Thomas Haden Church
Thomas Haden Church | |
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![]() Church at the 2009 premiere ofDon McKay | |
Born | Thomas Richard McMillen June 17, 1960 Woodland, California,U.S. |
Education | Harlingen High School |
Alma mater | University of North Texas |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1989–present |
Partner | Mia Zottoli (2002-2008) |
Children | 2[1] |
Thomas Haden Church(bornThomas Richard McMillen;[2][3]June 17, 1960)[4]is an American actor. After starring in the 1990s sitcomWingsand playing the lead for two seasons inNed & Stacey(1995–1997),Church became known for his film work, including his role of Lyle van de Groot inGeorge of the Jungle(1997), hisAcademy Award–nominated performance inSideways(2004), his role as theMarvel ComicsvillainSandmanin the superhero filmsSpider-Man 3(2007) andSpider-Man: No Way Home(2021), as well as his starring roles inOver the Hedge(2006),Smart People(2008),Easy A(2010),We Bought a Zoo(2011),Max(2015), andHellboy(2019). He also made his directorial debut withRolling Kansas(2003). In 2023, he starred as antagonist Agent Stone in thepost-apocalypticaction comedy seriesTwisted Metal.
Early life
[edit]Church was born Thomas Richard McMillen on June 17, 1960, inWoodland,Yolo County, California,[4]to Maxine (néeSanders; 1936–2021)[5]and Carlos "Carl" Richard McMillen (1936–2008), who served for eight years in theMarinesand who was on active duty at the end of theKorean War;after 1962, Carl worked as a surveyor.[6]Church's parents divorced and his mother moved to Laredo, Texas. She remarried in 1969, to widower George A. Quesada, a veteran of anArmy Air Forcesreconnaissance unit which served in Guam inWorld War II.[7]Church took his stepfather's surname for a time but changed it to 'Haden Church', extracted from the names of other relatives, when people found 'Quesada' difficult to pronounce.[2]He left high school in 1977 to work in the oil fields ofLouisiana,but he returned to graduate fromHarlingen High Schoolin 1979. He attended theUniversity of North Texaswhile living inDallas.[2]
Career
[edit]Church started in the entertainment business as a radio personality and doingvoice-overwork.[8]After appearing in anindependent film,he moved to California to pursue an acting career. His character delivers a love letter toCarla Tortelli(Rhea Perlman) from her deceased former lover, Eddie LaBec, in theCheersepisode, "Death Takes a Vacation on Ice". He played the part of slow-witted aircraft mechanicLowell Matherfor six seasons (1990–95) on theNBCsitcomWings.[9]
He worked in television for two more seasons, with a lead role inNed & StaceyoppositeDebra Messing.He has had supporting roles in films such asTombstone,George of the Jungle,The Specials,andDemon Knight.
Church bought a ranch inTexasin 1998. In late 2000, he took a break from films.[8]After having small roles in films such asMonkeyboneand3000 Miles to Graceland,he made his directorial debut withRolling Kansasin 2003. He has voiceover work in commercials, such as forMerrill LynchandIcehousebeer.[citation needed]
In 2003, directorAlexander Paynecalled him regarding the role of Jack, the selfish best friend ofPaul Giamatti's character, inSideways.During the audition, Church stripped naked to read the audition scene, later saying "To me, it was painfully obvious... I was reading the scene where Jack comes in naked and there has to be in-born vulnerability in the scene."[8](He later found that he was the only actor to strip down for the audition).[10]Sidewaysearned acclaim for Church; he won anIFP Independent Spirit Awardand was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Thomas_Haden_Church_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/170px-Thomas_Haden_Church_by_David_Shankbone.jpg)
He has since appeared in films such asIdiocracy,done voice-over work on films such asOver the Hedgeand starred in one ofAMC's highest rated television productions,Broken Trail,withRobert Duvall,in 2006, for which he won anEmmy.In 2007, he appeared as the villainSandmaninSam Raimi'sSpider-Man 3starringTobey MaguireandKirsten Dunst.[11]He received praise for his portrayal of the character.[12][13]Although he was not present on set he lent his voice to Sandman (digitally created) for theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) filmSpider-Man: No Way Home,which was released in 2021 and linked both the Raimi andMarc Webbfranchises to the MCU. Archival footage fromSpider-Man 3was used to show his human form at the end of the film whereJon Wattsprovided themotion-capturefor Sandman.[14]
In 2005, he was invited to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.In October 2008, Church appeared as "Joe Six-Pack" in a video onfunnyordie.com,challengingJoe the Plumberto a beer-drinking contest.[15]Church starred in theFEARnetwebseries,Zombie Roadkill,alongsideDavid Dorfman.[16]He also appeared in theHBOoriginal seriesDivorce.
