Jane began his acting career in 1986 at age 17 after his acting coach suggested he audition for the lead male role opposite
Vijayashanti in the Indian romantic comedy
Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1987), which was being filmed in the
Washington metropolitan area. As a result, he spent eight months filming including six months in India. The production ran out of money to pay him, so the actor was given an RV used in the film which he sold to finance his move to Hollywood. After arriving in Hollywood, Jane's early roles included Zeph in
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), directed by
Fran Rubel Kuzui, and the film
Nemesis (1992). He also had supporting roles in several high-profile films, including
The Crow: City of Angels (1996),
Face/Off (1997),
Boogie Nights (1997),
The Thin Red Line (1998),
Thursday (1998), and
Magnolia (1999). After starring in the science fiction horror film
Deep Blue Sea (1999), and receiving critical acclaim as
baseball player
Mickey Mantle in
61* (2001), Jane received offers for leading roles beginning with
Andre Stander in the
South African film
Stander (2003), for which he gained further critical acclaim. Along with director
Jonathan Hensleigh and
Avi Arad, Jane has said he was the first and only actor to be asked to play the
title role in the film
The Punisher (2004). He turned down the role twice, as he did not have much interest in the
superhero genre. When they asked him the second time to play the Punisher,
Tim Bradstreet's artwork of the character secured his interest. After finding out that the character was not a traditional superhero, but more of an
antihero and a
vigilante crime fighter, he accepted, became a fan, then trained for several months with
Navy SEALs, gaining more than of muscle. Later, in 2025, Jane declared: "I was miscast as Frank Castle. He's an Italian. He's got black hair and a whole different sort of lineage… I'm not that guy. I had to dye my hair black and become a different guy. I'm happy the part is now played by
someone who is more right for that role. I had fun, and I did the best I could with it. I'm very grateful for it, but I'm not that guy." In addition to starring in the film, he contributed his voice to the video games
The Punisher and
Gun. He also co-owns RAW, an entertainment company which he runs with
Steve Niles and
Tim Bradstreet. RAW Studios, the company's
comic-book division, released
Bad Planet (written by Jane) through
Image Comics. Jane became a spokesperson for Niles and the cover model for comic-book character
Cal McDonald in 2006. In addition to his screen work, Jane has appeared several times on stage, and received strong critical reviews as Tom in
Tennessee Williams'
The Glass Menagerie, and as Chris in
Arthur Miller's
All My Sons. He has also portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in an episode of the television series
Arrested Development. Jane did not return in the planned sequel to
The Punisher.
Lions Gate Entertainment had approved a direct sequel due to the strong sales of the film on DVD. However, the project
lingered in development for over three years. Jonathan Hensleigh completed a first draft of the script before leaving the project in 2006.
John Dahl was in talks to direct the film, but cited his dislike of the script and the reduced budget as his reasons for refusing. In a statement on May 15, 2007, and in two audio interviews, Jane said that he pulled out of the project due to creative differences and the studio's further reduction of the budget. Jane said in June 2007 that
Zack Snyder had expressed interest in casting him for the role of the Comedian for the adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel
Watchmen, but because he was too busy, he turned down the role, which was eventually given to
Jeffrey Dean Morgan. His directorial debut was the 2009 film
Dark Country, in which he also played the main character. In 2009, Jane starred with
Ving Rhames in the
crime film ''
Give 'Em Hell, Malone'', which premiered at
San Diego Comic-Con. On December 18, 2008,
HBO announced it was picking up the
black comedy Hung, and Jane was contracted to star in the show. He plays the character of Ray Drecker, a
high-school history teacher and
basketball coach, who after attending a self-help class while being down on his luck, decides to market the large size of his
penis as a path to success. The series was renewed for a second season, which aired in the summer of 2010. The show was renewed for a final season, which aired in fall of 2011. Jane appeared on the June/July 2010 cover of ''
Men's Fitness'' magazine. On June 7, 2012, Jane released a digital
EP, ''Don't Come Home
, under the pseudonym Rusty Blades. At the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Jane debuted an independently financed Punisher
short film, Dirty Laundry'', directed by
Phil Joanou and co-starring
Ron Perlman. Jane portrayed one of the lead roles in the critically acclaimed
The Expanse, playing detective Joe Miller for four of the show's six seasons. Jane co-starred in
Shane Black's
The Predator (2018), a direct sequel to the 1987 film
Predator and the 1990 film
Predator 2. Jane plays a lead role in the Australian
crime drama series
Troppo, the first season of which aired in 2022 and the second in 2024. In August 2024, actor
Jon Bernthal revealed that he trained with Thomas Jane to prepare for his role in the
Disney+ series
Daredevil: Born Again. The collaboration, which brought together two actors known for portraying the Punisher, highlights Jane's continued influence in the action genre. In December 2025, it was announced that Jane will portray
Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy in the
5th season of
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. ==Personal life==