Tom Llamas: Miami Native Journalist’s Full Circle Homecoming

At a pivotal moment in his career, Tom Llamas opens up about identity, dedication, and the city that shaped his path to primetime.

As he steps into one of the most iconic roles in American broadcast journalism, proud Cuban American Tom Llamas returns home to Miami just before he makes history as the first Latino to anchor the weeknight edition of NBC Nightly News. 

From his early days as a 15-year-old intern at Telemundo 51 in Hialeah to hosting Emmy-nominated Top Story on NBC News Now, Llamas has never lost touch with his South Florida roots. For him, Miami isn't just a hometown—it's where his love for news, family, and Cuban culture was born. 

In this special interview, Miami Living sits down with the award-winning journalist at Telemundo Center, talking full-circle moments, his culturally rich upbringing in Miami, and what it means to represent his community on one of the biggest stages in television. 

Miami Living: Tom, welcome. This must be such a full circle moment to be here at Telemundo Center, considering you began your journey as an intern at Telemundo Station. You are getting ready to step into one of the biggest roles in broadcast journalism. What is it like to return home to Miami and be here at this milestone moment in your career? 

Tom Llamas: It's so great. This is home for me. As you mentioned, this is where I started my career in journalism, but it's also sort of where I started my interest in current events and the news. 

I grew up Cuban American, so growing up here in Miami, we would always watch the news in English and Spanish because my parents were constantly yearning for news out of Cuba. That's where it started, with conversations around the dinner table about politics and about history, about the country they had lost, and in this new country that they love so much, that I love so much. Being in Miami is sort of the epicenter of all that. 

It is my life; it's who I am. My parents are here, my brother's here, my nieces are here, and so many good friends and great memories. So, I will always love coming back. Miami, for me, will always be home. 

Miami Living: You are the son of two Cuban immigrants. What was it like growing up in Miami, where there is such a vibrant Cuban community? 

Tom Llamas: It was great because it was a community that was being built by Cuban Americans and other groups, too, Haitian Americans and Venezuelan Americans. 

But when I was here in the 80s and 90s, Cuban Americans had already sort of had their foot placed here. They were building a beautiful city that became the magic city, and I saw it grow. 

I saw it grow from a place that had a few skyscrapers and towers to now this world-class city that people from all over the globe want to visit. They want to live here, they want to party here, they want to raise families here. It's so great to see how big Miami and now South Florida have grown. I have a lot of pride in South Florida; I am a proud Florida man. I will always say it. Cubans are such a big part of the story of Miami. I'm proud to say I'm one of them.

Miami Living: You talked about constantly having the news on in your household and keeping up to date with Cuban news during your upbringing. Do you feel that this is where your interest in journalism sparked? 

Tom Llamas: One hundred percent. I think since it was part of our daily routine at my house, and my parents were also big Miami Herald readers. 

I went to a school called Belen Jesuit here in Miami, and in eighth grade, you had to read the newspaper. That was the homework assignment. They had this funny method where you had to highlight all the proper words in the article to make sure that you actually read the story. So, I started reading columnists from the Miami Herald in eighth grade, watching the news with my parents, and then working at 15. But I've always loved the news. 

If I wasn't a journalist, I would still consume a lot of news because I just like to be informed, and I love history. 

Miami Living: What would you say was your favorite thing about growing up in Miami? Are there any specific memories you'd like to share? 

Tom Llamas: I grew up fishing with my dad and my brother; I loved just being able to go out on the boat and go fishing. I love the beaches, the great weather, delicious Cuban food, and Miami has such a vibrant nightlife. It was so much fun. 

Me and my wife, we lived here for a point, too, before we had children. The nightclubs in Miami, they're so much fun. Great music, people always wanted to have a good time. It was a growing city, so there was always something new, which was exciting for a young person. Just being able to go outside, play sports year-round, and go fishing year-round, those are some of my best memories. 

Miami Living: Like we said, you began your career at Telemundo Station as an intern. What is something you learned there that you've taken with you throughout the rest of your career? 

Tom Llamas: When I first started, the studios were in Hialeah, Telemundo 51. I didn't know what I was doing, but I had really great producers, assignment desk editors, and photographers who would kind of guide me along the way. 

One of the first things I learned, which I still use to this day, is how to talk to people, especially when you need to interview them, because sometimes, when reporters couldn't go out, I would go with the photographer, and I would ask the questions. I had to learn very early on how to interview somebody and how to ask a question. Stay quiet, make sure you get the answer, keep staying quiet until you get the answer you need. How the photographer works, how to help the photographer, carrying the tripod because you're a team. These are all things I learned at 15.  