In December 2021, it was announced that Church will star alongsideToni ColletteandAnna Farisin the comedy filmThe Estate,directed byDean Craig.[17]
In March 2023, he played Lloyd inAcidman.
Personal life
[edit]Church lives on his 2,000-acre (810 ha) ranch nearKerrville, Texas.[8][18]During the filming ofDivorce,he rented a house inNew Rochelle, New York.[19]He has two children from a former relationship withMia Zottoli.Church has never married.[1][20][18]Church's father, Carl, died in 2008,[6]and his stepfather, George, died in 2012.[7]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Gypsy Angels | Roommate | 1989 version uncredited |
1993 | Tombstone | Billy Clanton | |
1995 | Demon Knight | Roach | |
1997 | George of the Jungle | Lyle Van de Groot | |
One Night Stand | Don | ||
1998 | Susan's Plan | Dr. Chris Stillman | |
Free Money | Larry Lundstrom | ||
1999 | Goosed | Steven Troy | |
2000 | The Specials | The Strobe | |
2001 | 3000 Miles to Graceland | US Marshal Quigley | |
Monkeybone | Death's Assistant | Uncredited | |
2002 | Lone Star State of Mind | Killer | |
The Badge | David Hardwick | ||
2003 | Rolling Kansas | Agent Madsen / Trooper | Uncredited Also writer/director |
George of the Jungle 2 | Lyle Van de Groot | Direct-to-video | |
2004 | Serial Killing 4 Dummys | Vince Grimaldi | |
Sideways | Jack Cole | ||
Spanglish | Mike | ||
2006 | Over the Hedge | Dwayne | Voice |
Idiocracy | Brawndo CEO | ||
Charlotte's Web | Brooks | Voice | |
2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Flint Marko / Sandman | |
2008 | Smart People | Chuck Wetherhold | |
2009 | Don McKay | Don McKay | Also executive producer |
Imagine That | Johnny Whitefeather | ||
Aliens in the Attic | Tazer | Voice | |
All About Steve | Hartman | ||
2010 | Easy A | Mr. Griffith | |
2011 | Another Happy Day | Paul | |
Killer Joe | Ansel Smith | ||
We Bought a Zoo | Duncan Mee | ||
2012 | John Carter | Tal Hajus | |
2013 | Whitewash | Bruce Landry | |
Lucky Them | Charlie | ||
2014 | Heaven Is for Real | Jay Wilkins | |
2015 | Max | Ray Wincott | |
Daddy's Home | Leo Holt | ||
2016 | Cardboard Boxer | Willie | |
2017 | Crash Pad | Grady Dott | |
2019 | The Peanut Butter Falcon | Clint / The Salt Water Redneck | |
Hellboy | Lobster Johnson | ||
2020 | The 24th | Col. Norton | |
2021 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Flint Marko / Sandman | Voice and archive footage[21][22] |
2022 | Acidman | Lloyd | |
2023 | Accidental Texan | Merle Luskey | |
2024 | Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 | TBA | Post-production |
2025 | Wake Up Dead Man | TBA | Post-production |
TBA | Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 | TBA | Filming |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Protect and Surf | Dwight Jesmer | Television film |
21 Jump Street | Tony | Episode: "Eternal Flame" | |
Cheers | Gordie Brown | Episode: "Death Takes a Holiday on Ice" | |
China Beach | Jack Daniels | Episode: "China Man" | |
Booker | Leon Ross | 2 episodes | |
1990–1995 | Wings | Lowell Mather | 123 episodes |
1992 | Flying Blind | Jonathan | 2 episodes |
1993 | Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert | Nelson Hareem | Television film |
1995–1997 | Ned and Stacey | Ned Dorsey | 46 episodes |
1995 | Partners | Episode: "City Hall" | |
1998 | Mr. Murder | Drew Oslett Jr. | Television film |
2001 | Gary & Mike | Additional voices | Episode: "Washington D.C." |
The Cartoon Cartoon Show | Doo Dah (voice) | Episode: "Yee Hah & Doo Dah: Bronco Breakin' Boots" | |
Going to California | Schwee | Episode: "Apocalypse Cow" | |
2003 | Miss Match | Andrew Horn | Episode: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker; Uncredited |
Lucky | Bobby Blaine | Episode: "The Method" | |
2004 | Teen Titans | Killer Moth(voice) | Episode: "Date with Destiny" |
2006 | Broken Trail | Tom Harte | Television miniseries; 2 episodes |
2010 | Zombie Roadkill | Ranger Chet Masterson | Television miniseries; 6 episodes |
2012 | Regular Show | Quillgin (voice) | Episode: "The Christmas Special" |
2016–2019 | Divorce | Robert Dufresne | 24 episodes; Also executive producer |
2021 | Nature | Narrator | Episode: "Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas" |
2023 | Fired on Mars | Trevor Sullivan (voice) | 2 episodes |
Twisted Metal | Agent Stone | Main role |
Video games
[edit]Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Ys | Goban Toba | English dub; Credited as Thomas H. Church |
2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Flint Marko / Sandman |
Awards and nominations
[edit]Church has received multiple awards and nominations for his roles in both television and film. He earned anAcademy Awardnomination forBest Supporting Actorin 2005 for his role as Jack inSideways(2004), twoGolden Globe Awardnominations forBest Supporting Actorin 2004 for the filmSideways(2004) andBest Supporting Actorin 2007 for the miniseriesBroken Trail(2006), won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Moviein 2007 forBroken Trail(2006), and won one of threeScreen Actors Guild Awardnominations in 2005 forScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureforSideways(2004).
