Colin Hanks Bio
Colin Lewes Hanks, born on November 24, 1977, is an American actor and filmmaker whose work has spanned science-fiction television, studio comedies, prestige drama, and feature documentaries. He first reached a wide audience as a series regular on the WB science-fiction show Roswell before anchoring the teen comedy Orange County, and he later earned critical recognition for his performance on the FX limited series Fargo. Beyond acting, Hanks has built a parallel career as a documentary director through films about Tower Records, the band Eagles of Death Metal, and the comedian John Candy.
Over more than two decades in the entertainment industry, Colin Lewes Hanks has moved comfortably between leading man, character actor, voice performer, and director, earning award nominations from the Golden Globes, the Primetime Emmys, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Critics’ Choice Television Awards along the way. He is the son of Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks and the late producer and actress Samantha Lewes, which placed him in one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families from birth.
Early Life and Background
Colin Lewes Hanks was born on November 24, 1977, in Sacramento, California. His father, Tom Hanks, is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, and his mother, Samantha Lewes, was a producer and actress who appeared in several television productions during the 1980s. Hanks grew up alongside his older sister, Elizabeth, and later gained two younger half-brothers, Chester, nicknamed Chet, and Truman, through his father’s marriage to actress Rita Wilson.
Growing up in Sacramento, Hanks attended Sacramento Country Day School, a private institution known for its strong college-preparatory curriculum. He later enrolled at Chapman University before transferring to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, a city that placed him close to the heart of the American film industry. Hanks ultimately left Loyola Marymount without completing his degree, choosing instead to pursue acting full time. His family connections and his own early interest in performance set the stage for a rapid entry into the profession.
Path to Acting
Hanks began his screen career in 1996 with small television appearances while still a young adult in Los Angeles. By 1999, he had been cast as Alex Whitman, one of the central characters in the WB science-fiction series Roswell, a show about teenage aliens hiding in small-town New Mexico. The role introduced him to a large teen and young-adult audience and ran for two full seasons, with Hanks making a brief return in the show’s third season. During that period, he also appeared in the teen comedies Whatever It Takes and Get Over It, building a steady resume of early film and television work.
His 1999 Roswell casting was followed by an appearance in part eight of the HBO World War II mini-series Band of Brothers, in which he played Lieutenant Hank Jones, and a guest spot on the popular Fox drama The OC. These varied roles allowed Hanks to demonstrate range as a young performer, transitioning between science-fiction, historical drama, and contemporary teen stories. By the time he was cast as the lead in the 2002 comedy Orange County, opposite Jack Black and Schuyler Fisk, he had already established himself as a promising young actor with both television and film credits.
Colin Hanks Career
Early Career (1996–2001)
Colin Lewes Hanks launched his professional acting career in 1996, taking on small roles in television before landing his breakout series regular part on Roswell in 1999. The science-fiction show, which ran on The WB from 1999 to 2002, cast him as Alex Whitman, a human love interest entangled with alien characters. He appeared in the first two seasons as a lead and made a brief return in the third, giving him years of consistent on-screen work during his early twenties.
While working on Roswell, Hanks balanced the series with film opportunities, appearing in the teen comedies Whatever It Takes, co-starring Shane West, and Get Over It, featuring Ben Foster. He also took on a role in part eight of the celebrated HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, playing Lieutenant Hank Jones, a real-life World War II officer. These projects helped him transition from teenage television roles into a more diverse slate of film and prestige television appearances.
Breakthrough (2002–2010)
Hanks achieved his first major film lead in 2002 with the comedy Orange County, in which he played Shaun Brumder, a high school student whose college plans are derailed when his guidance counselor sends out the wrong transcript. The film, which co-starred Jack Black and Schuyler Fisk, established him as a credible leading man in studio comedies and remains one of his most widely recognized early roles. The following year, he continued to expand his range with a supporting part in the 2005 blockbuster King Kong, playing the assistant to Jack Black’s filmmaker character Carl Denham.
