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Rip Torn
Rip Torn '94 crop.jpg
Torn in 1994
Born
Elmore Rual Torn Jr.

(1931-02-06)February 6, 1931
Died July 9, 2019(2019-07-09) (aged 88)
Burial place Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery
Occupation Actor
Years active 1956–2016
Spouse(s)
(m. 1955; div. 1961)
(m. 1963; died 1987)
Amy Wright
(m. 1989)
Children 6, including Angelica Page
Relatives Sissy Spacek (cousin)
David Torn (cousin)

Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing Marsh Turner in Cross Creek (1983). Torn's portrayal of Artie the producer on The Larry Sanders Show received six Emmy Award nominations, winning in 1996. He also won an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, and two CableACE Awards for his work on the show. Torn is also known for his roles as Zed in the Men in Black franchise (1997–2002) and Patches O'Houlihan in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004).

Early life

Elmore Rual Torn, Jr. was born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, the son of Elmore Rual “Tiger” Torn, Sr., and Thelma Mary Torn (née Spacek). The senior Elmore was an agriculturalist and economist who worked to promote the consumption of black-eyed peas, particularly as a custom on New Year's Day. Thelma was an aunt of actress Sissy Spacek. The family is of German, Austrian, and Czech/Moravian ancestry. The nickname "Rip" is a family tradition among men in the Torn family, having been used by his father, uncle, and a cousin. Torn graduated from Taylor High School in Taylor, Texas, in 1948.

Torn was a member of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, although he graduated from the University of Texas where he studied acting under the Shakespeare professor B. Iden Payne, and was a member of the Alpha Nu chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduation, he served in the Korean War with the 2nd Infantry Division with the military police in the United States Army.

Career

Film and television

After moving to Hollywood, Torn made his film debut in the 1956 film Baby Doll. Torn then studied at the Actors Studio in New York under Lee Strasberg, becoming a prolific stage actor, appearing in the original cast of Tennessee Williams' play Sweet Bird of Youth, and reprising the role in the film and television adaptations. Torn later helped his younger cousin Sissy Spacek enroll in the Actors Studio. He also appeared in the first production of his friend James Baldwin's Blues For Mister Charlie. Along with Baldwin and numerous mutual friends he was active in the Civil Rights movement from the '50s forward, as Baldwin's biographer David Leeming relates.

One of Torn's earliest roles was in Pork Chop Hill, portraying the brother-in-law of Gregory Peck's character. He also had an uncredited role in A Face in the Crowd as Barry Mills. In 1957, Torn portrayed Jody in an early episode of The Restless Gun. In 1957, he starred as incarcerated Steve Morgan in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Number Twenty-Two", and on the same series in 1961, he played a recently released prisoner, Ernie Walters, in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "The Kiss-Off". After portraying Judas, betrayer of Jesus, in 1961 epic film King of Kings, Torn appeared in the February 7, 1962, episode of the acclaimed TV series The Naked City, "A Case Study of Two Savages". He played a graduate student with multiple degrees in 1963 television series Channing, and as Roy Kendall in the Breaking Point episode "Millions of Faces". More military roles followed, as a Marine drill instructor in an episode of The Lieutenant in 1963 and as a GI in an episode of Combat! the next year. In 1964, Torn appeared as Eddie Sanderson in the episode "The Secret in the Stone" in The Eleventh Hour and in the premiere of The Reporter. In 1965, in the film The Cincinnati Kid, he played Slade, a corrupt New Orleans millionaire, who pressures Steve McQueen during a high-stakes poker game. On television that year, Torn portrayed Colonel Royce in the episode "The Lorelei" of Twelve O'Clock High. Following these roles, he had turns as a character actor in numerous subsequent films. The part of George Hanson in Easy Rider was written for Torn by Terry Southern, but according to Southern's biographer Lee Hill, Torn withdrew from the project after co-director Dennis Hopper and he got into a bitter argument in a New York restaurant. Jack Nicholson played Hanson, instead, in a career-launching performance.

