His acting career began in the early 1940s, with notable performances including Cousin Arne in I Remember Mama (1948), Joey in Prejudice (1949), David in The Lost Volcano with Johnny Sheffield.

The teenage Hot Rod film entitled Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959), features a brief appearance of Tommy Ivo as a dragster racer and race car builder.

In 1961 Ivo appeared as William, the young son of Motel owner Mrs Prattle -‘Praytell’- in the American ‘neo noir’ crime Film “The Cat Burglar” written by actor and former criminal Leo Gordon, starring Jack Hogan, June Kenney and John Baer.

During the 1961–62 TV season, Ivo played the role of Haywood Botts in another ABC sitcom, Margie.

[3] During 1972 and 1973, Ivo attended 100 race meets; this record was matched only by "Jungle Jim" Liberman and Ed "The Ace" McCulloch.