Working the assignment desk—when a news tip comes in, how to get the information, making sure you have everything right, so when you pass that tip along, the reporters and producers can take it from there. It was a lot of responsibility, but it was such an exciting and thrilling job at 15.  

Miami Living: So, eventually, you began working with NBC, and you were doing some production work and local journalism. What was your favorite part about that time in your career? 

Tom Llamas: When I got to be a local reporter at NBC 6 here in Miami, it was just so great to cover the community. 

I knew the community, and to tell their stories, it was an honor. I knew Miami inside and out, so when news would break, I knew where to go; I knew the people to call. I sort of had a leg up on the competition, I would say, because this was my hometown. But I call it an honor to represent this community and to be able to work on the news because I know people turn to me, whether it be on hurricanes, local races, Cuban American issues, or immigration issues; it was great to be there for the community. I have great memories from being a reporter in Miami. 

Miami Living: You now host your own show, Top Story, which just received an Emmy nomination, congratulations. Can you tell me a little bit about your role with Top Story and how you feel that has prepared you to step into the shoes of an NBC Nightly News anchor? 

Tom Llamas: Our show is from 7 to 8 o'clock Eastern on NBC News Now, which is our streaming platform. The way I describe it and the way I created Top Story in my head with our team at NBC was I wanted a news playlist. 

So you have a playlist of music, like you have on your phone, but I wanted a news playlist, essentially, the big stories of the day. NBC News has an incredible reach. We have so many resources.

We're all over the world; we cover business, we cover wars, we cover local politics, we have an amazing website, nbcnewsnow.com. So I wanted to pull from all of that and put it in one hour-long show, including Telemundo, including reports that originate in Spanish that we would then translate into English. I wanted to cover the world and the country for our viewers. 

It's a younger audience, so it moves a little faster. There's a really high story count, and it's a lot of fun. The team that works on it is a younger team, but they're so good. They're so great. 

When we got this Emmy nomination, it made me really, really proud of this. I've won awards before in this industry, but this one is really special because I helped create this show, I know how hard the team works on this show, I know how much they love the show, and we were the only streaming newscast in the world that was nominated, among great shows like Nightly News. So, it was such an honor, and I'm so proud of this team.

Miami Living: What is it like to be stepping into this huge role of an NBC Nightly News anchor? 

Tom Llamas: It's a lot. Pressure is privilege, but it is incredible. It's something early in my career I would have never believed if you told me this would happen. 

But there was a point in my career where I said, "Wow, maybe this could happen." I've worked really hard; I've been so focused. I've dedicated my life to two things and that's my family and this profession. To be able to kind of reach this point where so many millions of Americans rely on you, it is the honor of a lifetime. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm really excited. 

Miami Living: You are the first Latino journalist to host the weeknight edition of NBC Nightly News. That is a huge accomplishment. What does this mean to you? 

Tom Llamas: It means a lot, but I know there were people before me who, when I would look up at the television, they were Hispanic, they were Cuban American, they were Mexican American, and they were in roles similar to this. There's never been a Hispanic who's led up an evening newscast in English language news. So I know, sort of, the trail that I'm blazing here, but I'm standing on the shoulders of so many other journalists. 

What they taught me was that, regardless of whether your name is Llamas, Díaz-Balart, or Rojas, whatever your name is, you can have a chance, and you can do this if you work hard. I just hope that when someone looks up and they see Nightly News with Tom Llamas, they'll say, "Wow, this guy's Hispanic, this guy's Latino. He's just like me; maybe I can try this." 

Miami Living: How would you say your Cuban American, Miami roots have shaped you into the journalist you are today? 

Tom Llamas: My family lost their country, and they came to this country. This country gave them an opportunity, and they've learned to love this country. I was raised to love this country.

They came from a country that doesn't have a free press. So, I know the importance the press plays in a democracy. We're written into the Constitution; the Founding Fathers were so smart to do that.  

I know the importance. To have a great government, you really need to have a strong press. Iron sharpens iron, and so I know that responsibility is there. Being Cuban American, I'm aware of it. I'm reminded of it every day. 

I'm reminded of it every time my mom tells me that she's talked to our family members in Cuba and how they are still struggling there more than 50 years after the Cuban Revolution. 

So that is always at the center of my mind, that you need to have a very strong and fair press, and that's what I hope to do. 

Miami Living: You plan to continue hosting Top Story as you take on this massive role. You also have a wife and three children. How do you go about balancing such a demanding career with being a husband and father? 

Tom Llamas: It's really hard, I won't lie. I mean, it is very hard, and at some points, it sort of stops you in your tracks because the decisions are tough. I have a great wife; she's amazing. 

