You’ve probably seen her face a dozen times without even realizing it. Maybe she was the edgy teen in a procedural drama you binged at 2 AM, or perhaps you caught her name in the rolling credits of a buzzy indie flick. Honestly, trying to keep up with hannah marks movies and tv shows is like trying to track a moving target. She isn't just an actress anymore. She’s a director. A writer. A producer. Basically, she’s one of the few people in Hollywood who actually followed through on that "I want to do it all" promise.
Born in 1993, Hannah Marks didn't just stumble into the industry. She started acting professionally when she was barely out of kindergarten. By the time she was a teenager, she had more credits than most veterans. But the real story isn't just about her early start. It’s about how she pivoted from being "that girl from that show" to becoming one of the youngest women ever to direct a major studio feature.
The Early Days: From Procedurals to Cult Hits
If you look back at her early career, it’s a total trip. She was doing the rounds on every major TV show in the mid-2000s. We’re talking Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, and Law & Order: SVU. You name a crime, and Hannah Marks probably played the witness or the rebellious daughter in at least one episode.
One of her first "big" breaks was the 2006 comedy Accepted. Remember that? The movie where Justin Long starts a fake college? She played Lizzie Gaines, and even back then, she had this dry, grounded energy that made her stand out from the typical "kid sister" tropes.
Then came The Runaways in 2010. She played Tammy, rubbing shoulders with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. It was a gritty, loud, rock-and-roll biopic, and it sorta signaled that she wasn't interested in just being a Disney-fied starlet. She wanted the weird stuff. The indie stuff.
That "Dirk Gently" Era and the TV Pivot
For a lot of fans, the peak of her acting career (so far, anyway) was Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. She played Amanda Brotzman, a character suffering from a fictional, agonizing disease called pararibulitis. It was a wild, kaleidoscopic show based on Douglas Adams' work. Playing Amanda allowed her to be vulnerable, funny, and physically intense all at once.
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It’s a shame the show only lasted two seasons. Honestly, it was way ahead of its time. But that’s the thing about hannah marks movies and tv shows—they often have this "cult favorite" DNA. People who love them really love them.
Aside from Dirk Gently, her TV resume is surprisingly long:
- Weeds (she played Harmony for a decent stretch)
- Necessary Roughness (as Lindsay Santino)
- FlashForward
- The Real O'Neals
- You're the Worst (a brief but memorable stint)
The Shift: When She Started Calling the Shots
Around 2018, something shifted. Marks got tired of waiting for the phone to ring. She decided to write her own ticket—literally. She co-wrote and starred in Banana Split, a high school comedy that subverts every annoying "two girls fighting over a guy" cliché you’ve ever seen. It’s actually about the friendship between the ex-girlfriend and the new girlfriend. It’s sharp, it’s funny, and it feels real.
But the directing bug bit hard.
She made her directorial debut with After Everything (originally titled Shotgun), a movie about a couple who gets fast-tracked into marriage because of a cancer diagnosis. It’s not a "cancer movie," though. It’s a relationship movie that happens to involve a hospital. Critics at SXSW loved it.
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Then came the heavy hitters. In 2022, she directed Don't Make Me Go, starring John Cho. It’s a road trip movie that will absolutely wreck you. Seriously, bring tissues. By the time 2024 rolled around, she was at the helm of Turtles All the Way Down, the long-awaited adaptation of the John Green novel. Being chosen by John Green is basically the gold standard for directors in the YA space.
Why She’s Actually Different
Most actors who "try" directing do one vanity project and call it a day. Marks is different. She’s prolific. In 2021, she wrote and directed Mark, Mary & Some Other People, a movie about open relationships that won Best Screenplay at Tribeca.
She has this knack for capturing how young people actually talk. It’s not "written" dialogue—it’s conversational, messy, and sometimes uncomfortable. Whether she’s acting in a horror anthology like Southbound or directing a studio drama, there’s a specific "Hannah Marks" vibe. It’s indie-sleaze meets high-end craft.
What to Watch Right Now
If you’re looking to dive into her filmography, don’t just stick to the hits. Look for the hidden gems.
- Dinner in America (2020): She executive produced this and played Beth. It’s a punk-rock rom-com that is incredibly chaotic and sweet in the weirdest way possible.
- Daniel Isn’t Real (2019): A psychological horror where she plays Sophie. It’s dark, visual, and shows off her range.
- I Used to Go Here (2020): She stars alongside Gillian Jacobs. It’s a great "quarter-life crisis" movie.
Navigating the Career of a Multihyphenate
It is easy to get confused by her IMDB page because she wears so many hats. Sometimes she’s the lead, sometimes she’s the one behind the camera, and sometimes she’s just producing to get a friend’s project off the ground.
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One thing is certain: she isn't slowing down. As of 2026, she's established herself as a filmmaker who can handle both the tiny $50k budget indies and the massive streaming giants. She’s proven that you don’t have to pick a lane.
If you want to keep up with her work, the best way is to look at the festivals. She’s a darling of Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca. That’s where her most personal projects usually land before they hit your Netflix or Max queue.
To really get the most out of her filmography, start with Banana Split to see her voice as a writer, then move to Don't Make Me Go to see her power as a director. It’ll give you a much better appreciation for her cameos in things like The Amazing Spider-Man (yep, she was Missy Kallenback).
The industry is changing, and people like Hannah Marks are the ones changing it. She’s built a career on her own terms, which is probably the most "Hollywood" thing you can do.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Filmmakers:
- Watch the "John Green" connection: If you loved Turtles All the Way Down, check out her earlier indie After Everything to see the stylistic similarities in how she handles medical drama.
- Follow the Producers: Many of her best acting roles come from her collaborations with indie stalwarts like those behind Dinner in America.
- Study the "Multi-Hyphenate" model: For those looking to enter the industry, Marks’ career is a blueprint for using acting as a bridge to writing and directing, rather than waiting for permission to create.