References
[edit]- ^abHow did Thomas Haden Church land his role on Divorce? 'I was age-appropriate',Oct. 2016 in the Guardian:As he points out, he has never been divorced (or married). "But I did go through a pretty significant upheaval several years ago. I have an ex with two children. So having gone through something as sort of life-changing as that myself..." he trails off a bit, sounding uncomfortable, and pivots to something less personal.
- ^abcBuck, Jerry (August 3, 1992)."'Wings' Character Stumbles, But He's Not Stupid, Star Says ".Deseret News.Associated Press. Archived fromthe originalon June 3, 2016.RetrievedMarch 1,2013.
His birth name was McMillen, but he took his stepfather's name of Quesada. He changed it to Thomas Haden Church 'because nobody could spell Quesada or pronounce it.'
- ^"Thomas Haden Church".TV Guide.RetrievedSeptember 14,2010.
- ^ab"Thomas Haden Church".AllMovie.RetrievedFebruary 16,2018.
- ^"Maxine S. Quesada Obituary".Austin American-Statesman.Retrieved2022-08-28.
- ^ab"Carl Richard McMillen, 71".Bonner County Daily Bee.April 11, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon March 31, 2019.RetrievedMarch 1,2013.
- ^ab"George A. Quesada".Denton Record-Chronicle.July 18, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon April 8, 2013.RetrievedMarch 1,2013.
- ^abcdPilkington, Ed (May 16, 2008)."Naked ambition".The Guardian.RetrievedMay 17,2008.
- ^"Overheard with Evan Smith".January 12, 2017.
- ^Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (April 10, 2008)."Thomas Haden Church's choice career".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMay 17,2008.
- ^"Spider-Man 3 Interviews: Thomas Haden Church - SuperHeroHype".Superherohype.com.April 22, 2007.RetrievedAugust 24,2017.
- ^Macready, Melody (January 10, 2021)."Spider-Man: 5 Ways Sandman Was The Best Villain Of The Trilogy (& 5 Ways It Will Always Be Doc Ock)".Screen Rant.RetrievedFebruary 17,2022.
- ^Betancourt, David; Cavna, Michael (December 20, 2021)."The Top 6 Spider-Man Movie Villains, Ranked".The Washington Post.RetrievedFebruary 17,2022.
- ^Benjamin Bullard (2022-01-03)."Turns out one of Spider-Man: No Way Home's big bads wasn't needed on the movie set".SYFY Official Site.Retrieved2022-01-07.
- ^"Thomas Haden Church vs Joe the Plumber".Funnyordie.com.RetrievedAugust 24,2017.
- ^"FEARnet Goes to Church for Zombie Roadkill",dreadcentral.com; accessed June 10, 2014.
- ^Dalton, Ben (December 2, 2021)."Toni Collette, Anna Faris, Thomas Haden Church set to star in UK-US comedy 'The Estate'".Screen Daily.
- ^abGoldman, Andrew (May 23, 2007)."Church's Doctrine: Thomas Haden Church tells us why he loves older women and making out".Elle.RetrievedAugust 25,2014.
- ^"Thomas Haden Church on Filming 'Divorce' in Westchester".8 January 2018.
- ^"Thomas Haden Church's choice career".Los Angeles Times.10 April 2008.Retrieved24 August2017– via LA Times.
- ^"Spider-Man: No Way Home Reuses Footage From Past Spider-Man Movies".Marvel.Retrieved2021-12-30.
- ^"Looks Like No Way Home Reused Spider-Man 3 Sandman Scenes".Screen Rant.26 December 2021.RetrievedDecember 28,2021.
- ^"9th Annual Film Awards (2004) – Online Film & Television Association".www.oftaawards.com.Retrieved2018-04-14.
- ^"11th Annual TV Awards (2006-07) – Online Film & Television Association".www.oftaawards.com.Retrieved2018-04-14.
External links
[edit]Media related toThomas Haden Churchat Wikimedia Commons
- Thomas Haden ChurchatIMDb
- 1960 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American male video game actors
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male winners
- Living people
- Male actors from Texas
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
- People from Harlingen, Texas
- People from Laredo, Texas
- University of North Texas alumni