Wednesday, October 30, 2013

PROPS DEPT - TOM JANE OR "THAT GUY" AS HE'S KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY!


Tom Jane should be a leading man by this point in his career. Since the 90s, he's appeared in a variety of both successful and unsuccessful films such as **Click These Links For The Evolution of Tom Jane** Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Crow: City of Angels, Face-Off (the guy who punches the guard), Boogie Nights, The Thin Red Line, Magnolia, The Sweetest Thing, just to name a few, and has always been one of the best parts about it. Yet, it still doesn't seem like anyone knows who he is (or mistakes him for Aaron Eckhart quite often). They made a joke on Arrested Development once where Tom Jane made an appearance, playing himself and Lindsey Bluth had no idea who he was. Shows that he's a good sport.


Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Jane moved to Hollywood when he was 18. He was homeless, living out of his car for a good portion of his early-career. Presently, Jane is most recognized for his role in the reboot of The Punisher, arguably the better portrayal of the character, rivaling Dolph Lundgren's terrifying performance in the 1980s film. He also caught a lot of attention for his performance as David Drayton in the Stephen King creature-feature The Mist and notably had his own short-lived HBO series at one point called Hung in which he played a male prostitute for three seasons. But his range isn't just limited to dramas. He can also be found in the comedic realm as well, with his hilarious cameo in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World as a member of the Elite Vegan Police (with Brand Routh, former Superman-disaster amending his mistakes). I was definitely the only person in the theater shouting "That's Tom Jane! That's Tom Jane!" The theater owners called the real police.

The problem with Jane as an actor is that he is such a good actor, the chameleon effect takes over. He inhabits his characters to the point where it doesn't seem like Tom Jane is even present on screen and, thus, making him unrecognizable from film to film. For instance, who would believe that slimy character Burke Hicks in Face/Off is the same guy playing Frank Castle in The Punisher? Of Jane's greatest successes yet was a personal project he did, essentially apologizing for how bad The Punisher movie turned out (not to his fault). Returning for the role in a very popular internet short (and the debut of the elusive Marvel One-Shots), this was probably the best and most accurate portrayal of The Punisher to date...


Jane having four directing features, I hope that one day someone gives him a shot at The Punisher franchise (now owned by Disney, eesh). Couldn't hurt, and the video shows a greater understanding of the character than the studios seem to have. For being the trooper that he is, Tom Jane will always have a place (or role) in the Props Department.

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