Thomas Mann is one of the many child stars who successfully transitioned into a working adult actor. Mann, who made his acting debut on Nickelodeon, was born in Portland, Oregon, but he spent most part of his childhood in Dallas, Texas, where he picked up an interest in sports. Mann would later pivot to the entertainment industry with the support of his parents.
His debut on a Nickelodeon show in 2009 marked the beginning of an illustrious career which he is still working hard to build. Within a few years of starting his career, the award-winning actor has worked with notable Hollywood stars such as Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Victoria Justice, and James Marsden. Check out facts you probably didn’t know about Thomas Mann.
1. Thomas Mann Started Playing Ice Hockey At The Age Of 5
Thomas Mann, who was born on September 27, 1991, began playing ice hockey at the age of five. He continued playing the sport at Plano East Senior High School but that was as far as he went with it. Mann then left Texas and moved to California at the age of 17 to pursue a career in acting. During this period of figuring out his career plans and goals, his parents stood by his decisions. Interestingly, his parents are not in any way involved in the entertainment industry. While Thomas Mann’s father is a construction project manager, his mother works as a nurse.
2. He Made His Acting Debut On iCarly
Thomas Mann made his acting debut on the Nickelodeon show iCarly, joining a plethora of stars who began their careers on the network. On iCarly, Mann appeared on the show for an episode, playing the role of Jeffrey alongside Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress, and Jennette McCurdy. The same year, Mann portrayed the role of Brendan Nichols in The Middle.
3. Thomas Mann Auditioned 7 Times For His Project X Role
In 2012, Mann notably played Thomas Kub in the surprise megahit, Project X. What’s interesting is that Mann almost didn’t get cast in the movie as producers only wanted newcomers without acting credits. However, after seven auditions he landed the role. After the success of the comedy film, plans were made for a sequel; however, over a decade later, a sequel has yet to be made.
4. 2015 Was A Notable Year In The Actor’s Career
2015 was an especially busy year for the actor. To kick things off, Mann appeared in the movie adaptation of Jesse Andrews’ novel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. His next credit came in The Stanford Prison Experiment where he played Prisoner 416. He was later seen in Barely Lethal before rounding up the year with two more roles in Memoriaand the crime drama, The Preppie Connection.
5. He Won A Hamptons International Film Festival Award For Breakthrough Performer
Mann won a Breakthrough Performer Award at the 23rd Hamptons International Film Festival for his role in The Preppie Connection where he played the main character, Tobias Hammel – a student who builds a drug network through the connections he has in school. The Joseph Castelo-directed film is based on a similar incident that happened in 1984 in Choate Rosemary Hall School where a student named Derek Oatis collaborated with some of his fellow students to start a cocaine business in school. Thomas Mann’s delivery of his role received rave reviews and ultimately earned him an award.
6. Thomas Mann Appeared in the Academy Award Nominated Movie, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On premiered on September 3, 2021, at the Telluride Film Festival before a global release on July 15, 2022. The comedy-drama received both critical and commercial success. The film was subsequently nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, it lost both awards to Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Nevertheless, out of 58 award nominations, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On won 24.
Thomas Mann portrayed the role of Mark Booth, appearing alongside Jenny Slate who voiced the titular character, Marcel. The 2021 movie follows Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp), a documentarian who discovers a talking shell (Marcel) in an AirBnB he rented after his marriage crashed. Though he didn’t get a major role in the movie, Thomas Mann’s appearance in the hugely successful film gave his career a nudge in the right direction.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
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