About
RON HANKS is an international producer, director, and showrunner whose creative journey began in Little Rock, Arkansas. His first experience on set came as a teenager, performing in Disney’s The Ernest Green Story, a reenactment of the 1957 Little Rock integration crisis. That early, emotionally charged introduction to storytelling and social change shaped his lifelong commitment to meaningful narrative work.
Ron holds a BA in Theatre and English from Lyon College and an MFA in Acting from DePaul University’s acclaimed Theatre School. He appeared in over twenty plays, musicals, and operas before moving to New York City, where he quickly booked the national tour of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Offstage, he co-founded a New York comedy collective and developed a surprising second passion: artisanal chocolate, which eventually led him west to Los Angeles.
In LA, Ron pivoted into producing and directing, bringing his actor’s instinct and visual storytelling chops to both scripted and unscripted work. He has produced and showrun projects across PBS (Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out), Cooking Channel (Chef Swap at the Beach), Food Network (Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime), Tubi Originals, Lifetime, and Amazon Prime, among others. His directorial debut feature, After the End, was released in 2021. He’s also directed high-profile commercial campaigns for Hourglass Cosmetics, Budget Blinds, and Dos Hombres Mezcal. His most recent luxe-commercial was for the perfume brand, Amaffi, and was shot in Saudi Arabia.
Together with his wife, cinematographer Elizabeth Hodgman Hanks, Ron co-founded 1157 Productions, a Los Angeles-based company dedicated to mission-driven, inclusive storytelling. Their work spans feature films, docuseries, and branded content—often centering underrepresented voices and human-first narratives. Elizabeth’s cinematographic expertise complements Ron’s narrative vision, forming a creative partnership rooted in trust, artistry, and shared purpose.
From regional theater to red carpets, Ron’s career has spanned performance, production, and branded storytelling. He is a member of the Television Academy, SAG-AFTRA, and AEA, and continues to lead projects with aesthetic precision and a passion for purposeful, resonant storytelling.