| Tanner Novlan | |
| Birth Date: | 9 April 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Years Active: | 2009–present |
| Height: | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Children: | 2 |
Tanner Novlan (born 9 April 1986) is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for playing doctor John "Finn" Finnegan on the American CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful since 2020. He has starred as "Struggling Actor" in Liberty Mutual commercials (2019, 2023) and as Gregory Manes on The CW's Roswell, New Mexico (2020–2021).
Tanner Novlan was born on 9 April 1986 in Edmonton, Alberta to parents Doug and Coresa Novlan and raised in Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan.[1] [2] [3] His mother is from Sacramento, California.[4] His paternal grandfather, Clem, had a close bond with Novlan, as he was his first grandchild. Novlan is the eldest of three siblings, with a younger sister and brother.
Novlan grew up on his family's farm, and at the age of twelve, he drove a $350,000 combine harvester. During his childhood, Novlan was very athletic and active in hockey, basketball and water-skiing. Upon his arrival in the United States at the age of 21, he worked for a construction company while taking acting classes.
Novlan made his feature film acting debut in the 2009 direct-to-video horror film Maneater and his television acting debut in the eighth episode of Season 6 of Bones. In 2013, he was selected to take part in the ABC Discovers: Los Angeles Talent Showcase and in 2016 starred in the independent feature film Flatbush Luck, which earned him award nominations for Best Actor at that year's FilmOut San Diego and the Hoboken International Film Festival. In addition, he went on to appear in guest roles on many TV shows, most notably Parenthood, Letterkenny and Modern Family.
In 2019, Novlan ascended to prominence by assuming the role of the "Struggling Actor" in a televised advertisement produced by Liberty Mutual. This particular commercial garnered such widespread acclaim and viewership that it remained in regular circulation until the year 2022.[5] In September 2023, a new commercial for the aforementioned insurance company, featuring Novlan, was unveiled. In March 2020, he was cast in the recurring role of Gregory Manes in The CW's Roswell, New Mexico, first appearing near the end of its second season. He reprised his role for the series' third season in 2021.
Entertainment Weekly exclusively reported that Novlan will star in a Hallmark Channel television film Christmas Class Reunion, opposite Aimee Teegarden.[6] The film premiered on 10 December 2022.[7] [8] In September 2024, Novlan was cast in his second Hallmark film, Debbie Macomber's Joyful Mrs. Miracle, scheduled to air on November 28, 2024.[9] Novlan will portray Austin, the manor's caretaker and Charlotte's (Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes) first love, in a story about three adult siblings returning to their childhood home to fulfill their late grandmother's wishes.
As for his modeling career, Novlan was managed by the modeling agency Vision (styled as VISION) and modeled in print campaigns for the brands Guess and Tommy Hilfiger.[1] [10]
In July 2020, Novlan began playing the contract role of Dr. John Finnegan, on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] It was announced that Novlan had vacated the series in April 2022.[16] [17] Novlan's departure from the role, caused a major social media firestorm and uproar in which fans and critics alike responded negatively to the show's decision to write off Finn and had begun campaigning for the actor's return to the show, with several online petitions, the use of the hashtag #SaveFinn across various social media platforms, including Twitter, and expression of their devastation in soap opera sites' publications polls.[18] [19] [20] [21]
Novlan re-appeared on screen in late May in the series, where the viewers witnessed a shocking twist, where his character Finn was revealed to be alive, which meant the actor had never exited the series.[22] During a segment episode of The Talk, Novlan reveals that he had known about Finn's revival but was bound by contractual obligations to maintain secrecy regarding this storyline arc.[23]
In May 2015, Novlan became engaged to actress Kayla Ewell whom he met five years prior in 2010 on the set of the Australian band Sick Puppies's music video "Maybe."[24] [25] The couple married on 12 September 2015.[26]
On 16 July 2019, Ewell gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Poppy.[27] On 6 June 2022, Ewell gave birth to their second child, a son, Jones.[28] [29] [30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Maneater | Roger Raintree | Direct-to-video natural horror film | ||
| 2010 | 1313: Giant Killer Bees | Connor | Sci-FI film | ||
| 2016 | Flatbush Luck | Jimmy | Comedy-drama film | ||
| 2017 | Fallen Stars | Ben | Drama film | ||
| 2018 | Ice: The Movie | Grant | Sports drama film | ||
| 2019 | My Best Friend's Christmas | Grant Hines | Showtime television film | ||
| 2022 | Christmas Class Reunion | Devin Ryan | Hallmark Channel television film | ||
| 2024 | Debbie Macomber's Joyful Mrs. Miracle | Austin | Hallmark Channel television film |
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Bones | Paul Linoto | Episode: "The Twisted Bones in the Melted Truck" | ||
| 2012 | Parenthood | Jake | Episode: "Together" | ||
| 2014 | Rizzoli & Isles | Wayne Bowman | Episode: "Just Push Play" | ||
| 2016–2017 | Mohawk Girls | Midas | 7 episodes | ||
| 2016 | Cold | J.J. | GO90 original digital series; 2 episodes | ||
| 2017 | Letterkenny | Zack Russell Terrier | Episode: "Great Day for Thunder Bay" | ||
| 2020 | Modern Family | Liam | Season 11 Episode 12: "Dead on a Rival" | ||
| 2020–2021 | Roswell, New Mexico | Gregory Manes | Recurring role; 9 episodes | ||
| 2020–present | The Bold and the Beautiful | John "Finn" Finnegan | Series regular: July 23, 2020–present |
| + List of awards and nominations for Tanner Novlan | Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FilmOut San Diego — Audience Awards | Best Actor | Flatbush Luck | ||||
| Hoboken International Film Festival | Best Actor in a Feature Film | Flatbush Luck | ||||
| SoapHub Awards | Favorite The Bold and the Beautiful Actor | The Bold and the Beautiful | ||||
| SoapHub Awards | Favorite Newcomer | The Bold and the Beautiful |