--- name: "Aaron Stanford" canonical: "https://film.one/person/aaron-stanford" fi1m_id: "aaron-stanford" imdb_id: "nm0822155" tmdb_id: 11022 wikidata_id: "Q302786" roles: ["Actor"] born: "27 December 1976" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 65 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-10-05T04:08:47.119982+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Aaron Stanford ## Identity Aaron Stanford - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/aaron-stanford - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** aaron-stanford - **IMDb ID:** nm0822155 - **TMDB ID:** 11022 - **Wikidata ID:** Q302786 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Stanford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q302786, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822155/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11022 Actor. Born 27 December 1976 in Westford, Massachusetts, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 27 December 1976, Westford, Massachusetts, USA - **Active:** 2003–present - **Average Fi1m score:** 65, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 67 (2), 2020s 60 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 65 to 66 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 3, Science Fiction 3, Adventure 2, Comedy 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $2,205m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Stanford, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q302786, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822155/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/11022 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*X2*](https://film.one/film/x2.md) (80), [*X-Men: The Last Stand*](https://film.one/film/x-men-the-last-stand.md) (54) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Aaron Stanford > Aaron Stanford is good at giving a hesitant outsider enough resolve to carry a genre story. We are less persuaded when the toughness becomes too deliberate and the vulnerable person underneath gets harder to see. Pyro in *X2* (2003) is a conflicted young mutant, a useful part for an actor who can keep vulnerability visible alongside determination. Aaron Stanford's appeal is in that uncertainty. We enjoyed *X2* for the time Bryan Singer gives its crowded cast as much as for its sharply judged opening action. The overlong climax remains a nuisance, but the performances make this an easy place to start with Stanford. The small-scale lead came before the franchise work. Stanford made his screen debut with the lead in *Tadpole* (2002), and Singer cast him after seeing that performance. That performance's sincerity is worth remembering when considering the genre work that followed: Stanford does not need a character to be forceful to make him worth watching. There is room for that sort of performance in *X2*, despite the demands of the action. As Doug Bukowski in *The Hills Have Eyes* (2006), he puts that vulnerability to work in a survival story. Television gave him longer stretches to sustain a character, as Birkhoff in *Nikita* (2010–2013) and James Cole in *12 Monkeys* (2015–2018). The first series of the latter also shows the limitation: the growling, emphatically masculine Cole can make the hurt harder to register. Stanford can carry a complicated story across several series, but that does not mean every attempt at toughness works. We prefer him when the doubt is still visible. Stanford returned as Pyro in *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006) and *Deadpool & Wolverine* (2024). It is the obvious role to recognise, but it need not be the only one worth seeking out. We would welcome more work that allows his characters to be uncertain without treating it as something to hurry past. Start with *X2*; keep *Tadpole* in mind when another superhero film feels like one too many. ## Biography Aaron Stanford is an American actor. He was born on 27 December 1976 in Westford, Massachusetts. He studied at the State University of New York at Purchase before transferring to Rutgers University, from which he graduated with a BFA in 2000, and trained at the London Academy of Theatre. Stanford's film roles include Oscar Grubman in *Tadpole* (2002), John Allerdyce/Pyro in *X2* (2003) and *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006), Doug in *The Hills Have Eyes* (2006), and Pyro again in *Deadpool & Wolverine* (2024). On television he has appeared as Seymour Birkhoff in *Nikita* (2010–2013) and as James Cole in *12 Monkeys* (2015–2018). He has also worked in theatre, including a 2004 production of *Where Do We Live* at the Vineyard Theatre. