Celebrity Info
Rip Torn was an actor who experienced two notably different phases of recognition throughout his career. In the 1960s and 1970s, he made a name for himself as a talented yet unpredictable figure on Broadway and in episodic television. Later, in the 1990s, he reinvented himself as a clever and Emmy-winning comedic performer, especially through his memorable roles in shows like The Larry Sanders Show (HBO, 1992–1998) and films such as Men in Black (1997).
Born Elmore Rual Torn, Jr., on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, he took on the stage name “Rip,” a nickname traditionally used by the men in his family. Initially, Torn had plans to follow in his father’s footsteps—his father was a respected agriculturalist and economist—by studying agriculture at Texas A&M University. However, he soon discovered a passion for acting and transferred to the University of Texas to pursue that instead.
After completing his studies, Torn served as a military policeman in the U.S. Army before heading to Hollywood. Unfortunately, his early days in the entertainment industry were rocky, and he found himself working as a dishwasher more often than acting. This led him to move to New York, where he enrolled at the Actors Studio under the guidance of Lee Strasberg. His time there coincided with his first appearances on television and in film, including an uncredited role in Elia Kazan’s Baby Doll (1956).
That same year, he made his Broadway debut in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, playing the emotionally tormented character Brick. He later earned a Tony nomination for his performance in Sweet Bird of Youth, another Tennessee Williams play. He followed his co-stars Paul Newman and Geraldine Page to Hollywood for the 1962 film adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The following year, Torn married Page, and together they became one of the most admired and unique couples in the theater world until her passing in 1987.
While Torn is often remembered for his work on stage, he also maintained a consistent presence in both film and television. He portrayed Judas Iscariot in George Stevens’ King of Kings (1961) and was frequently cast as tough, even menacing characters in a variety of TV episodes and films like The Cincinnati Kid (1966) and Beach Red (1967).
Offstage and off-screen, Torn was known to be a difficult personality. He was let go from the London production of James Baldwin’s Blues for Mr. Charlie after reportedly offending the author and the production team. He also left the film Easy Rider (1969) due to a reported threat from co-director Dennis Hopper involving a knife. One of the most dramatic moments in his career occurred during the filming of Norman Mailer’s Maidstone (1970), where Torn, during an improvised scene, hit Mailer—who was also acting in the movie—with a hammer. The incident escalated into a physical fight, ending with Mailer biting Torn’s ear.
Torn’s reputation for being temperamental did take a toll on his film career, although he often attributed the decline to his outspoken views against war and bigotry. Throughout the 1970s, he focused more on television and stage work in New York, including a notable 1975 revival of The Glass Menagerie with Maureen Stapleton.
His career began to rebound after he received strong reviews for his roles in lesser-known projects like Payday (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), and two CBS miniseries—playing Walt Whitman in The American Parade and Richard Nixon in Blind Ambition (1979). A standout performance came in Cross Creek (1983), which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and another in a Showtime adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which garnered him a CableACE Award nomination.
However, it was his role in Defending Your Life (1991), where he played a cheerful attorney in the afterlife, that truly marked the beginning of his comeback. Inspired by this performance, Garry Shandling cast Torn as Artie, the loyal yet intimidating producer of a late-night talk show in The Larry Sanders Show. This role earned Torn six Emmy nominations and a win in 1996. More importantly, it redefined him as a charming yet mischievous comic actor, a persona he would explore in various ways over the next decade.
He played the bearded director of a secret agency dealing with alien invasions in Men in Black (1997) and its sequel in 2002. He also appeared as a self-important author in Wonder Boys (2000), a wheelchair-bound, wrench-throwing coach in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), and King Louis XV in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006).
Unfortunately, as the 2000s progressed, Torn’s more unruly tendencies caught up with him. A series of DUI arrests culminated in a 2010 incident where he tried to enter a bank office in Connecticut, mistakenly thinking it was his home. He pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and received a suspended sentence of two and a half years. However, the damage to his career was irreversible.
From that point on, Torn primarily worked in independent films and voice-over roles. His final on-screen appearance came in 2016 with the animated comedy series TripTank (Comedy Central, 2014–2016). After that, he largely stepped away from public life. Rip Torn passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in his home in Lakeville, Connecticut, on July 9, 2019.
Rip Torn is perhaps best known for some of his standout performances throughout his acting career. Among his many roles, his performance in Heartland (1979) stands out as his highest-rated film. On the other hand, not all of Rip Torn’s film choices were met with critical acclaim—his role in Zoom (2006), for instance, is regarded as his lowest-rated film. While Rip Torn appeared in a wide variety of movies, these two titles represent the high and low points in terms of critical reception. Whether you’re a long-time fan or just discovering his work, looking at Rip Torn’s filmography through this lens offers an interesting perspective on his diverse career.
Turkey
