Josh Hamilton, an American actor born on June 9, 1969, in New York City, New York, comes from a family deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. His parents, both active in show business, were actor Sandra Kingsbury and actor/director Dan Hamilton. As he grew up, Josh also became part of a blended family with step-parents who were involved in the arts. His father later married Stephanie Braxton, an actor and writer best known for her work on the long-running soap opera As the World Turns (CBS, 1956–2010), a show that Dan Hamilton also directed episodes for. Meanwhile, Josh’s mother married Theodor Timreck, a director who played a key role in his father’s acting and film debut, A Good Dissonance Like a Man (1977), in which Josh also acted alongside his mother.
Hamilton’s early exposure to the arts helped shape his career path. He pursued theater studies at Brown University, laying the groundwork for what would become a steady and diverse acting career. His television debut came in 1984 with an appearance on the long-running soap opera All My Children (ABC/TOLN, 1970–2011, 2013). A few years later, in 1991, he earned a Daytime Emmy Award for his performance in an episode of CBS Schoolbreak Special (CBS, 1980–1996), a milestone that helped establish his presence in the industry. He continued to build his film resume with roles in Alive (1993), starring alongside Ethan Hawke and Vincent Spano.
One of his standout early performances came in Noah Baumbach’s Kicking & Screaming (1995), where he played the lead role. Following this, Hamilton appeared in a variety of television shows, often in recurring or guest-starring roles. Notably, he was featured in Sex and the City (HBO, 1998–2004) in 2000 and in The Practice (ABC, 1997–2004) in 2003. These appearances helped solidify his reputation as a versatile and dependable character actor.
In 2005, Josh Hamilton married producer Lily Thorne, and together they have one child. Around this time, he continued to work steadily in both film and television. He landed a role in Sam Mendes’ Away We Go (2009) and made multiple appearances on the critically acclaimed series Louie (FX, 2010–15), playing different characters across several episodes. In 2011, he portrayed Robert Irwin opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, and later reunited with Noah Baumbach for the 2012 film Frances Ha.
Hamilton expanded his television presence in 2013 with a role in the third season of American Horror Story: Coven (FX, 2011–present), showcasing his ability to adapt to genre-driven storytelling. He went on to appear in the David Tennant-led miniseries Gracepoint (Fox, 2014) and played a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated drama Manchester by the Sea (2016). Returning once again to Baumbach’s world, he appeared in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and in 2017, he took on the recurring role of Matt Jensen in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (2017–present).
In 2018, Hamilton played the father of Elsie Fisher’s character in Bo Burnham’s critically acclaimed coming-of-age film Eighth Grade, a role that resonated deeply with audiences. That same year, he also starred in Ethan Hawke’s directorial debut Blaze, further demonstrating his range and commitment to character-driven storytelling. Throughout his career, Josh Hamilton has consistently delivered nuanced performances across film, television, and theater, earning the respect of critics and collaborators alike.
So, when it comes to Josh Hamilton’s filmography, one standout performance really shines through — his highest rated movie is definitely Eighth Grade from 2018. That film received a lot of praise, and honestly, Josh Hamilton’s role in it added a lot of emotional depth. On the other end of the spectrum, if we’re looking at his earlier work, his lowest rated film tends to be With Honors, which came out back in 1994. Now, while that movie had its moments, it just didn’t resonate as strongly with audiences or critics over time. Still, it’s interesting to see how Josh Hamilton’s career has evolved, and how roles like the one in Eighth Grade really highlight his growth as an actor. Josh Hamilton definitely made an impact with that later performance, proving that timing and material can make all the difference.