Van Hansis
ON SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND WEEKLY ONLINE
SOAP STAR STATS
Van Hansis (Luke, ATWT)
Vital Statistics
- Birthdate:
- Sept. 25
- Birthplace:
- Greenfield, Mass.
- Star Sign:
- Libra
- Years On Show:
- Dec. 2005-present
- Awards:
- Nominated for Outstanding Younger Actor Daytime Emmy in 2007
THE 411
Van Hansis was born in Greenfield, Mass. He describes his childhood as "an almost absurdly quaint upbringing, literally on top of a mountain criss-crossed with roads named after family members." As a child, he learned how to have fun on his own. Traveling was also a part of his life, as he took various trips to Latin America. At 13, he hit upon becoming an actor so he left for a boarding school where arts and entertainment were taught regularly. He entered Carnegie Mellon University, where he received a BFA in acting. During his years in college, Hansis also studied theater in Moscow. After college he moved to New York, where a job waiting tables paid his bills. Hansis tried out for the reality series I WANNA BE A SOAP STAR, but was booted off quickly. He auditioned for the role of Luke Snyder on AS THE WORLD TURNS and received a callback. Hansis was originally hired as Luke for only three months, but his popularity led to him signing a two-year contract.
ET CETERA
—His real name is Evan Vanfossen Hansis. Vanfossen means "House of the Fox."
—He loves comic books and would be writing comics if he wasn't an actor.
—He replaced Jake Weary as Luke. Weary is the son of GUIDING LIGHT's Kim Zimmer (Reva).
—He's an avid cyclist who rides around New York whenever he can.
—His favorite actor is Sir Ian McKellan
OTHER ROLES
Theater Roles
On the Razzle
Twelfth Night
The Indian Wants the Bronx
Film Roles
The Time Machine (2006)
LUKE BEFORE YOU LEAP
"I'm an actor just taking on a role. I hope that because of the storyline parents will be able to be more accepting of their kids, or kids will feel more comfortable with their parents. The cool thing is that it's not just Luke's story. Holden has a lot to do with it, Lily has a lot to do with it, and Jade has a lot to do with it. It brings in the entire family, and everybody has their own views and opinions on it."— Soap Opera Weekly, 3/14/06
"The first time I saw my fan site, I had probably aired a couple of months or so and I Googled myself — I think everyone Googles themselves — and the first thing that popped up was this site. I remember looking at it and I just kind of froze. This is going to sound really dramatic, but I started getting hives."— Soap Opera Digest, 9/5/06
"Luke's idol is probably Charlie Brown, because of his sweaters."— Digest, 5/8/07
YOU SHOULD HEAR WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU!
"I was watching the show with a friend of mine who doesn't really watch, and he said, ‘Who's that kid you're with?' I said, ‘That's my son.' He said, ‘How old is he?' I said, ‘I don't know how old I am, but he's supposed to be a teenager.'"— Jon Hensley (Holden, ATWT), Digest, 6/20/06
"I don't think there's anything enjoyable about roller coasters. Alex (Chando, Maddie) is sitting here, saying, ‘What kind of guy are you?'" —Weekly, 7/18/06
