Thomas Haden Church
Born: 17 June 1961
Where: El Paso, Texas, USA
The Oscar-nominated actor's success as Paul Giamatti's road buddy in Sideways strangely reflects his Hollywood career.
Like his character Jack, Haden Church is best known for TV work, notably dead-pan mechanic Lowell Mather in the series Wings.
He is also well known in America for his role as the self-righteous Ned Dorsey opposite Debra Messing in the series Ned and Stacey.
Raised by his stepfather, a former American GI, and his mother, a teacher of nursing, he worked as a teenager on local ranches and boxed and played football.
However, when he unintentionally put an oppenent into a coma for a week during a game he decided to work on college radio.
Haden Church studied journalism at Southern Methodist University while entertaining hopes of directing commercials and being a rock DJ.
After gaining work as a voiceover artist - he was the voice of an American beer for eight years - he made the move to Los Angeles after landing a role in the independent film Stolen Moments.
In 1990, he landed the breakthrough role in Wings and made his big screen debut alongside Val Kilmer in the Western Tombstone in 1993.
Two years later he landed the TV role opposite Messing in Ned and Stacey and a supporting role in the blockbuster hit George of the Jungle, opposite Brendan Fraser, was followed by parts in 3,000 Miles to Graceland and Monkeybone.
Other film credits include Demon Knight, One Night Stand and The Specials.
In 2002, he had a small supporting role in the thriller Badge and was considered for a role in Alexander Payne's About Schmidt - but it went to Delmot Mulroney.
Moving behind the camera, Haden Church made his directorial debut in Rolling Kansas, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.
In 2004, Payne called again, casting him as soon-to-be-married Jack opposite Giamatti in the Oscar-nominated Sideways.
Recent work includes the the romantic comedy Spanglish with Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni.
