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Thomas Jane (born Thomas Elliott III; February 22, 1969) is an American actor. Born and raised in
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, Jane's film career started with the Telugu-language romantic comedy '' Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' (1987). His other early films included the well-received ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...
'' (1992), ''
Face/Off ''Face/Off'' is a 1997 American science fiction action film directed by John Woo, from a screenplay by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. It stars John Travolta as an FBI agent and Nicolas Cage as a terrorist, who undergo an experimental surg ...
'', ''
Boogie Nights ''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic ...
'' (both 1997), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), and ''
Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
'' (1999). For his role in the science fiction horror film '' Deep Blue Sea'' (1999), Jane was seen as "a genuine new action star". After receiving critical acclaim as baseball player
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
in '' 61*'' (2001), he appeared in leading roles beginning with André Stander in the South African biographical film '' Stander'' (2003), for which he gained further critical acclaim. He played the title role in the vigilante action film '' The Punisher'' (2004), where he performed most of his stunts. He went on to star in the comedy slasher film '' The Tripper'' (2006) and the cosmic horror film '' The Mist'' (2007), which was a commercial success. From the late 2000s onwards, his career shifted to mostly direct-to-video productions. He made his directorial debut with the crime thriller '' Dark Country'' (2009), in which he also starred. He starred in the well-received films '' 1922'' (2017) and '' Bosco'' (2024). For his work in the television series '' Hung'', Jane was nominated for three
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
. His voice acting work includes the video games '' The Punisher'' and ''
Gun A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...
'' (both 2005). In addition to his screen work, Jane has appeared several times on stage, and received strong critical reviews as Tom in
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
' '' The Glass Menagerie'', and as Chris in
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
's '' All My Sons''. Outside his acting career, he has edited and written various comic books, the first of which was '' Bad Planet''. He has also modelled for various magazines, including ''
Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...
'' and '' Da Man''.


Early life and education

Jane was born Thomas Elliott III on February 22, 1969, in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, the son of Cynthia (''née'' Jane), an antiques dealer, and Thomas Elliott Jr., a genetic engineer. He later changed his surname to his mothers maiden name, as someone in the SAG already preempted his birth name. He attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School but dropped out and started taking acting classes while working at a hardware store. He later moved to
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
to pursue an acting career. He was initially homeless and lived out of his car, often doing street performances to earn money: "I had two songs in my repertoire that I hammered to death, '
Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is a song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics are from the point of view of a man on the run and planning to escape to Mexico after sho ...
' and '
Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...
'. People used to pelt me with change just to shut me up."