In 1972, Torn won rave reviews for his portrayal of a country and western singer in the cult film Payday. He co-starred with singer David Bowie in the 1976 science-fiction film, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

In 1982, Torn played a role as a black magic cult leader in the sword-and-sorcery movie The Beastmaster. He also co-starred in Jinxed!, a comedy with Bette Midler, and appeared as an airline executive in Airplane II: The Sequel. He played a sheriff opposite Treat Williams and Kris Kristofferson in the 1984 thriller Flashpoint. Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in 1983's Cross Creek as a poor neighbor of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in the orange groves of Florida. He was nominated for the CableACE Award for his portrayal of Big Daddy in the 1984 Showtime production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He co-starred with John Candy as a man who helps a tourist win a sailboat race in the 1985 comedy Summer Rental. He had a brief role as Sheriff Hank Pearson in Extreme Prejudice.

Rip and fan crop
Torn in 1993

In 1988, he ventured into directing with The Telephone. The screenplay was written by Terry Southern and Harry Nilsson, and the film was produced by their company, Hawkeye. The story, which concerned an unhinged, out-of-work actor, had been written with Robin Williams in mind. After he turned it down, Whoopi Goldberg expressed a strong interest, but when production began, Torn reportedly had to contend with Goldberg constantly digressing and improvising, and he had to plead with her to perform takes that stuck to the script.

Goldberg was backed by the studio, which also allowed her to replace Torn's chosen DP, veteran cinematographer John A. Alonzo, with her husband. As a result of the power struggle, Torn, Southern, and Nilsson cut their own version of the film, using the takes that adhered to the script and this was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, but the studio put together a rival version using other takes and it was poorly reviewed when it premiered in January 1988.

In 1990, he portrayed Colonel Fargo in By Dawn's Early Light, a film from HBO about a fictional world war. In 1991, he portrayed Albert Brooks' character's celestial defense attorney in Defending Your Life. In 1993, Torn portrayed the OCP CEO in RoboCop 3 and starred opposite Tantoo Cardinal in Where the Rivers Flow North. This is the same year that Torn played the owner of a fictional battery company in a series of Energizer commercials in which the owner of a rival battery company hires various fictional villains to assault the Energizer Bunny and eliminate the competition. He was a naval officer presiding over a wargame in the Kelsey Grammer submarine comedy Down Periscope in 1996.

In 1997, Torn appeared in the Disney film Hercules, in which he voiced the god Zeus. Torn played MIB agency boss Zed in the 1997 hit film Men in Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, a role he reprised in the 2002 sequel Men in Black II. In 2001, Torn portrayed James "Jim" Brody in the comedy film Freddy Got Fingered. In 2004, he played the iconic wrench-tossing coach Patches O'Houlihan in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.

Stage career

Broadway

Torn appeared in ten Broadway plays and directed one. In 1959, he made his feature Broadway debut when he played Tom Junior in Sweet Bird of Youth, for which he won a Theatre World Award and also received a Tony Award nomination.

He returned next in 1962 in the play Daughter of Silence as Carlo, following that with a role in the 1963 production of Strange Interlude. In 1964, he played Lyle Britten in Blues for Mister Charlie, and four years later, he was Roberto in The Cuban Thing for its only performance on September 24, 1968.

In 1971, he portrayed Edgar in Dance of Death, and directed his first Broadway play in 1973: Look Away. In 1975, he portrayed the Son in the Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie and 5 years later, portrayed Don in Mixed Couples. For 13 years, Torn was absent from Broadway, but returned in 1993 to portray Chris Christopherson in Anna Christie. In his last Broadway appearance in 1997, Torn portrayed Will Kidder in The Young Man from Atlanta.

Off-Broadway

Torn made his feature off-Broadway acting debut as Eben Cabot in the play Desire Under the Elms, followed by Peter in The Kitchen at the 81st Street Theatre. His third off-Broadway role in The Deer Park won him the 1967 Obie Award for Distinguished Performance. He performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the play Dream of a Blacklisted Actor, and later at the Joseph Papp Public Theater's Anspacher Theater as William McLeod in Barbary Shore.

Torn's off-Broadway debut as director was for the Evergreen Theater with the play The Beard; he won the 1968 Obie for Distinguished Direction for that work. He next directed The Honest-to-God Schnozzia at the Gramercy Arts Theater, followed by August Strindberg's Creditors and The Stronger—in which he acted beside his wife at the time, Geraldine Page for the Joseph Papp Public Theater. Torn and Page also co-produced that production, and had previously presented the two plays along with Miss Julie at the off-off-Broadway Hudson Guild Theatre the year before.

