Van Hansis (born Evan Vanfossen Hansis on September 25, 1981) is an American actor. Hansis portrayed the rich

Luke Snyder Luciano "Luke" Eduardo Snyder (born Grimaldi) is a fictional character from the American daytime drama ''As the World Turns''. Actor Van Hansis is most recognized for his portrayal of Luke from his debut in December 2005 until the series finale ...

on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

'' from December 14, 2005 until the show's final episode September 17, 2010. The son of long running characters on the series, Luke is known for a gay romantic storyline cited as one of the first in American daytime television. Hansis has had guest roles on several television series and starred in the 2011 thriller film ''

Occupant Within the context of building construction and building codes, "occupancy" refers to the use, or intended use, of a building, or portion of a building, for the shelter or support of persons, animals or property. A closely related meaning is th ...

''. In December 2012, he began playing the role of Thom in the

dark comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single i ...

EastSiders ''EastSiders'' is an American dark comedy web series created by Kit Williamson. It premiered on YouTube on December 14, 2012, and began streaming through Logo TV's website on April 23, 2013. Set in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, the series follows coup ...

''. Hansis later played Jess Gibson in the 2013

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

Devil May Call ''Devil May Call'' is a 2013 horror film directed by American filmmaker Jason Cuadrado and written by Cuadrado and Wyatt Doyle. The film stars Corri English as Samantha, a crisis hotline counselor. Plot Blind telephone counselor Sam (Corri En ...

'', and starred as Dusty in the 2015 LGBT

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

'' Kiss Me, Kill Me''. Hansis was nominated for a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

in 2007, 2008 and 2009 for his ''As the World Turns'' role, and was nominated again in 2016 for his role on ''EastSiders''.

Early life and education

Hansis was born in

North Adams, Massachusetts North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 12,961 as of the 2020 census. Best known as the ...

, 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 A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

called Walnut Hill School for the Arts in

Natick Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...

, because, he says, he knew by then he wanted to be an actor "and it was a good school for that". Hansis graduated from

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

in 2004, receiving a

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

in Acting from the School of Drama.

Career

Hansis appeared in the play ''

The Laramie Project ''The Laramie Project'' is a 2000 play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project (specifically, Leigh Fondakowski, writer-director; Stephen Belber, Greg Pierotti, Barbara Pitts, Stephen Wangh, Amanda Gronich, Sara Lambert, ...

'' in Pittsburgh in 2002, and later worked at the

Williamstown Theatre Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

in Massachusetts in productions including '' On the Razzle'' and ''The Witching Hour'' in 2005.

''As the World Turns''

Hansis portrayed

on the

'' from December 14, 2005 until the show's final episode September 17, 2010. Luke, previously played by

Jake Weary Jacob Weary (born February 14, 1990) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Luke Snyder in the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'', Vince Keeler in NBC's action-drama series '' Chicago Fire'', and for his role as Kevin Lebow in '' ...

, is the son of one of the series' long running

supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

and

Lily Snyder Lily Walsh is a fictional character from the CBS daytime soap opera, ''As the World Turns''. Most notably played by Martha Byrne from May 1985 to September 29, 1989 and again from April 1993 to April 22, 2008, the character was originated in June ...

(played by

Jon Hensley Jon Hensley (born August 26, 1965, in Browns Mills, New Jersey) is an American actor, singer and songwriter, best recognized for his portrayal of Holden Snyder on the CBS daytime soap opera ''As the World Turns'', a role he held from 1985 unt ...

and

Martha Byrne Mary Martha Byrne (born December 23, 1969) is an American actress, singer and television writer. She played the role of Lily Walsh Snyder on the soap opera ''As the World Turns'' from 1985 to 1989, then again from 1993 to 2008; as well as, from ...

, later

Noelle Beck Noelle Beck (born December 14, 1967, in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American actress, best known for her role as Trisha Alden on the ABC daytime soap opera ''Loving''. Career Beck graduated from Baltimore School for the Arts. She portrayed ''Lov ...

). Shortly after Hansis took over the role, the character

came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

as gay on May 9, 2006. Luke subsequently became involved in a romance with another male character, a pairing eventually hailed as the first gay supercouple in American soap opera history. The August 17, 2007 kiss between Luke and Noah Mayer (played by

Jake Silbermann Jake Silbermann (; born on June 1, 1983) is an American actor, writer and producer. Biography Silbermann was born June 1, 1983, and is a native of New York City. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Syracuse University,

) was the first ever gay male kiss on an American daytime drama. Hansis was nominated for a

for portraying Luke in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Other projects

From September 2007 to mid-January 2008, Hansis appeared

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

as Lance Sussman in a production of

Charles Busch Charles Louis Busch (born August 23, 1954) is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and drag queen, known for his appearances on stage in his own camp style plays and in film and television. He wrote and starred in his early plays Off-off- ...

's ''

Die, Mommie, Die! ''Die, Mommie, Die!'' is a 2003 American satirical black comedy film written by female impersonator Charles Busch, who also plays the lead role. Partly spoof and partly homage, it draws heavily on the tropes and themes of American " Psycho-biddy" ...

