Thomas Haden Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Haden Church
Church at the 2009 premiere of Don McKay
Born	Thomas Richard McMillen (1960-06-17) June 17, 1960 (age 65) Woodland, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of North Texas
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Partner(s)	Mia Zottoli (2002–2008)
Children	2

Thomas Haden Church (born Thomas Richard McMillen on June 17, 1960) is an American actor. He became well-known for his roles in TV shows like Wings and Ned & Stacey.

He has also starred in many movies. Some of his famous film roles include Lyle van de Groot in George of the Jungle (1997). He was nominated for an Academy Award for his acting in Sideways (2004). Kids might know him best as the Marvel Comics villain Sandman in Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). He also lent his voice to Over the Hedge (2006) and appeared in films like Easy A (2010) and We Bought a Zoo (2011). In 2023, he played Agent Stone in the action comedy series Twisted Metal.

Early Life and Growing Up

Thomas Richard McMillen was born on June 17, 1960, in Woodland, California. His parents were Maxine and Carlos "Carl" Richard McMillen. His father served in the Marines during the Korean War.

After his parents divorced, Thomas and his mother moved to Laredo, Texas. In 1969, his mother married George A. Quesada, who had served in World War II. Thomas later changed his last name to 'Haden Church' because 'Quesada' was hard for people to say.

When he was 13, Thomas started working on a ranch in Webb County, Texas. He left high school for a short time in 1977 to work in oil fields in Louisiana. However, he returned and graduated from Harlingen High School in 1979. He then went to the University of North Texas while living in Dallas.

Acting Career Highlights

Thomas Haden Church began his career in entertainment as a radio personality. He also did voice-over work for commercials. After acting in a small independent film, he moved to California to become a full-time actor.

One of his first big roles was playing Lowell Mather, a friendly but slow-witted aircraft mechanic, on the NBC TV show Wings. He was on the show for six seasons, from 1990 to 1995. After Wings, he starred in another TV show called Ned & Stacey for two seasons.

He also took on supporting roles in movies like Tombstone, George of the Jungle, and Demon Knight.

Church at the Spider-Man 3 (2007) premiere in New York City

In 2003, he directed his first movie, Rolling Kansas. A big moment in his career came in 2004 when he starred in the movie Sideways. His performance in this film earned him an Independent Spirit Award and a nomination for an Academy Award.

He continued to appear in movies like Idiocracy and did voice work for animated films such as Over the Hedge. In 2006, he won an Emmy Award for his role in the TV miniseries Broken Trail, where he starred alongside Robert Duvall.

In 2007, he played the famous villain Sandman in the superhero movie Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire. He was praised for his portrayal of the character. Years later, in 2021, he returned as Sandman's voice in the Marvel movie Spider-Man: No Way Home, which brought together characters from different Spider-Man films.

In 2005, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a special group of film experts. More recently, he appeared in the HBO series Divorce and the 2023 film Acidman.

Personal Life

Thomas Haden Church lives on a large ranch near Kerrville, Texas. He also owns another ranch in the Texas Hill Country.

He has two children from a past relationship with Mia Zottoli. Thomas Haden Church has never been married. His father, Carl, passed away in 2008, and his stepfather, George, passed away in 2012.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

Thomas Haden Church has won and been nominated for many awards for his work in TV and movies.

For his role in Sideways (2004), he was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005. He also received two Golden Globe Award nominations: one for Sideways (2004) and another for the miniseries Broken Trail (2006).

He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2007 for Broken Trail (2006). He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2005 for the cast of Sideways (2004).

See also

In Spanish: Thomas Haden Church para niños