Timothy Christopher Hayes was born to Tim Hayes, an executive for Bayer Healthcare, and Susan Hayes, an interior refiner, as the first of three sons. Although he took his first breaths in San Antonio, Texas, his time in the Lone Star State was short-lived due to his father's career demands. Hayes moved around to 8 different states as a child before settling in Chester, New Jersey at the age of 10.
In New Jersey, Hayes's love for acting first revealed itself in 8th grade when he was intent on being cast as the lead in his class production of "Romeo & Juliet" to kiss the girl who played Juliet. Unfortunately, Hayes was cast as Mercutio due to his unconventional appearance, but his natural comedic timing allowed him to steal the show. This marked the beginning of his quest to become a working actor, and his love for comedy and penchant for stealing scenes have continued to this day.
Hayes began making short films with his friends throughout high school and college, producing hundreds of films, including low-budget homages to "Jurassic Park," "Back to the Future," and "Upright Citizens Brigade." He also produced an abundance of original improv material.
After graduating from West Morris Mendham High School in 2003, Hayes attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he pledged Sigma Pi Fraternity and graduated with honors with a degree in economics. Despite his degree, Hayes's focus during this time was theater, where he was able to stretch himself as an actor through diverse works such as Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People" to Charles Busch's "Psycho Beach Party." Studying abroad in Australia and Spain also contributed to his breadth of experiences.
In 2007, Hayes moved out to Los Angeles and booked the lead in his first feature film, "The Loneliest Road in America," a story of three friends on a road-trip along America's beautiful and desolate Route 50. The film was shot on-location in Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California.
Hayes worked at a casting office, where he impressed the producers of "Beneath the Dark" with his performance as a "reader" during auditions. He was offered a small role in the film, earning him SAG eligibility, and attended the film's world premier at the 2010 South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, where his grandmother was his date on the red carpet.
Since then, Hayes has increased his profile, recently finishing filming a principal role in "Black Gold" starring Billy Zane, Eric Roberts, Tom Sizemore, and Michael Madsen. He has another film, "The Grief Tourist," starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Cudlitz opening this year. Hayes provided a lead role in the short-film "Shooting for Something Else," which was recently accepted into the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. He was also cast to appear in two more feature films set to begin filming soon.
Though Hayes often plays the boy next door with a darker side, he is a versatile talent whose sincerity and eagerness to learn have allowed him to find relative success in a short period of time. Strong relationships with family and friends will serve to keep him grounded as his star rises even higher.