''. In 2011, Hansis guest starred in the ''

Psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...

'' episode "This Episode Sucks" as Adrian Viccellio, and the ''

Nikita Nikita may refer to: * Nikita (given name) * Nikita, Crimea, a town in Crimea * Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore Film and television *''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film * ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), also known as ''Nikita'', a 19 ...

'' episode "Clawback" as Yuri Levrov. He next appeared in the 2012 ''

The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show fol ...

'' episode "Red Is The New Black" as Derek. In 2012, Hansis began starring as Thom in the

'', which explores the aftermath of infidelity on a gay couple in

Silverlake, Los Angeles Silver Lake is a residential and commercial neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Originally home to a small community called Ivanhoe in honor of Sir Walter Scott. In 1907, the Los Angeles Water Department built the ...

. He has been nominated for two

Indie Series Awards The Indie Series Awards (formerly the Indie Soap Awards) is an annual event hosted by ''We Love Soaps'', based in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Internet. The ceremony ...

for the role, in 2014 and 2016, as well as a 2016 Daytime Emmy nomination. Hansis starred as Danny Hill in the thriller film ''

'', which premiered on the opening night of the

Gotham Screen Film Festival & Screenplay Contest GOTHAM SCREEN is an American cinematic event which became the newest addition to New York City's film festival scene. After its debut in 2007 as a screenplay contest, Gotham Screen, or GSIFF International Film Festival, has been expanded to show ...

in New York City on October 14, 2011. He next appeared as Jess Gibson in the 2013

''. In 2015, Hansis starred as Dusty in the LGBT

'' Kiss Me, Kill Me''.

Filmography

Visual series

* ''

'',

(2005–10) – three

nominations * ''

'', Adrian Viccellio – "This Episode Sucks" (2011) * ''

'', Yuri Levrov – "Clawback" (2011) * ''

'', Derek – "Red Is The New Black" (2012) * ''

'', Thom (2012–2019) – web series; one Daytime Emmy nomination, two

Indie Series Award The Indie Series Awards (formerly the Indie Soap Awards) is an annual event hosted by ''We Love Soaps'', based in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Internet. The ceremony ...

nominations

Film

* ''

'' (2011), Danny Hill * ''

'' (2013), Jess Gibson * '' Kiss Me, Kill Me'' (2015), Dusty * ''

First Reformed ''First Reformed'' is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader. It stars Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, and Cedric Kyles, and follows a Protestant minister (Hawke) struggling with his faith while serving as pastor of a dw ...

'' (2017), Roger

Theater

* ''

'', 2002 (Stephen Mead Johnson, Doc O'Connor) – Pittsburgh (dir. Jesse Berger) * ''Polaroid Stories'' (Narcissus), 2004 –

* '' On the Razzle'' (Ragamuffin), 2005- Williamstown Theatre Festival (dir. David Jones) * ''The Witching Hour'' (Dr. Scott/ Washington Otis), 2005 (dir. Amanda Charlton) - Williamstown Theatre Festival * ''An Evening Honoring The Laramie Project'', 2006 – New York (dir.

Moisés Kaufman Moisés Kaufman (born November 21, 1963) is a Venezuelan theater director, filmmaker, playwright, founder of Tectonic Theater Project, based in New York City, and co-founder of Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre. He was awarded the 2016 National ...

) * ''

'' (Lance Sussman), 2007- New York (dir. Carl Andress) * ''Johnny Applef?%ker'', 2007 - New York (dir. Stephen Brackett) * ''Dance Dance Revolution'' (Wiggles), 2008 - New York (dir.

Alex Timbers Alex Timbers (born August 7, 1978) is an American writer and director and the recipient of Tony, Golden Globe, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two OBIE and Lucile Lortel Awards. He is the recipie ...

)

Personal life

Hansis came out as gay in ''The Fight Magazine'' in May 2014, in an interview with his ''EastSiders'' costar and creator,

Kit Williamson Kit Williamson (born November 13, 1985) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for creating, writing, directing, and starring in the dark comedy web series ''EastSiders''. For his work on the series, he has been nominated for several Ind ...

. He has been with his partner Tyler Hanes since 2007.

Awards and nominations

Hansis was nominated for a

in 2007, 2008 and 2009 for portraying Luke on ''As the World Turns'', and was nominated again in 2016 for his role as Thom on ''EastSiders''. He has also been nominated for two

for ''EastSiders'', in 2014 and 2016. , - , 2007 , ''

'' , Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series , , , , , - , 2008 , ''

'' , Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series , , , , , - , 2009 , ''

'' , Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series , , , , , - , 2014 , ''

'' , Best Lead Actor – Drama , 5th Indie Series Awards , , , , - , 2016 , ''

'' , Outstanding Actor in a Digital Daytime Drama Series , 43rd Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards , , , , - , 2016 , ''

'' , Best Lead Actor – Drama , 7th Indie Series Awards , , ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hansis, Van 1981 births American male soap opera actors American male television actors Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni American gay actors LGBT people from Massachusetts Living people Male actors from Massachusetts People from Greenfield, Massachusetts People from North Adams, Massachusetts