She's kind of our rock, and she worked in the business; she was an executive producer, and she worked her way up just like me. We both studied journalism at Loyola New Orleans, where we met. She understands the business, so that is helpful. 

So when I call her and tell her, "Hey, I have to leave for a week to go to Rome because the Pope has died," she understands. She's excited for me, even though she knows our schedule is packed with doctor's appointments, sports, plays, and musicals with the kids, along with them just wanting all of our time. Like I told you, I'm so dedicated to my family and this profession. It's definitely a tug-of-war sometimes. 

It's tough. Anybody will tell you it's not easy. There's no perfect way to do it. In my conversations with Lester Holt, who's been a friend and a mentor, it's one of the things I asked him, and he had great advice because he raised two sons. 

It's something you have to do. You have a responsibility to your family, which is paramount, but I also have a responsibility to the viewers, and I think about both. 

Miami Living: How would you say your upbringing in Miami as a Cuban American has influenced the way you raise your own family today? 

Tom Llamas: Me and my wife are very cognizant of teaching our children our customs and our cultures. My wife's from New Orleans. They have a beautiful and rich culture and tradition in New Orleans, and so we share that with our kids. Little by little, I've been starting to explain to my kids the history of Cuba—why their grandparents left, how they started a new life in Miami, how that worked, how Miami grew.

We're working on Spanish as well because I do believe that Spanish is the key to culture. My oldest is 12, and she's getting really, really good at speaking Spanish, but the other two we're still working on. My wife does it, too; everyone in the family is using this app, Duolingo. At night at my house, it's literally just three tablets going off on Duolingo; it's kind of funny. 

Miami Living: Looking back at that Telemundo 51 intern, what would you say to him now? 

Tom Llamas: I would say work really hard. Work really, really hard. Keep at it. Never lose that passion, never lose that fire, never lose that drive. Remember the responsibility of how important this job is. It's an exciting job; at times, it can be a really fun job. 

At times, it can be a job that doesn't love you back. But it is a huge responsibility you have. It's a huge role to have this job in this country and keep at it. 

I would love to tell him you have no idea where the story goes. 

Miami Living: What's your favorite spot to get Cuban food in Miami? 

Tom Llamas: Okay, it's a landmark, it's been there forever, Versailles, which is amazing, in Little Havana on 8th street. We've been going there my entire life; I really love it. 

There's a place where my parents live called Havana Harry's, which has incredible Cuban food but also incredible desserts. 

I love the Cuban sandwiches from a place called Sergio's, which has been around forever. I have good memories of going there with my grandparents. 

Miami Living: Which do you prefer, Miami beaches or nightlife?

Tom Llamas: Oh wow, I like them both. Me and my wife when we lived here, we used to love going to the beach; when I was growing up, we loved going to the beach. 

Growing up early on, we would spend a lot of time in Key Biscayne, and then as I got older, Miami Beach was a little more exciting, so we would go to Miami Beach. But I don't really do nightlife too much these days. No more clubbing; those days are over. 

But I used to love going out in Miami Beach; it's so much fun, and there are great restaurants, too. So that's a tough one. I'll say it's a tie. 

Miami Living: What is the best place to go dancing and listen to some Cuban music in Miami? 

Tom Llamas: Oh my gosh. There are so many places. I mean, I can really go way back in the day. 

There were nightclubs called Pacha, which was way back; it was a lot of fun. There was good music there. 

There was this place called La Covacha, which played good Latin music, which was a lot of fun too. 

I'm sorry I'm laughing; I'm going down memory lane and remembering all of these places. 

There is a great place right now. It's the best place in Little Havana to hear music right now. You want to go here because it's so fun, it's Café La Trova. Oh my gosh, man, that place, it's really cool. They've done an amazing job. The music is awesome. If you go to one place in Miami now, I would say go to Café La Trova, because it's really, really good. 

Miami Living: Heat or Dolphins fan? 

Tom Llamas: Oh, both. I'm all in on both. I always tell people I love the Heat so much; I even love the Dwayne Wade statue, which looks nothing like him. The Heat is a great basketball team; I covered them when I was here, and I saw them win those championships; it was so great. 

And the Dolphins, I mean Dan Marino, growing up with the Dolphins was great. I'm actually a huge University of Miami Hurricanes fan. That's my number one of all my Miami teams; I love the Canes. 

You can watch Tom weekdays on NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas at 6:30 p.m. ET and following at 7:00 p.m. ET on Top Story with Tom Llamas on NBC News NOW. Connect with him on Instagram and X @llamasnbc. 

By Morgan Harms. Photos/NBC News