Thomas Jane

Thomas Jane (born Thomas Elliott III; February 22, 1969) is an American actor. Born and raised in Maryland, Jane's film career started with the Telugu-language romantic comedy Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1987). His other early films included Nemesis (1992), Face/Off, Boogie Nights (both 1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), and Magnolia (1999). For his role in the science fiction horror film Deep Blue Sea (1999), Jane was seen as "a genuine new action star".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After receiving critical acclaim as baseball player Mickey Mantle 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His voice acting work includes the video games The Punisher and Gun (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' The Glass Menagerie, and as Chris in Arthur Miller'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 and Da Man.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life and education

Jane was born Thomas Elliott III on February 22, 1969, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Cynthia (née Jane), an antiques dealer, and Thomas Elliott Jr., a genetic engineer. He later changed his surname to his mother's maiden name, as there was already a member of the Screen Actors Guild with his birth name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School but dropped out and started taking acting classes while working at a hardware store.<ref name=avhung/> He later moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was initially homeless and lived out of his car, often doing street performances to earn money:<ref name="latimes">Template:Cite news</ref> "I had two songs in my repertoire that I hammered to death, 'Hey Joe' and 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'. People used to pelt me with change just to shut me up."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 in the Indian romantic comedy Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1987), which was being filmed in the Washington metropolitan area. 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.<ref name=avhung>Template:Cite web</ref>

After arriving in Hollywood, Jane's early roles included Zeph in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, and the film Nemesis (1992). He also had supporting roles in several high-profile films, including The Crow: City of Angels (1996), Face/Off (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), Thursday (1998), and Magnolia (1999). After starring in the science fiction horror film Deep Blue Sea (1999), and receiving critical acclaim as baseball player Mickey Mantle in 61* (2001), Jane received offers for leading roles beginning with Andre Stander in the South African film Stander (2003), for which he gained further critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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 genre. 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 and a vigilante crime fighter, he accepted,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> became a fan, then trained for several months with Navy SEALs, gaining more than Template:Convert of muscle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In addition to starring in the film, he contributed his voice to the video games The Punisher and Gun. 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. Jane became a spokesperson for Niles and the cover model for comic-book character Cal McDonald in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition to his screen work, Jane has appeared several times on stage, and received strong critical reviews as Tom in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, and as Chris in Arthur Miller's All My Sons. He has also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in an episode of the television series Arrested Development.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>

Jane did not return in the planned sequel to The Punisher. Lions Gate Entertainment 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 was in talks to direct the film, but cited his dislike of the script and the reduced budget as his reasons for refusing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="FR405">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jane at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con

Jane said in June 2007 that Zack Snyder had expressed interest in casting him for the role of the Comedian for the adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but because he was too busy, he turned down the role, which was eventually given to Jeffrey Dean Morgan.<ref name="FR405" /> The same year he starred in Frank Darabont's adaptation of the Stephen King novella, The Mist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His directorial debut was the 2009 film Dark Country, in which he also played the main character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Jane starred with Ving Rhames in the crime film Give 'Em Hell, Malone, which premiered at San Diego Comic-Con.<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On December 18, 2008, HBO announced it was picking up the black comedy 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 as a path to success.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The series was renewed for a second season, which aired in the summer of 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The show was renewed for a final season, which aired in fall of 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jane appeared on the June/July 2010 cover of Men's Fitness magazine.<ref name="auto1"/> He voiced the character Jonah Hex 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 7, 2012, Jane released a digital EP, Don't Come Home, under the pseudonym Rusty Blades.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Jane debuted an independently financed Punisher short film, Dirty Laundry, directed by Phil Joanou and co-starring Ron Perlman.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jane portrayed one of the lead roles in the critically acclaimed The Expanse, playing detective Joe Miller.l for four of the show's six seasons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Jane co-starred in Shane Black's The Predator (2018),<ref name="collider interviews pred">Template:Cite web</ref> a direct sequel to the 1987 film Predator and the 1990 film Predator 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Jane plays a lead role in the Australian crime drama series Troppo, the first season of which aired in 2022 and the second in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2024, actor Jon Bernthal revealed that he trained with Thomas Jane to prepare for his role in the Disney+ 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

In 1989, Jane married actress Aysha Hauer, daughter of Rutger Hauer. They divorced in 1995.Template:Citation needed

After meeting through mutual friends in 2001, Jane and actress Patricia Arquette became engaged in 2002 and had a daughter together before marrying on June 25, 2006, at the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo in Venice, Italy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2009, Arquette filed for divorce from Jane on the grounds of irreconcilable differences,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but the couple reconciled and Arquette sought to abandon the divorce petition six months later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, they proceeded with the divorce,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which was finalized on July 1, 2011. The pair were granted joint custody of their child.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name="bunte">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="pasquini">Template:Cite news</ref>

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 10 in and weighed 170 pounds, having bulked up by 20 pounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto"/>