Career

Jane began his acting career in 1986 at age 17 after his acting coach suggested he audition for the lead male role opposite
Vijayashanti Moturi Vijaya Shanthi (born 24 June 1966) is an Indian actress, film producer and politician. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has acted in 187 feature films in a variety of roles in various languages predominantly in Telugu language, Te ...
in the Indian romantic comedy '' Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' (1987), which was being filmed in the
Washington metropolitan area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...
. As a result, he spent eight months filming including six months in India. The production ran out of money to pay him, so the actor was given an RV used in the film which he sold to finance his move to Hollywood. After arriving in Hollywood, Jane's early roles included Zeph in ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'' (1992), directed by
Fran Rubel Kuzui Fran Rubel Kuzui is an American film director and producer. She directed the films '' Tokyo Pop'' (1988) and '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992). She also produced the films ''Orgazmo'' (1997) and '' Telling Lies in America'' (1997). Biography ...
, and the film ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...
'' (1992). He also had supporting roles in several high-profile films, including '' The Crow: City of Angels'' (1996), ''
Boogie Nights ''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic ...
'' (1997), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), ''
Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name Th ...
'' (1998), and ''
Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
'' (1999). After receiving critical acclaim as
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
in '' 61*'', Jane received offers for leading roles beginning with Andre Stander in the
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
n film '' Stander'' (2003), for which he gained further critical acclaim. Along with director Jonathan Hensleigh and Avi Arad, Jane has said he was the first and only actor to be asked to play the title role in the film '' The Punisher'' (2004). He turned down the role twice, as he did not have much interest in the
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
. When they asked him the second time to play the Punisher, Tim Bradstreet's artwork of the character secured his interest. After finding out that the character was not a traditional superhero, but more of an
antihero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
and a vigilante crime fighter, he accepted, became a fan, then trained for several months with
Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
, gaining more than of muscle. In addition to starring in the film, he contributed his voice to the video games '' The Punisher'' and ''
Gun A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...
''. He also co-owns RAW, an entertainment company which he runs with Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet. RAW Studios, the company's comic-book division, released '' Bad Planet'' (written by Jane) through
Image Comics Image Comics is an independent American American comic book, comic book publisher and is the third largest direct market comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry by market share. Its best-known publications include ''Spawn (comics) ...
. Jane became a spokesperson for Niles and the cover model for comic-book character Cal McDonald in 2006. In addition to his screen work, Jane has appeared several times on stage, and received strong critical reviews as Tom in
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
' '' The Glass Menagerie'', and as Chris in
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
's '' All My Sons''. He has also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in an episode of the television series ''
Arrested Development ''Arrested Development'' is an American satire, satirical television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family and is presented in a Serial (radio and television), serialized format, inco ...
''. Jane did not return in the planned sequel to ''The Punisher''.
Lions Gate Entertainment Starz Entertainment Corp, formerly known officially as Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation and commonly as Lions Gate and/or Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment industry, entertainment company currently headquartered in Santa Monica ...
had approved a direct sequel due to the strong sales of the film on DVD. However, the project lingered in development for over three years. Jonathan Hensleigh completed a first draft of the script before leaving the project in 2006.
John Dahl John Dahl (born June 15, 1956) is an American film and television director and writer, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre. Early life John Dahl was born and raised in Billings, Montana, the second of four children (his brother is fi ...
was in talks to direct the film, but cited his dislike of the script and the reduced budget as his reasons for refusing. In a statement on May 15, 2007, and in two audio interviews, Jane said that he pulled out of the project due to creative differences and the studio's further reduction of the budget. Jane said in June 2007 that
Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...
had expressed interest in casting him for the role of the Comedian for the adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'', but because he was too busy, he turned down the role, which was eventually given to Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The same year he starred in Frank Darabont's adaptation of the
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
novella, '' The Mist''. His directorial debut was the 2009 film '' Dark Country'', in which he also played the main character. In 2009, Jane starred with
Ving Rhames Irving Rameses Rhames ( ; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible (film series), ''Mission: Impossible'' film series (1996–2025) and crime boss Marsellus Wal ...
in the
crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
'' Give 'Em Hell, Malone'', which premiered at
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
. On December 18, 2008,
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
announced it was picking up the
black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
'' Hung'', and Jane was contracted to star in the show. He plays the character of Ray Drecker, a high-school history teacher and basketball coach, who after attending a self-help class while being down on his luck, decides to market the large size of his
penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...
as a path to success. The series was renewed for a second season, which aired in the summer of 2010. The show was renewed for a final season, which aired in fall of 2011. Jane appeared on the June/July 2010 cover of '' Men's Fitness'' magazine. He voiced the character
Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the r ...
in an animated short as a companion piece on the Special Edition Blu-ray and two-disc Special Edition DVD release of '' Batman: Under the Red Hood''. On June 7, 2012, Jane released a digital EP, ''Don't Come Home'', under the pseudonym Rusty Blades. At the 2012
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
, Jane debuted an independently financed ''Punisher'' short film, '' Dirty Laundry'', directed by
Phil Joanou Phil Joanou (born November 20, 1961) is an American director of film, music videos, and television programs. He is known for his collaborations with the rock band U2, for whom he directed music videos and their 1988 documentary film ''Rattle a ...
and co-starring
Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...
. On February 1, 2017, Syfy began a two-episode debut of the second season of its critically acclaimed "murder mystery in space", '' The Expanse''. Jane portrays the lead role of Detective Joe Miller in this futuristic saga, in which humans have colonized both Mars and the Asteroid Belt. The series premiered December 2015, and continued through six seasons, with Jane appearing in the first four of them. Jane co-starred in
Shane Black Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor, known for his distinctive style of Action film, action and action comedy films. He is the original creator of the ''Lethal Weapon (franchise), Lethal Wea ...
's '' The Predator'' (2018), a direct sequel to the 1987 film ''
Predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
'' and the 1990 film ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction film, science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins (director), Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, Rubén Bla ...
''. Jane plays a lead role in the Australian
crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
series '' Troppo'', the first season of which aired in 2022 and the second in 2024. In August 2024, actor Jon Bernthal revealed that he trained with Thomas Jane to prepare for his role in the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
series '' Daredevil: Born Again''. The collaboration, which brought together two actors known for portraying the Punisher, highlights Jane's continued influence in the action genre.


Personal life

In 1989, Jane married actress Aysha Hauer, daughter of
Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor, with a career that spanned over 170 roles across nearly 50 years, beginning in 1969. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. H ...
. They divorced in 1995. After meeting through mutual friends in 2001, Jane and actress
Patricia Arquette Patricia Arquette (; born April 8, 1968) is an American actress. She made her feature film debut as Kristen Parker in ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors'' (1987) and has since received several awards, including an Academy Award, two P ...
became engaged in 2002 and had a daughter together before marrying on June 25, 2006, at the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. In January 2009, Arquette filed for divorce from Jane on the grounds of irreconcilable differences, but the couple reconciled and Arquette sought to abandon the divorce petition six months later. However, they proceeded with the divorce, which was finalized on July 1, 2011. The pair were granted joint custody of their child. Jane and former ''Hung'' co-star Anne Heche announced that they were in a relationship in 2019; however, they had separated by the time of Heche's death in 2022. For the film '' The Punisher'' (2004), Jane underwent intense military-style preparation, learning multiple martial arts and military psychology, including studying the ways of the Samurai. During filming, he stood at a height of 5 ft 11 in and weighed 170 pounds, having bulked up by 20 pounds. Jane is known for his preference for going barefoot, including at film premieres and while on set.Thomas Jane hates shoes
/ref>


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Discography


Albums


Bibliography


Awards


References


External links


Official website
*
Original website
(archived) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jane, Thomas 1969 births American street performers American comics writers American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors Arquette family Jewish American male actors Living people Male actors from Baltimore 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors