Thomas Jane (born Thomas Elliott III; February 22, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in the films Boogie Nights (1997), Deep Blue Sea (1999), The Sweetest Thing (2002), The Punisher (2004), The Mist (2007), 1922 (2017), and The Predator (2018). Jane's television roles include Mickey Mantle in the television film 61* (2001), Ray Drecker in the HBO series Hung (2009–2011), for which he was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, and Josephus Miller in the Syfy/Amazon Video series The Expanse (2015–2019).
Outside his acting career, he has edited and written various comic books, the first of which was Bad Planet (2005). He made his directorial debut with the crime thriller Dark Country (2009). He has also modelled for various magazines, including Men's Health and Da Man. Jane will portray Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy in the 5th season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Contents
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.
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 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' and 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'. People used to pelt me with change just to shut me up."
Jane is an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
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.
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.
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, became a fan, then trained for several months with Navy SEALs, gaining more than 25 pounds (11 kg) of muscle. Later, in 2025, Jane declared: "I was miscast as Frank Castle. He's an Italian. He's got black hair and a whole different sort of lineage… I'm not that guy. I had to dye my hair black and become a different guy. I'm happy the part is now played by someone who is more right for that role. I had fun, and I did the best I could with it. I'm very grateful for it, but I'm not that guy."
In addition to starring in the film, he contributed his voice to the video games The Punisher and Gun (both 2005). 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. 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.
Personal life
In 1989, Jane married actress Aysha Hauer, daughter of Dutch actor Rutger Hauer. They divorced in 1995.
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. 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 vigilante action 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 feet 10 inches (178 cm) and weight of 170 pounds (77 kg), having bulked up by 20 pounds (9 kg).
Jane is known for his preference for going barefoot, including at film premieres and while on set.
He is a comic book fan and, besides participating in numerous conventions and fan meetups, he also writes, edits, and publishes his own comic titles, such as Bad Planet and others.