American carpenter, construction contractor, and TV personality. He grew up in a home of family members who loved working with their hands. His dad was a builder, and his mother was a seamstress.
5. Heath Eastman
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Heath Eastman
- Profession: Electrician
Heath Eastman has been the go-to expert for electrical projects on This Old House. He was first featured on the home improvement show in 2016 after filming several scenes while working on the North Shore project. Heath's first official This Old House project was in Brookline.
6. Richard Trethewey
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Richard S. Trethewey
- Date of birth: 1956
- Age: 69 years old (as of 2025)
- Profession: Plumbing and heating expert
Richard, a renowned journeyman plumber and TV personality, is the founder of RST Thermal, a manufacturer’s representative company that provides training to the skilled trades. He uses his company to advocate for professionalism in the building trades.
7. Charlie Silva
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Charlie Silva
- Profession: Home builder
Charlie Silva, the president of Silva Brothers Construction, a leading contracting company in Boston, started working with This Old House in 2016. Silva co-owns the company with his uncle, Tom Silva.
8. Kevin O'Connor
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Kevin O'Connor
- Date of birth: 1968
- Age: 57 years old (as of 2025)
- Profession: TV host
Kevin is among the This Old House cast in 2025. The American television host has been an integral part of the PBS home renovation series since he joined the show in 2003. Kevin has also appeared regularly in the series spin-off, Ask This Old House.
9. Mauro Henrique
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Mauro Henrique
- Profession: Painter
Mauro serves as the painter on This Old House and Ask This Old House, where he helps teach the correct tools, materials, and techniques for painting and staining projects. In 2010, the popular painter served as an on-camera painter during the This Old House, Auburndale project.
10. Bob Vila
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Robert Joseph Vila
- Date of birth: 20 June 1946
- Age: 79 years (old as of 2025)
- Profession: Television host, author
Bob is a renowned American author, television host, and home improvement expert. As a proud member of This Old House since 1979, Bob has provided years of expert advice to home enthusiasts across the country on This Old House, Bob Vila's Home Again, and Bob Vila.
11. Zack Dettmore
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Zack Dettmore
- Profession: Builder
Zack is an American carpenter and builder based in New Jersey. He developed an interest in carpentry around the age of 9 years and soon started building smaller projects like cutting boards and stools. He joined This Old House in 2024 and has since appeared in 19 episodes of the show.
12. Nathan Gilbert
Source: Facebook
- Full name: Nathan Gilbert
- Profession: Carpenter
Nathan serves as a carpenter on Ask This Old House. He learned his skills from his dad, Bill, who operated a carpentry business south of Boston. His father was featured in an early season of This Old House, demonstrating his technique for hanging cabinets.
13. Jeff Sweenor
Source: Instagram
- Full name: Jeff Sweenor
- Profession: Home builder
Jeff is one of Rhode Island's most sought-after builders. He joined This Old House as the builder for the 2017 Idea House in Rhode Island. However, his first on-air series project with the TV show was the 2018 Net-Zero Bungalow in Jamestown.
14. Steve Thomas
- Full name: Stephen Thomas
- Date of birth: 1952
- Age: 73 years (old as of 2025)
- Profession: TV host
Steve Thomas, This Old House cast, was first offered the chance to host the show in July 1989. He hosted the PBS home renovation series until 2003. Steve's passion for construction and renovation came from his dad, who used to buy and repair old houses.
15. Tom Wirth
- Full name: Thomas E. Wirth
- Date of birth: 16 September 1941
- Date of death: 21 July 2018
- Profession: Landscape architect
Tom is among the This Old House cast who died a few years ago. He earned his master's degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan. He is best known for his role on This Old House, where he inspired many designers, builders, and clients with his design sensibility.
16. Mark Ferrante
- Full name: Mark Ferrante
- Profession: Tile contractor
Mark Ferrante started laying tile in his teens, working alongside his father, Carmine. He made his debut on This Old House in 2008, where he became the go-to tiling contractor on more than a dozen TOH project houses.
17. Mark McCullough
- Full name: Mark McCullough
- Profession: Mason
Mark, the owner of MJM Masonry, got his start in masonry as a teenager. He was first featured on the This Old House East Boston project in 2006, where he showed O'Connor techniques for patching crumbling stucco.
18. Allen Gallant
- Full name: Allen Gallant
- Profession: Master electrician
Allen is an American electrician known for wiring six This Old House TV project houses, particularly many of the New England projects on the show.
Who was the original host for This Old House?
The original host of the PBS television program was Bob Vila. He hosted it from 1979 to 1989.
Is Norm Abram still part of This Old House?
This Old House cast member Norm officially retired in October 2022.
How much do the This Old House people make?
According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for This Old House cast in the USA is $22.95 an hour.
What happened to the original guy from This Old House?
One of the original guys in the show, Roger Cook, passed away in August 2024. He served as a landscape contractor in the program.
This Old House cast members have been delivering exceptional performances and providing home improvement information and expert advice to home remodelers since the show premiered in 1979. While some have since stepped away into quieter lives or retirement, their impact on the show remains lasting, even as a few of the main cast have sadly passed.
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Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
