# Ashton Holmes
**Ashton Holmes** (born 1978) is an American actor from [Albany, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/albany-new-york), best known for playing Jack Stall, the son of [Viggo Mortensen](https://www.edgepedia.org/viggo-mortensen)'s character, in [David Cronenberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-cronenberg)'s *A History of Violence* (2005) and PFC Sidney Phillips in the HBO miniseries *The Pacific* (2010).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/) His career combines film work with a long list of guest and recurring roles on American television dramas.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1233/ashton-holmes)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978, Albany, New York, United States[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) |
| Breakthrough role | Jack Stall in *A History of Violence* (2005), directed by David Cronenberg[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) |
| Signature television roles | PFC Sidney Phillips in *The Pacific* (7 episodes, 2010); Thom in *Nikita* (21 episodes, 2010–2011); Tyler Barrol in *Revenge* (2011–2012)[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1233/ashton-holmes) • [4](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ashton-holmes/filmografie) |
| Stage work | Played Mark Cohen in the Collins Tour company of the musical *Rent* from 2002 to 2005[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ashton-holmes) |
| Early career | Greg Johnson on the daytime serial *One Life to Live*, 2002 to 2003[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) |
| Height | 5′ 8½″ (1.74 m)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/) |
## Early life
Holmes grew up in Albany, New York, where he studied acting and music.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) According to his IMDb biography, he became interested in theater and film at age 4, when his mother took him to see *Peter Pan*, and the interest was fixed by a desire to play [Luke Skywalker](https://www.edgepedia.org/luke-skywalker) after seeing *Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope* (1977). He took acting lessons at age 6 and began appearing in community theater, and he attended the Albany Academy.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/)
## Career
**Television beginnings.** After moving to Hollywood, Holmes won a role on the daytime soap opera *One Life to Live* that lasted from 2002 to 2003, which led to guest spots on dramas including *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* and *Cold Case*.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) During the same period he toured with the Collins Tour company of [Jonathan Larson](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-larson)'s musical *Rent*, playing the lead role of Mark Cohen from 2002 to 2005.[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ashton-holmes)
**Film breakthrough.** His break came in 2005 with *A History of Violence*, in which he played Jack Stall, the son of small-town diner owner Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), whose family life fractures after Tom kills two drifters during a robbery.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/news/) The performance helped him win film parts including the 2007 horror thriller *Wind Chill*, co-starring [Emily Blunt](https://www.edgepedia.org/emily-blunt), and the 2008 ensemble comedy *Smart People*, with [Dennis Quaid](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-quaid), Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ellen Page.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/) His other film credits include *Peaceful Warrior* (2006), *The Divide* (2011), *Imperfections* (2018), and *Acts of Violence* (2018), an action thriller with [Bruce Willis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-willis) and Cole Hauser in which he played Roman, one of three brothers rescuing a fiancée from human traffickers.[5](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ashton-holmes) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/news/)
**Television roles.** Alongside his film work, Holmes built a substantial television record. He had a recurring role as Scott Little on *Boston Legal* (5 episodes, 2006), played PFC Sidney Phillips in [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks) and [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s World War II miniseries *The Pacific* (7 episodes, 2010), starred as Thom in the action series *Nikita* (21 episodes, 2010–2011), and appeared as Tyler Barrol on *Revenge* (13 episodes, 2011–2012).[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1233/ashton-holmes) • [4](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ashton-holmes/filmografie) Later recurring and guest work includes Garrett on *Being Mary Jane* (14 episodes, 2017), Roger Dillon on *Bosch* (4 episodes, 2020), and single-episode appearances on *House*, *Numb3rs*, *Criminal Minds*, *Supernatural*, *Arrow*, *Stitchers*, *Motive*, and *NCIS: Hawai'i*.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1233/ashton-holmes) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/)
## Reception
Metacritic lists 21 television credits for Holmes, with an average career score of 62; the highest-scoring title is *The Pacific* at 86 and the lowest is *Ghost Whisperer* at 29.[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ashton-holmes/) TV Insider describes him as an actor with a distinctive mop of curly red-brown hair.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/)
## Other people and companies of the same name
"aston holmes" (styled in lowercase) is also the name of a talent acquisition and recruitment firm with offices in London, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and New York, which held a [Glassdoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/glassdoor) employee rating of 4.5 out of 5 based on 57 reviews.[10](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aston-holmes/?originalSubdomain=uk) • [11](https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/aston-holmes-Reviews-E7021615.htm)
## References
1. [Ashton Holmes, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ashton-holmes/)
2. [Ashton Holmes (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/)
3. [Ashton Holmes, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/1233/ashton-holmes)
4. [Filmografie Ashton Holmes, fernsehserien.de](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ashton-holmes/filmografie)
5. [Ashton Holmes Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ashton-holmes)
6. [Ashton Holmes – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1525948/news/)
7. [Ashton Holmes, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/ashton-holmes/)
8. [Future gen design: Ashton Holmes, Senior Project Designer, Peldon Rose, Mix Interiors](https://www.mixinteriors.com/person/future-gen-design-ashton-holmes-peldon-rose/)
9. [Ashton Holmes' Post, LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ashton-holmes-14389980_after-four-incredible-years-ive-made-the-activity-7450915905582239745-VrIb)
10. [aston holmes, LinkedIn company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/aston-holmes/?originalSubdomain=uk)
11. [aston holmes Reviews, Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/aston-holmes-Reviews-E7021615.htm)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license