Colin Hanks

Colin Lewes Hanks (born November 24, 1977) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his role as Gus Grimly on the FX crime series Fargo (2014–2015), which earned him nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award.

Hanks gained mainstream attention after a main role on the WB science fiction series Roswell (1999–2001) and his lead role in the film Orange County (2002), which was followed by a starring role in the blockbuster King Kong (2005). Hanks has also had starring roles in the films The Great Buck Howard (2008), Untraceable (2008), The House Bunny (2008), Parkland (2013), Elvis & Nixon (2016), Nobody 2 (2025), and Nuremberg (2025). He had a supporting role as Alex Vreeke in the Jumanji film series (2017–2019).

Hanks had a main role as Jack Bailey on the Fox series The Good Guys (2010) and had a role as Travis Marshall, the main antagonist on the 6th season of Showtime series Dexter (2011), the latter of which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Hanks' other main television roles include Greg Short on the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces (2015–2019), Barry Lapidus on the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer (2022), and Bob Broberg in Peacock's A Friend of the Family (2022). He voiced the titular character on the web series Talking Tom & Friends (2014–2021).

Hanks directed the documentary films All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records (2015), Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) (2017) and John Candy: I Like Me (2025).

Early life Hanks was born in Sacramento, California to actor Tom Hanks and producer and actress Samantha Lewes (born Susan Jane Dillingham; 1952–2002). He has a sister, Elizabeth, and through his father's marriage to his stepmother, actress Rita Wilson, he has two younger half-brothers, Chester "Chet" and Truman.

Hanks attended Sacramento Country Day School, and then Chapman University, before transferring to Loyola Marymount University. He left without earning a degree.

Career

In 1999, Hanks was cast as Alex Whitmann in the science-fiction series Roswell, where he appeared for the first two seasons (making a brief appearance in the third). During that time, he acted in the teen comedies Whatever It Takes with Shane West and Get Over It with Ben Foster. Hanks also made an appearance in an episode of The OC. He appeared in part eight of HBO mini-series Band of Brothers as Lieutenant Henry Jones. In 2002, he starred in his first film as Shaun Brumder in Orange County, alongside Jack Black and Schuyler Fisk. The comedy features Hanks' character trying to get into Stanford University after his guidance counselor mistakenly sends out the wrong transcript.

In 2005, he appeared in the remake of King Kong, playing the assistant to Jack Black's character. In 2006, Hanks had a cameo role in Black's Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, playing a drunken fraternity brother. He starred in the romantic comedy The House Bunny in 2008, playing Oliver, a charming manager of a nursing home and the love interest of Anna Faris' character. In 2008, Hanks began work as director on All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records, a documentary about Tower Records which ultimately premiered on March 17, 2015, at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. The film received funding of nearly $100,000 through a Kickstarter campaign.

In 2009, Hanks appeared in The Great Buck Howard, which was produced by his father and also starred John Malkovich. He also played Father Gill, a young Roman Catholic priest, in season 2 of the TV show Mad Men. In 2009, he made his Broadway debut, acting alongside Jane Fonda in the Moisés Kaufman play 33 Variations. Hanks starred in the 2010 Fox TV series The Good Guys as young detective Jack Bailey, alongside Bradley Whitford who played an old-school detective (Dan Stark). In 2011, he starred in the indie film Lucky, alongside Ari Graynor, Ann-Margret, and Jeffrey Tambor. He also joined the cast of Dexter for season six opposite Edward James Olmos, where he portrays an art historian Travis Marshall who is involved in a murderous apocalyptic cult.

In 2014, he starred as Allison in the second season of the web series Burning Love. The same year, he also portrayed Dr. Malcolm Perry in the historical film Parkland and began a voice role in the show Talking Tom & Friends. He voices Talking Tom, the main character. In 2015, he played Officer Gus Grimly in the FX television series Fargo, for which he received Critics' Choice Television Award and Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

In 2017, Hanks appeared as the adult Alex Vreeke in the film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a role he would later reprise in the film's 2019 sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level. In 2019, Hanks portrayed a young Fred Rogers on the Comedy Central show Drunk History. The same year, Hanks appeared as a guest judge on Netflix's baking competition Sugar Rush in the episode "Sweet Geeks".

Personal life Hanks dated Busy Philipps in the 1990s while in college. In June 2009, Hanks became engaged to former New York publicist Samantha Bryant. The couple married on May 8, 2010, in Los Angeles. and the other in 2013.