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) - *Deadpool & Wolverine* (2024), Fi1m 60, as Pyro — [page](https://film.one/film/deadpool-and-wolverine.md) - *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006), Fi1m 54, as John Allerdyce / Pyro — [page](https://film.one/film/x-men-the-last-stand.md) - *X2* (2003), Fi1m 80, as John Allerdyce / Pyro — [page](https://film.one/film/x2.md) ## Complete filmography (47) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *CIA* (2026), series, as Robert Davis - *Deadpool & Wolverine* (2024), as Pyro — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/deadpool-and-wolverine.md) - *Tracker* (2024), series, as Ricky - *Finestkind* (2023), as Skeemo - *Invasion* (2021), series, as Pastor Allen - *Kepley* (2021), as David Logan - *Perry Mason* (2020), series, as George Gannon — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/perry-mason.md) - *Horse Girl* (2020), as Hades - *Star Trek: Picard* (2020), series, as Sneed — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-picard.md) - *Disturbing the Peace* (2020), as Lugnut - *FBI: Most Wanted* (2020), series, as Peter Timmons - *Black Monday* (2019), series, as Doctor - *Furthest Witness* (2018), as Kyle Braddock - *Clinical* (2017), as Miles Richardson - *Westworld* (2016), series, as Peter Myers — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/westworld-2016.md) - *We've Forgotten More Than We Ever Knew* (2016), as The Man - *Chicago Med* (2015), series, as Thomas Marr - *Fear the Walking Dead* (2015), series, as Jim Brauer - *12 Monkeys* (2015), series, as James Cole - *Chicago P.D.* (2014), series, as Thomas Marr - *Chicago Fire* (2012), series, as Thomas Marr - *Nikita* (2010), series, as Seymour Birkhoff - *Holy Money* (2009), as Anthony Tregoni - *How I Got Lost* (2009), as Andrew Peterson - *Echoes* (2009), as Stephan - *Fear Itself* (2008), series, as Stephan - *Flakes* (2007), as Neal Downs - *Mad Men* (2007), series, as Horace Cook, Jr. — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/mad-men.md) - *Traveler* (2007), series, as Will Traveler - *The Cake Eaters* (2007), as Beagle - *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006), as John Allerdyce / Pyro — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/x-men-the-last-stand.md) - *Live Free or Die* (2006), as John "Rugged" Rudgate - *The Hills Have Eyes* (2006), as Doug - *Criminal Minds* (2005), series, as Kyle Mackey — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/tv/criminal-minds.md) - *Runaway* (2005), as Michael Adler - *Numb3rs* (2005), series, as Brett Chandler - *Standing Still* (2005), as Rich - *Breaking Vegas* (2004), as Narrator - *Spartan* (2004), as Michael Blake - *Winter Solstice* (2004), as Gabe Winters - *Rick* (2003), as Duke - *X2* (2003), as John Allerdyce / Pyro — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/x2.md) - *25th Hour* (2002), as Marcuse - *Tadpole* (2002), as Oscar Grubman - *Hollywood Ending* (2002), as Actor - *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Josh Snow - *Third Watch* (1999), series, as Sergei ## Gallery - ![Aaron Stanford en el San Diego Comic Con (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-35e1256d7064.jpg) Aaron Stanford en el San Diego Comic Con (2012) — Thibault, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Aaron_Stanford.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Stanford.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff) (2013)](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-7407933771f9.jpg) Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff) (2013) — Thibault, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Aaron_Stanford_-_Nikita.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Stanford_-_Nikita.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-0c9fb4973b74.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Thibault, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Aaron_Stanford_-_Nikita_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Stanford_-_Nikita_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Aaron Stanford at the screening of "Tadpole" in Seattle International Film Festival 2002 (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-d12793d248a9.jpg) Aaron Stanford at the screening of "Tadpole" in Seattle International Film Festival 2002 (2007) — Meutia Chaerani / Indradi Soemardjan http://www.indrani.net, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Aaron_Stanford_2002.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-f1a0e3dae80d.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-76b51ad75b51.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-51c4992ab5c8.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB - ![Aaron Stanford en octobre 2007.](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-fe2f597d2126.jpg) Aaron Stanford en octobre 2007. — Michaël Bemelmans, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Aaron_Stanford_en_octobre_2007.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-038561c22939.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-cd9628b29b3a.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB - ![Aaron Stanford](https://film.one/media/person/339812/gallery-2f9df1444ef2.jpg) Aaron Stanford — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/aaron-stanford