Aaron Stanford

Aaron Stanford is an American actor.

Introduction: He is widely recognized for his roles as Pyro in the X-Men film series (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine), Doug in the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes, and as the lead character James Cole in the Syfy television series 12 Monkeys.

Date of Birth: December 27, 1976

Height: 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)

Place of Birth: Westford, Massachusetts, U.S.

Family:

Parents’ Names: Judith (née Dupras) Stanford (mother, English professor), Don Stanford (father, works in publishing).
Spouse’s Name: While not officially confirmed as married, he has referred to a “partner, Laura” in interviews.
Children’s Names: No publicly known children.
Relatives’ Names: David Stanford (brother, musician).

Profession: Actor, producer.

Nationality: American

Religion: Information not readily available.

College or University Attended:

Westford Academy (Westford, Massachusetts)
SUNY Purchase (initially attended)
Rutgers University Mason Gross School of Arts (transferred and graduated magna cum laude in 2000). He also studied at the London Academy of Theatre.

Biography and What Famous For:
Aaron Stanford began his career with a strong focus on theater, performing in local productions in his hometown and later in college and with the London Academy of Theatre. His formal acting training led him to his breakthrough in independent cinema.

He gained critical attention for his feature film debut in Tadpole (2002), where he played a precocious 15-year-old opposite Sigourney Weaver. This role earned him a Golden Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor. He continued to appear in respected films such as Spike Lee’s 25th Hour (2002), Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending (2002), and David Mamet’s Spartan (2004).

Stanford became widely known for his portrayal of Pyro in the superhero films X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), a role he is set to reprise in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). His performance as the tormented Pyro, a mutant with pyrokinesis, showcased his ability to bring depth to a comic book character.

Another significant role was Doug in the horror remake The Hills Have Eyes (2006), where he played a timid character thrust into a terrifying situation.

On television, Stanford has had prominent roles in several series. He played Birkhoff in the CW’s action-thriller Nikita (2010–2013), and most notably, he starred as James Cole in the Syfy science fiction series 12 Monkeys (2015–2018), a television adaptation of the Terry Gilliam film. His work in 12 Monkeys garnered a dedicated fanbase and critical praise for his complex portrayal of a time-traveling protagonist. He also had a recurring role in Fear the Walking Dead (2018).

Aaron Stanford’s career is marked by a blend of independent film work, mainstream blockbusters, and successful television series, demonstrating his versatility as an actor capable of handling various genres and character types.

Have Participated (Selected Filmography):