By the late 2000s, Hanks was taking on a wider variety of projects. He starred as the charming nursing home manager Oliver in the 2008 romantic comedy The House Bunny, opposite Anna Faris, and played the title role in the 2008 drama The Great Buck Howard, a film produced by his father Tom Hanks and co-starring John Malkovich. In 2009, he made his Broadway debut alongside Jane Fonda in the Moisés Kaufman play 33 Variations and appeared in season two of Mad Men as Father Gill, a young Roman Catholic priest. He also launched his career as a documentary director during this period, beginning work in 2008 on All Things Must Pass, a film about the rise and fall of Tower Records.
Television and Continued Success (2011–2019)
In 2011, Colin Lewes Hanks joined the cast of Showtime’s Dexter for its sixth season, portraying the art historian and main antagonist Travis Marshall, a role that earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. That same year, he starred in the indie film Lucky alongside Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret, and Jeffrey Tambor, further demonstrating his comfort with smaller dramatic projects. He also took on the lead role of young detective Jack Bailey in the 2010 Fox buddy-cop series The Good Guys, opposite Bradley Whitford as his older partner Dan Stark.
The year 2014 brought Hanks his highest-profile television role to date, as Officer Gus Grimly in the FX limited series Fargo. His performance in the second season of the anthology crime series drew nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Critics’ Choice Television Award. In 2018, he joined the blockbuster Jumanji franchise as the adult Alex Vreeke in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a part he reprised in the 2019 sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. From 2015 to 2019, he also played Greg Short on the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces, giving him one of his longest-running comedy roles.
Notable Works and Milestones
Colin Lewes Hanks is best known for his leading turn in Orange County, his supporting role in King Kong, and his award-nominated performance in Fargo. His directing milestones include the 2015 documentary All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records, the 2017 film Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends), and the 2025 documentary John Candy: I Like Me. He has also earned recognition for his voice work as Talking Tom in the animated web series Talking Tom & Friends, which ran from 2014 to 2021.
Colin Hanks Award Nominations
Colin Lewes Hanks has earned multiple high-profile nominations across his career in both television and film. His portrayal of Officer Gus Grimly on the FX series Fargo brought him nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Critics’ Choice Television Award. He was also recognized by the Screen Actors Guild for his role as Travis Marshall in the sixth season of Dexter, earning a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. These nominations reflect a career marked by consistent work across leading networks, premium cable, and major film studios.
Colin Hanks Awards Won
While Colin Lewes Hanks has received a number of prominent award nominations throughout his career, the available verified information does not list a confirmed win of a major industry award. His recognition to date is anchored in nominations from the Golden Globes, the Primetime Emmys, the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild, reflecting strong critical and peer acknowledgment for his work in series television and supporting film roles.
Colin Hanks Family
Colin Lewes Hanks comes from one of the most recognizable families in American film. His father, Tom Hanks, is a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and one of the most celebrated performers in Hollywood history. His mother, Samantha Lewes, was a producer and actress who worked in television during the 1980s and passed away in 2002. Through his father’s marriage to actress Rita Wilson, Colin gained two younger half-brothers, Chester, known as Chet, and Truman.
Hanks has one full sibling, his older sister Elizabeth, with whom he shares both parents. He and his wife, Samantha Bryant, married in 2010 and have two daughters, the first born in 2011 and the second in 2013. Despite his famous last name, Hanks has consistently built a career on his own merits, working across television, film, voice-over, and documentary directing.
Personal Life
Colin Lewes Hanks has been married to Samantha Bryant, a former New York publicist, since May 8, 2010, with the couple holding their wedding in Los Angeles. They share two daughters, born in 2011 and 2013, and the family has largely remained out of the public spotlight. In his personal time, Hanks is a well-known sports fan who follows the San Francisco Giants baseball team, the San Francisco 49ers football team, the Sacramento Kings basketball team, and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, the last of which he served as an official playoff correspondent.
