Van Hansis
Van Hansis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Evan Vanfossen Hansis |
Evan Vanfossen Hansis (born September 25, 1981 in North Adams, Massachusetts) is an Emmy nominated American actor. Hansis, who uses the name Van professionally, currently stars on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns as Luke Snyder, the son of one of the show's signature supercouples, Holden and Lily Snyder (played by Jon Hensley and Martha Byrne); although the character's biological father is Damian Grimaldi. Hansis made his first appearance on December 14, 2005, taking over the role from Jake Weary. Shortly after taking over the role, the character came out as a gay man in a storyline in spring 2006.
Biography
Hansis is originally from North Adams, but moved to Greenfield in the third grade when his mother became a principal in the Gill-Montague Regional School District. He attended Four Corners School and later the Greenfield Center School. Hansis began acting in theater camp as a child. He attended high school at a boarding school near Boston because, he says, he knew by then he wanted to be an actor "and it was a good school for that." He was able to flex his early acting muscles performing at the Shea Theater.
Hansis graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004. Prior to joining ATWT, he starred in the Broadway play The Laramie Project in Pittsburgh, among other stage shows. In 2006 he also starred in the short film The Time Machine. He received a BFA in Acting from the School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University. He has worked professionally at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, in productions of On the Razzle, Twelfth Night, and The Indian Wants the Bronx. Currently (Sept. 2007-Feb. 2008) he is appearing off-Broadway in a production of Charles Busch's Die, Mommie, Die! In 2007, he was nominated for his first Daytime Emmy Award.
Hansis has traveled extensively, having studied theatre in Moscow during his time at Carnegie Mellon. He also visited various countries in Latin America as a child. He lives in New York City, biking around every chance he gets. He is also teaching himself to cook.
In an Out Magazine interview, he mentioned a few of his favorite "gay things": He admires Ian McKellen, thinks Rufus Wainwright writes the best lyrics, counts Magnetic Fields' Stephin Merritt as his favorite musician, and thinks Velvet Goldmine is a great movie.
He is good friends with co-star Elena Goode, who played his cousin and former faux love interest, Jade Taylor.
References
- VanHansis.net
- Various interviews on Soap Central and local and national news stations