Thomas Haden Church

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Thomas Haden Church
Image:Thomas Haden Church by David Shankbone.jpg
Thomas Haden Church
Birth name Thomas McMillen[1]
Born June 17 1960 (1960-06-17) (age 49)[2]
El Paso, Texas
Years active 1990 - present

Thomas Haden Church (born June 17, 1960[2]) is an Emmy-winning, Academy Award-nominated American film and television actor.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Church, the third of six children,[3] was born Thomas McMillen[1] in El Paso, Texas[2] to an Army officer/health care worker father and a homemaker mother.[2] Church was raised under his stepfather's surname, "Quesada", and later changed his surname to "Haden Church" (both names are in his family tree).[1] He was raised in Laredo, Texas and graduated from Harlingen High School, Harlingen, Texas in 1979, going on to attend the University of North Texas.

[edit] Career

Church started in the entertainment business as a radio personality. A part in an independent film convinced him to move to California to pursue an acting career. He also played the part of dim-witted airport mechanic Lowell Mather for six seasons (1990–1995) on the NBC sitcom Wings. He worked in television for two more seasons with a lead role on Ned and Stacey opposite Debra Messing. He has had supporting roles in films such as George of the Jungle and The Specials. Church often plays villains or comic relief in films, most evident by turns in Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight and Over the Hedge to name a few.

After having small roles in films such as Monkeybone and 3000 Miles to Graceland, Church made his directorial debut Rolling Kansas in 2003. Church later took a break from films and relocated back to his native Texas. He has also done voiceover work in commercials, such as for Merrill Lynch and Icehouse Beer.

In 2003 Payne, a close friend of Church who had promised him a part in his next film, cast the actor in Sideways as Jack, the selfish best friend to Paul Giamatti's character, looking to have one last fling before getting married. Sideways earned acclaim for Church, for which he won an IFP Independent Spirit Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Church has since appeared in films such as Idiocracy, did voice-overs for films such as Over the Hedge and starred in one of AMC's highest rated television productions, Broken Trail, with Robert Duvall, in 2006, for which he won an Emmy. In 2007, he appeared as the villain Sandman in Spider-Man 3 starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst.

In 2005, Church was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[4]

On September 16, 2007, Church won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his role of Tom Harte on AMC's Broken Trail.

[edit] Personal life

Church resides on his large ranch in Kerrville, Texas, where film director Alexander Payne personally visited Church to offer him the role of "Jack" in Sideways. He is a full-time rancher. He is married to Mia Zottoli[5] and has a daughter named Cody. His wife Mia used to be a softcore porn actress and model, her last film came out in 2004.[6]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards

[edit] Nominated

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Thomas Haden Church
  1. ^ a b c Buck, Jerry. "`Wings' character takes off for Church", Austin American-Statesman, 1992-08-23. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Thomas Haden Church Biography (1960-)", Film Reference, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-31. 
  3. ^ "Thomas Haden Church Profile", E! Online, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-31. 
  4. ^ http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2005/05.06.24.html
  5. ^ "ELLE’S JUNE ISSUE: THOMAS HADEN CHURCH", The Bosh, 2007-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-05-31. 
  6. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0583915/

[edit] External links

da:Thomas Haden Church de:Thomas Haden Church es:Thomas Haden Church fr:Thomas Haden Church it:Thomas Haden Church nl:Thomas Haden Church ja:トーマス・ヘイデン・チャーチ no:Thomas Haden Church pl:Thomas Haden Church sq:Thomas Haden Church

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