Hanks is a San Francisco Giants baseball fan and attended their World Series-clinching victory in Texas in November 2010. He also directed a 30 for 30 short, The Anti-Mascot, about their disastrous Crazy Crab stint in the 1980s. He is also a fan of Liverpool FC, the San Francisco 49ers, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Kings. He was the official Kevin and Bean Los Angeles Kings playoff correspondent for the 2011–12 and 2012–14 seasons.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 That Thing You Do! Male Page 2000 Whatever It Takes Paul Newby 2001 Get Over It Felix Woods 2002 Orange County Shaun Brumder 2003 11:14 Mark 2005 Rx Jonny Also co-producer; a.k.a. Simple Lies Standing Still Quentin King Kong Preston 2006 Alone with Her Doug Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Drunken fraternity brother 2007 Careless Wiley Roth 2008 The Great Buck Howard Troy Gable Untraceable Griffin Dowd My Mom's New Boyfriend Henry Durand a.k.a. My Spy The House Bunny Oliver W. David Frum 2010 High School Brandon Ellis Barry Munday Heavy Metal Greg 2011 Lucky Ben Keller 2012 The Guilt Trip Rob 2013 Super Buddies Megasis/Captain Canine (voice) Video Parkland Dr. Malcolm Perry 2015 No Stranger Than Love Clint Coburn All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records Director; documentary Vacation Jake 2016 Elvis & Nixon Egil Krogh 2017 Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) Director; documentary Band Aid Uber Douche Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Adult Alex Vreeke Uncredited cameo 2019 Jumanji: The Next Level Alex Vreeke 2021 How It Ends Charlie 2024 Orion and the Dark Adult Orion Mendelson (voice) And Mrs Nathan 2025 Nobody 2 Abel John Candy: I Like Me Director; documentary Nuremberg Gustave Gilbert 2026 Lucky Strike Colonel Neale

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999–2001 Roswell Alexander Charles "Alex" Whitman Main role (seasons 1–2); 45 episodes 2001 Band of Brothers Lieutenant Henry Jones Episode: "The Last Patrol" 2004 The O.C. Grady Episode: "The L.A." 2005, 2008 Numb3rs Marshall Penfield 2 episodes 2008 Mad Men Father John Gill 3 episodes 2010 The Good Guys Jack Bailey 20 episodes 2011 Dexter Travis Marshall 12 episodes Robot Chicken Sam Witwicky / Vanity Smurf Voice, episode: "Terms of Endaredevil" 2012 Happy Endings Himself Episode: "Cocktails & Dreams" 2012, 2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Himself / Movie Cop 2 episodes 2013 Burning Love Allison 8 episodes NCIS Richard Parsons 3 episodes Key & Peele Director Episode: "The Power of Wings" Ghost Ghirls Tom Wellington / Bloody Bat Episode: "Field of Screams" 2014 Bad Teacher Coach Donnie 3 episodes 2014–2015 Fargo Officer Gus Grimly Main cast (season 1); guest (season 2) 2014–2021 Talking Tom & Friends Talking Tom, Gardener, Wesley Voice, main role 2015 30 for 30 Shorts Director Short film: The Anti-Mascot Mom Andy Dreeson Episode: "Godzilla and a Sprig of Mint" What Lives Inside Taylor Delaney 4 episodes 2015–2019 Drunk History Various 6 episodes Life in Pieces Greg Short Main cast 2017 30 for 30 Shorts Director Short film; The Amazing Adventures of Wally and The Worm 2018 Sugar Rush Himself / Guest Judge Episode: "Sweet Geeks" 2019 The Final Table Himself / Guest Judge Episode: "USA" 2019–2021 Big City Greens Mark Voice, 2 episodes 2020 American Dad! Alien Captain / Successful Classmate Voice, 2 episodes 2021Impeachment: American Crime Story Mike Emmick 7 episodes 2022 The Offer Barry Lapidus Miniseries A Friend of the Family Bob Broberg 2026 Silo Per Stensen 3 episodes

Music videos Year Artist Song Role 2021 Royal Blood "Hold On" Roy Boulders

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2005 King Kong Preston

Accolades Year Association Category Work Result 2002 MTV Movie Awards Best Male Breakthrough Performance Orange County 2005 Spike Video Game Awards Best Cast Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie 2005San Diego Film Festival Soaring Star AwardBody of Work 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Dexter 2014 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Fargo Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 2016 Satellite Awards Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Life in Pieces