Atlanta is a Hulu series that has left fans intrigued by its final season. Fans wonder if Thomas Ronald Washington, played by Eric Berryman, is a fictional character or based on a real person. The character appears in an episode written by Karen Joseph Adcock and Francesca Sloane, depicting a black CEO of the Walt Disney Studios.
The final episode of the series is incredibly creative and has sparked debate among fans. Some even consider it the best TV episode in recent times. However, the question remains: Is Thomas Ronald Washington a real person depicted as a TV character, or someone’s imaginative creation? Let’s take a closer look.
Who is Thomas Ronald Washington?
The fourth season of Atlanta features the fictional character, Thomas Ronald Washington. In the series, Washington is a young black animator who allegedly received an oversight appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company in 1992, following the Los Angeles riots. Washington attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and had an interest in animation since childhood.
The board of directors agreed to install Tom Washington as CEO after the temporary CEO passed away during the 1992 riots. However, Thomas Ronald Washington ended up being the CEO by accident due to a similarity in the names of the favoured candidate and the company’s eventual CEO. Despite its displeasure with the choice, the board was compelled to keep Washington. In addition to wondering why Mickey Mouse would keep Pluto as a pet when Goofy is also a dog, Washington emphasized other changes within the corporation.
Is Thomas Ronald Washington real?
Although there have been questions regarding the authenticity of the narrative behind Atlanta’s closing episode titled “The Goof Who Sat By the Door,” some social media users argue that the show may be based on Floyd Norman, one of Disney’s first black animators. However, the Disney Company has never appointed a black CEO, confirming that the story is fictitious. Norman, the company’s first African-American animator, was most likely an inspiration for the writers of the series. Norman claims that he was shielded from racism as a child in Santa Barbara, California. He chose not to retire and is still employed as a creative at Disney at the age of 87.
Therefore, Thomas Washington is a fictional character and not an actual person.
Story of Thomas Ronald Washington
The narrative of the final episode of Atlanta centres on Thomas Washington’s goal to create “the blackest movie of all time,” one that would address all issues relating to African-American culture. He chose A Goofy Movie as the project, even using his son, Maxwell, as the inspiration for the character “Max Goof”.
The board of The Walt Disney Company had intended to choose a white guy named Tom Washington for the position. However, owing to a miscommunication, they chose Thomas Washington. To address all facets of African-American culture, Washington set out to make “the blackest movie of all time”.
As the film’s production went on, Washington started verbally abusing his wife and kid, which led to their divorce. The Walt Disney Company began to doubt Washington’s ability to lead, especially as he began to display characteristics of Goofy, such as his chuckle. He declined the company’s offer of $75 million to end his employment.
The original ending of A Goofy Movie, which depicted Goofy and Max facing police violence at a traffic stop for straying into the chair of civil rights activist/radical, Huey P. Newton, as a message to black audiences, was judged inappropriate, and a new scene was created to replace the controversial one.
Washington disappeared in 1995 after witnessing Disney’s hierarchy alter his intended film’s conclusion. When asked if they think that Washington’s death was an accident, several employees