The Larry Sanders Show

From 1992 to 1998, Torn portrayed Artie in The Larry Sanders Show. For his work, Torn received six consecutive Emmy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and won the award once (1996). Torn was the only actor in the series who won an Emmy Award for his work. Other than the Emmy nominations and win, he received two American Comedy Awards nominations for Funniest Male Performance in a Series, winning once, and two CableACE Awards for his work on the series.

Later career

Rip Torn 2015
Torn attending the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2015

Following The Larry Sanders Show, Torn appeared in many comedic roles in films. He was also known for his voice work and did voice-overs for many animated films.

In 2007 and 2008, he made five guest appearances on 30 Rock as the fictional chief executive officer of General Electric, Don Geiss. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, but lost to Tim Conway, who guest-starred in the same sitcom. Torn's character was reportedly killed off as a direct result of his 2010 arrest, though Tina Fey denied this in a DVD commentary. Torn voiced the character of Hephaestus in the 2010 video game, God of War III.

Torn also appears in the music video for the They Might Be Giants song "Can't Keep Johnny Down", from their 2011 album Join Us.

In 2015, he reprised his role as Zed in a Men in Black safety video for Air New Zealand with rugby player Israel Dagg and singer Stan Walker.

Personal life

Family

Torn was married three times, and had six children and four grandchildren.

His first marriage to actress Ann Wedgeworth lasted from 1956 to 1961. They had a daughter, Danae Torn.

In 1963, Torn married Geraldine Page, and they remained married until her death in 1987. They had a daughter, actress Angelica Page, and twin sons: actor Tony Torn, and Jon Torn (an associate professor of electronic media and film at Northern Arizona University). Torn apparently delighted in the fact that the doorbell of their New York townhouse read Torn Page.

Torn married actress Amy Wright in 1989. They had two children, Katie and Claire Torn.

Death

Torn died on July 9, 2019, at his home in Lakeville, Connecticut, at the age of 88 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He is buried at the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1956 Baby Doll The Dentist Uncredited
1957 A Face in the Crowd Barry Mills Uncredited
Time Limit Lt. George Miller
1959 Pork Chop Hill Lt. Walter B. Russell
1961 King of Kings Judas Iscariot
1962 Sweet Bird of Youth Thomas J. Finley, Jr.
Hero's Island Nicholas Gates
1963 Critic's Choice Dion Kapakos
1965 The Cincinnati Kid Slade
1966 You're a Big Boy Now I.H. Chanticleer
One Spy Too Many Alexander (archive footage)
1967 Beach Red Sergeant Honeywell
1968 Sol Madrid Dano Villanova
Beyond the Law Popcorn
1969 Lions Love THE BEARD Director Uncredited
Coming Apart Joe
Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller
1970 Maidstone Raoul Rey O'Houlihan
1972 Slaughter Dominic Hoffo
Payday Maury Dann
1973 The President's Plane Is Missing George Oldenburg TV movie
Cotter Roy
1974 Crazy Joe Richie
1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth Dr. Nathan Bryce
Birch Interval Thomas
1977 Nasty Habits Father Maximilian
The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Dwight Webb
1978 Coma Dr. George
1979 Heartland Clyde Stewart
1980 One Trick Pony Walter Fox
First Family General G. E. Dumpston
1982 A Stranger Is Watching Artie Taggart
The Beastmaster Maax
Jinxed! Harold Benson
Airplane II: The Sequel Bud Kruger
1983 Cross Creek Marsh Turner Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1984 Misunderstood Will
Flashpoint Sheriff Wells
Songwriter Dino McLeish
City Heat Primo Pitt
1985 Summer Rental Scully
Beer Buzz Beckerman
1987 Extreme Prejudice Sheriff Hank Pearson
Nadine Bufford Pope
1988 Blind Curve Maheu
1989 Hit List Vic Luca
Cold Feet Sheriff
Zwei Frauen Dr. Steve Markowitz
1990 Beautiful Dreamers Walt Whitman
By Dawn's Early Light Colonel Fargo TV movie
1991 Defending Your Life Bob Diamond
1992 Dolly Dearest Karl Resnick
Beyond the Law Deputy Butch Prescott TV movie
1993 RoboCop 3 OCP CEO
Where the Rivers Flow North Noel Lord
1995 For Better or Worse Captain Cole
Canadian Bacon General Dick Panzer
How to Make an American Quilt Arthur
1996 Down Periscope Vice Adm. Dean Winslow
The Mouse Trucker 'God'
1997 Trial and Error Benny Gibbs
Hercules Zeus Voice
Men in Black Zed Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
1998 Senseless Randall Tyson
1999 The Insider John Scanlon
2000 Wonder Boys Quentin "Q" Morewood
2001 Freddy Got Fingered Jim Brody Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
2002 Men in Black II Zed
2003 Rolling Kansas Oldman
Love Object Novak
Maniac Magee George McNab TV movie
2004 Welcome to Mooseport Bert Langdon
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story Patches O'Houlihan
Eulogy Edmund Collins
2005 Forty Shades of Blue Alan James
The Sisters Dr. Chebrin
Yours, Mine & Ours Commandant Sherman
2006 Marie Antoinette Louis XV
Zoom Larraby
2007 Turn the River Teddy Quinette
Bee Movie Lou Lo Duca Voice
Three Days to Vegas Joe Wallace
2008 August David Sterling
Lucky Days Bobo
The Golden Boys Captain Jeremiah "Jerry" Burgess
2009 Happy Tears Joe
American Cowslip Trevor O'Hart
The Afterlight Carl
2011 The Legend of Awesomest Maximus King Looney
3 Weeks to Daytona Sal
2012 Bridge of Names Tom Final film appearance