Jane is known for his preference for going barefoot, including at film premieres and while on set.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Thomas Jane hates shoes</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	Padamati Sandhya Ragam	Chris	Debut film
1992	Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Zeph	Credited as Tom Janes
1993	Nemesis	Billy
1994	At Ground Zero	Thomas Quinton Pennington	Credited as Tom Elliott
1996	The Crow: City of Angels	Nemo
1997	The Last Time I Committed Suicide	Neal Cassady
	Face/Off	Burke Hicks
	Boogie Nights	Todd Parker
1998	Thursday	Casey
	The Velocity of Gary	Gary
	Zack and Reba	Sparky Stokes
	The Thin Red Line	Private Homer Ash
1999	Deep Blue Sea	Carter Blake
	Molly	Sam
	Junked	Switch
	Magnolia	Young Jimmy Gator	Cameo
2000	Under Suspicion	Detective Felix Owens
2001	Original Sin	Bill / Walter Downs / Mephisto
	Eden	Dov
2002	The Sweetest Thing	Peter Donahue
2003	Dreamcatcher	Henry Devlin
	Stander	Andre Stander
2004	The Punisher	Frank Castle / The Punisher	Credited as Tom Jane
2006	The Tripper	Buzz Hall	Also executive producer
2007	The Mist	David Drayton
2008	The Butler's in Love	The Butler	Short film
	Mutant Chronicles	Sgt. Mitch Hunter	Direct-to-VOD
	Killshot	Wayne
2009	Give 'Em Hell, Malone	Malone	Direct-to-DVD
	Dark Country	Dick	Direct-to-DVD; also director and producer
2010	DC Showcase: Jonah Hex	Jonah Hex	Voice; short film<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Scott Pilgrim vs. the World	Vegan Police Officer	Uncredited cameo
2011	I Melt with You	Richard	Also executive producer
2012	LOL	Allen
	The Punisher: Dirty Laundry	Frank Castle / The Punisher	Short film; also producer
2013	Sirius	Narrator	Voice; documentary
	Pawn Shop Chronicles	The Man<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Direct-to-VOD
	Buttwhistle	Grumisch	Direct-to-VOD
2014	White Bird in a Blizzard	Detective Scieziesciez
	Drive Hard	Peter Roberts	Direct-to-VOD
	Heavenly Sword	Loki	Voice; direct-to-VOD
	Reach Me	Wolfie
2015	Vice	Roy	Direct-to-VOD
	Into the Grizzly Maze	Beckett	Direct-to-VOD
	Broken Horses	Gabriel Heckum
2016	Standoff	Carter Greene	Direct-to-VOD; also executive producer
	The Veil	Jim Jacobs	Direct-to-VOD
	Before I Wake	Mark Hobson
	USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage	Lt. Adrian Marks
	The World's Biggest Asshole	Coleman F. Sweeney	Short film
2017	Hot Summer Nights	Sergeant Frank Calhoun
	1922	Wilfred James
2018	A.X.L.	Chuck Hill
	The Predator	Baxley
2019	Crown Vic	Ray Mandel
2020	The Vanished	Paul Michaelson	Direct-to-VOD
	Hunter's Moon	The Sheriff	Direct-to-DVD
	Money Plane	Harry Greer	Direct-to-VOD
	Run Hide Fight	Todd Hull
	Breach	Admiral Kiernan Adams	Direct-to-VOD
2021	The Last Son	Solomon	Also executive producer
	Apache Junction	Al Longfellow	Direct-to-VOD
	Warning	David
2022	Vendetta	Dante	Direct-to-VOD
	Murder at Yellowstone City	Thaddeus Murphy	Direct-to-VOD; also executive producer
	Dig	Scott Brennan	Direct-to-VOD
	Slayers	Elliot Jones	Direct-to-VOD; also executive producer
2023	Bad Hombres	Rob Carlton
	One Ranger	Alex Tyree	Direct-to-VOD; also executive producer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Bosco	Hunt
2025	Play Dirty	Philly Webb
	Frontier Crucible	TBA	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1990–1991	She-Wolf of London	Johnny	Episode: "Heart Attack"; credited as Thomas Bridgett
1995	High Tide	Barry	Episode: "Barry"
1997	Hollywood Confidential	Lee	Television film
1999	Jonni Nitro	Brack	2 episodes; also director
2001	61*	Mickey Mantle	Television film
2004	Arrested Development	Himself	Episode: "The One Where They Build a House" (uncredited)
2006	Medium	Clay Bicks	2 episodes
2009–2011	Hung	Ray Drecker	30 episodes
2015	Texas Rising<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	James Wykoff	2 episodes
2015–2019	The Expanse<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Josephus Miller / The Investigator	24 episodes; also directed episode: "Mother"
2019	Robot Chicken	The Punisher (voice)	Episode: "Spike Fraser in: Should I Happen to Back Into a Horse"
2022–present	Troppo	Ted Conkaffey	16 episodes; executive producer; also directed 2 episodes

Video games

Year	Title	Voice role	Template:Abbr
2005	The Punisher	Frank Castle / The Punisher	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2005	Gun	Colton White	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Albums

Year	Artist	Album	Notes
2012	Rusty Blades<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Don't Come Home	Singer-songwriter Guitarist

Bibliography

Year	Title	Issues	Notes	Template:Abbr
2005–2013	Bad Planet	8	Editor and written with Steve Niles (1–6) and Bruce Jones (7–8)	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007	Alien Pig Farm 3000	4	Written with Steve Niles and Todd Farmer	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2012	Dark Country	Graphic novel	Editor	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2025	The Lycan	6	Editor and written with David James Kelly and Mike Carey	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Official website
• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: nm0005048

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• Original website (archived)
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