# Thomas Mann (actor)
**Thomas Mann** (born 1991) is an American actor best known for his lead role in the found-footage teen comedy "[Project X](https://www.edgepedia.org/project-x-2012-film)" (2012) and his breakout role in the indie hit "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (2015).[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3287038/) His credits also include "Brain on Fire" (2016), "Kong: Skull Island" (2017), "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" (2021), the film "About Fate" (2022), and television series such as "The Middle," "Fargo," "[Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/winning-time-the-rise-of-the-lakers-dynasty)," and "Lessons in Chemistry."[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3287038/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Randall Mann Jr., born 1991 in Portland, Oregon[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) |
| Raised | Dallas, Texas; briefly attended Plano East Senior High School before moving to California at 17[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/173565/thomas-mann) |
| Screen debut | Television guest roles in 2009, including Nickelodeon's "iCarly" and "The Middle"[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) |
| Film debut | "It's Kind of a Funny Story" (2010)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3287038/) |
| Breakout | "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (2015), as Greg, a young film buff[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) |
| Television roles | Thaddeus Mobley in "Fargo" season 3; Johnny Buss in "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty"[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/) |
| Producing | Executive producer credits including "Maine" (2018), "Ambush" (2023), "Armor" (2024), and "Fog of War" (2025)[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/) |
| Unions | AEA and SAG-AFTRA member[6](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/thomasmann) |
## Early life
Thomas Randall Mann Jr. was born in [Portland, Oregon](https://www.edgepedia.org/portland-oregon), in 1991, and was raised in Dallas, Texas. He briefly attended Plano East Senior High School before heading west to try his hand at the entertainment industry; TVmaze dates the move to California at age 17.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/173565/thomas-mann) According to TVmaze, his first taste of the spotlight came earlier, in a 6th-grade school production of "Sleeping Beauty."[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/173565/thomas-mann)
## Television and early film work
Mann began appearing on-screen in 2009 with guest roles in teen-oriented television series such as Nickelodeon's "iCarly" (2007-2012) and "The Middle," on which he played Brendan Nichols.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) • [5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/) His first movie role followed in 2010 with the comedy-drama "[It's Kind of a Funny Story](https://www.edgepedia.org/its-kind-of-a-funny-story-film)," in which he played Aaron.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/173565/thomas-mann) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/thomas-mann-4/)
His debut as a feature lead came in "Project X" (2012), playing a high school senior, also named Thomas, whose 17th-birthday party spirals out of control.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) Supporting turns in "Fun Size" (2012), "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" (2013), and "Beautiful Creatures" (2013) followed.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/thomas-mann-4/)
## Breakout and 2010s film career
"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (2015) was the turning point. In the popular independent film, Mann portrayed Greg, a teenage movie enthusiast whose outlook is changed by a friendship with a dying girl; acclaim for both the movie and his work in it brought him a series of follow-up parts.[1](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/) That same output period included "The Stanford Prison Experiment" (2015) as Prisoner 416, "[Barely Lethal](https://www.edgepedia.org/barely-lethal)" (2015), "The Preppie Connection" (2015), "Some Freaks" (2016), the [Mel Gibson](https://www.edgepedia.org/mel-gibson) action film "[Blood Father](https://www.edgepedia.org/blood-father)" (2016), and the drama "Brain on Fire" (2016).[7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/thomas-mann-4/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann)
__Independent features dominated his c.v. until 2017__, when he appeared in "Kong: Skull Island" as Slivko, a vinyl record-loving soldier on the trail of the titular monster.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann) Later 2010s credits include "[The Highwaymen](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-highwaymen-film)" (2019) as Deputy Ted Hinton, "Lady and the Tramp" (2019) as Jim Dear, "[Them That Follow](https://www.edgepedia.org/them-that-follow)" (2019), "The Land of Steady Habits" (2018), "Our House" (2018), and "[Lean on Pete](https://www.edgepedia.org/lean-on-pete)" (2017).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann) • [8](https://technosports.co.in/entertainment/person/thomas-mann/) On television he played writer Thaddeus Mobley in one episode of "Fargo" season 3 (2017) and Johnny Buss in both seasons of "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty."[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/)
## 2020s work
In 2021 Mann appeared in the animated mockumentary "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" as Mark and as the young version of the character Hawkins in "Halloween Kills."[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann) • [5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/) In 2022 he took his first romantic-comedy lead as Griffin Reed, opposite [Emma Roberts](https://www.edgepedia.org/emma-roberts), in "About Fate," an Americanized adaptation of a classic Russian New Year's Eve film; he said he researched the genre nightly and used [Hugh Grant](https://www.edgepedia.org/hugh-grant)'s bespectacled turn in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" as inspiration for the character's energy.[9](https://www.thelist.com/1009912/thomas-mann-discusses-new-rom-com-about-fate-his-career-and-more-exclusive-interview/)
He told The List that the pandemic nearly ended his career: at the beginning of 2021 he had not worked for a full year and considered quitting acting.[9](https://www.thelist.com/1009912/thomas-mann-discusses-new-rom-com-about-fate-his-career-and-more-exclusive-interview/) Work continued after that point, with "Cora Bora" (2023) as Travis, "Parachute" (2023) as Ethan, a four-episode turn as Boryweitz in the series "Lessons in Chemistry" (2023), and "Sovereign" (2025) as Adam Bouchart.[8](https://technosports.co.in/entertainment/person/thomas-mann/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/thomas-mann-4/) He has also taken on executive producer duties, with credits on "Maine" (2018), "Ambush" (2023), "Armor" (2024), "Bloodline Killer" (2024), and "Fog of War" (2025).[5](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/)
## Career pattern
Commentary on his career has emphasized the variety of his roles. Rotten Tomatoes describes him as "a thoughtful presence in a diverse array of features," and an interview with The List framed him as an actor who chooses parts that defy common male-protagonist archetypes.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann) • [9](https://www.thelist.com/1009912/thomas-mann-discusses-new-rom-com-about-fate-his-career-and-more-exclusive-interview/) His own account of role selection is that he looks for characters and chemistry specific enough for a film to stand on its own rather than leaning on its premise.[9](https://www.thelist.com/1009912/thomas-mann-discusses-new-rom-com-about-fate-his-career-and-more-exclusive-interview/)
## References
1. [Thomas Mann, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/thomas-mann/)
2. [Thomas Mann, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3287038/)
3. [Thomas Mann Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/thomas_mann)
4. [Thomas Mann, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/173565/thomas-mann)
5. [Thomas Mann (II): Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-462947/filmographie/)
6. [Thomas Mann Resume, Actors Access](https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/thomasmann)
7. [Thomas Mann, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/thomas-mann-4/)
8. [Thomas Mann: Movies & Web Series on OTT, TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in/entertainment/person/thomas-mann/)
9. [Thomas Mann Discusses New Rom-Com About Fate, His Career, And More, The List](https://www.thelist.com/1009912/thomas-mann-discusses-new-rom-com-about-fate-his-career-and-more-exclusive-interview/)
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*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 M to Ma*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 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