Thomas Jane's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Hung Ray Drecker

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 2009 - Give 'em Hell, Malone 2009 - Dark Country 2008 - Killshot 2008 - Mutant Chronicles 2007 - The Mist 2006 - The Tripper 2004 - The Punisher 2003 - Dreamcatcher 2003 - Stander 2002 - The Sweetest Thing 2001 - Original Sin 2000 - Under Suspicion 1999 - Deep Blue Sea 1999 - Magnolia 1998 - The Thin Red Line 1998 - Thursday 1997 - The Last Time I Committed Suicide 1997 - Face/Off 1997 - Boogie Nights 1996 - The Crow: City of Angels 1992 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

BIOGRAPHY:

Jane was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Cynthia, an antiques dealer, and Michael Elliott, a biogenetic engineer. In 1987, he graduated from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Jane made his film debut in the Telugu Indian film Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1986), directed by late Jandhyala. His early roles included Zeph in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). He had supporting roles in several high profile films, including The Crow: City of Angels (1996) Boogie Nights (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), Thursday (1998) and Magnolia (1999). After receiving critical acclaim as baseball player Mickey Mantle in 61*, Jane began receiving leading roles such as that of Andre Stander in the 2003 South African film, Stander for which he gained further critical acclaim.
Jane, director Jonathan Hensleigh and Avi Arad have said in many interviews that Jane was the first and only actor to be asked to play the title role in the 2004 movie The Punisher. Jane initially turned down the role twice, as well as a part in the first X-Men movie and a few other comic book movies, mainly because he does not see himself as a superhero actor and nor does he have any real interest or liking for superhero characters. Jane said that when they asked him the second time to play the Punisher that what really got him interested in playing the part was when Arad sent Tim Bradstreet's artwork of the Punisher. After finding out that the Punisher wasn't a superhero, but an anti-hero and a vigilante crime fighter, he accepted. He read as many Punisher comics as he could find and quickly became a fan. Jane trained for 6 or 7 months with Navy SEALs and gained more than twenty pounds of muscle for the part.
In addition to starring in the movie he contributed his voice to The Punisher and the Gun video games. He has also written and financed the sci-fi comic book entitled Bad Planet which was released by Image Comics. He is also a spokesperson for Steve Niles and in 2006 Tom modeled for the Dark Horse Comics character Cal McDonald in Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery. Tom and Steve have talked about turning Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery into a live action film with Tom as Cal.
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 himself in the Fox television show Arrested Development in which the show's characters have not heard of him, and do not recognize him as the star actor that he is. In 2005, Marvel released The Punisher video game. The video games' storyline is compiled with different situations and enemies from the Punisher comics, and a character based upon Jigsaw also appeared in the 2005 Punisher video game but with an origin that ties directly into the 2004 Punisher film.
Jane did not return in the planned sequel to the The Punisher. Lions Gate Entertainment had green lit a direct sequel to be made due to the strong performance the film had on DVD. However, the project lingered in development for over 3 years. Jonathan Hensleigh completed a first draft of the script before pulling out around 2006. John Dahl was in talks to direct the film, but pulled out, saying he did not like the script, and that the studio was not willing to spend enough money on the project. In a statement on May 15, 2007 and in two audio interviews, Thomas Jane said that he pulled out of the project because of creative differences, and the budget of the film being cut.
In October 2007, Jane began his directing debut in Albuquerque, New Mexico with a movie called Dark Country to which he is also the main character. Tom has said that the film will be a Hitchcockian thriller and will be filmed in Stereoscopy 3-D. Variety reports that Sony will release The Dark Country in mid 2009.
It was reported on February 8, 2008 that Thomas Jane had joined movie director John McTiernan in the action/thriller movie Run. Although Thomas Jane has yet to say that he has signed on to the film and due to McTiernan's civil suit the film has been put on hold. On May 27, 2008 it was reported that Thomas Jane and actor Ving Rhames have joined the cast in the action film Give ‘em Hell, Malone with writer Mark Hosack and director Russell Mulcahy. Filming took place on October 6 of 08.
On December 18, 2008, HBO announced it was picking up the dark comedy Hung, and Jane was attached 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 use the large size of his penis as a market to success.
It is unknown when, but Thomas Jane will develop a mini series for the Syfy (Sci Fi Channel) called Voyage to Savage Planet. He is also planning on doing a World War II action horror film called The Devil's Commandos.


TRIVIA:

• Enjoys playing guitar.
• Is a fan of the alternative band The White Stripes.
• (February 20 2003) Thomas and 'Patricia Arquette' (qv) welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Harlow Olivia Calliope.
• In a 2005 interview, he claimed that _The Punisher (2004)_ (qv) was both the most fun and the most physically exhausting movie he has done.
• Was 'Zack Snyder' (qv)'s first choice for Edward Blake/The Comedian in _Watchmen (2009)_ (qv), but he had to turn it down because of scheduling conflicts with _Dark Country (2009)_ (qv).
• Always signs autographs.
• Stepfather of 'Patricia Arquette' (qv)'s son Enzo
• Engaged to 'Olivia d'Abo' (qv) in 2000.