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1957 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Steve Morgan #22 Season 2 Episode 21: "Number Twenty-Two"
1957 The Restless Gun Jody Episode "Jody"
1960 Thriller Duncan Corey Episode: "The Purple Room"
1961 The Untouchables Pittsburgh Phil Episode: "The Masterpiece"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ernie Walters Season 6 Episode 21: "The Kiss-Off"
1962 Naked City Ansel Boake Episode: "A Case of Two Savages"
1962, 1964 Dr. Kildare John Burroughs/Dr. Keefe 2 episodes
1963 The Lieutenant GySgt Karl Kasten Episode: "The Proud and the Angry"
1964 Combat! Sgt Avery Episode: "A Gift of Hope"
1965 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Mr. Alexander 2 episodes
Mannix Victor Roarke Episode: "The Open Web"
Rawhide Chiricahua Chief Jacob Yellow-Sun Episode: "Escort to Doom"
12 O'Clock High Colonel Royce Episode: "The Lorelei"
1971 Bonanza Will Hewitt Episode: "Blind Hunch"
1978 Steel Cowboy K.W. Hicks Television film
The Eddie Capra Mysteries Kilraine Episode: "The Intimate Friends of Janet Wilde"
1980 Sophia Loren: Her Own Story Carlo Ponti Television film
1982 Blind Ambition Richard Nixon Miniseries
Unknown episodes
The Blue and the Gray Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Miniseries
3 episodes
1984 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy Showtime production
Nominated for CableACE Award for Actor in a Theatrical or Dramatic Special
1986 Dream West Kit Carson Miniseries
2 episodes
1987 Laguna Heat Joe Datilla Television film
1988 April Morning Solomon Chandler Television film
1989 Sweet Bird of Youth Boss Finley Television film
1991 Columbo Leon Lamarr Episode: "Death Hits the Jackpot"
Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind Captain Jack Parsons Television film
1992 Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster Admiral Paul Yost Television film
1992–1998 The Larry Sanders Show Artie 89 episodes
1994 Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III Adolphus Miniseries
3 episodes
1995 Letter to My Killer Russel Vanik Television film
1997–1998 Ghost Stories Narrator 44 episodes
1999 Passing Glory Father Robert Grant Television film
Balloon Farm Harvey H. Potter Television film
2002 Maniac Magee George McNab Television film
Will & Grace Lionel Banks 4 episodes
2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Jules Copeland Episode: "Bedfellows"
2007–2009 30 Rock Don Geiss 7 episodes
2016 TripTank M Voice, Episode: "#InsideRoy"

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes Source
1997 Hercules Zeus
1998 Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules
2010 God of War III Hephaestus
2020 Shadow Stalkers The Producer Posthumous release; Final acting role

See also

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