Rip Torn
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- February 6, 1931 in Temple, Texas, USA
- Died
- July 9, 2019
- Active Years
- 1944–2012 (69 Years)
- Total Credits
- 192 credits in database
Acting Born Feb 6, 1931 Died Jul 9, 2019 Temple, Texas, USA 192 credits
Biography
Elmore Rual Rip Torn Jr. was an American actor born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, and he died on July 9, 2019, at the age of 88. His acting career spanned more than 60 years. He was best known for his roles as Zed in the Men in Black franchise from 1997 to 2002, Patches O'Houlihan in the 2004 film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and as Artie the producer on television's The Larry Sanders Show. Torn received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. For his work on The Larry Sanders Show, he was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning in 1996, and also won an American Comedy Award and two CableACE Awards.
Sources & verification
Rip Torn — The Movie Database (TMDB)
Rip Torn | Who2
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Career overview
Elmore Rual Rip Torn Jr. was an American actor born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas. His acting career spanned more than sixty years, encompassing numerous film and television credits. He was best known for his roles later in life, including Zed in the Men in Black franchise from 1997 to 2002, and Patches O Houlihan in the 2004 film Dodgeball A True Underdog Story.
Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. On television, he was widely recognized for playing Artie the producer on The Larry Sanders Show. For his work on the series, he was nominated for six Emmy Awards and won in 1996. Additionally, his work on the show earned him an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male in a Series, two CableACE Awards, and a nomination for a Satellite Award.
Throughout his extensive career, Torn established a prominent presence in both television and film. His known acting credits totaled 187. He passed away on July 9, 2019, at the age of 88.
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Frequent co-stars
Madeleine Sherwood
3 shared titles
Karl Malden
3 shared titles
Ray Romano
2 shared titles
John Rothman
2 shared titles
Tommy Lee Jones
2 shared titles
Will Smith
2 shared titles
Linda Fiorentino
2 shared titles
Tony Shalhoub
2 shared titles
Barbara Barrie
2 shared titles
Patrick Warburton
2 shared titles
Career timeline
Men in Black 3Norman Mailer: The AmericanBridge of Names
National Lampoon's The Legend of Awesomest Maximus3 Weeks to Daytona
Happy TearsAmerican CowslipThe Afterlight
AugustTurn the RiverThe Golden BoysLucky DaysLucky Days · Executive Producer
Bee MovieThe Making of Marie AntoinetteThe Making Of 'The Larry Sanders Show'Three Days to Vegas
30 RockMarie AntoinetteZoomSweet Bird of Youth: Chasing Time
Yours, Mine & OursForty Shades of BlueThe Sisters
DodgeBall: A True Underdog StoryExtreme DodgeballWelcome to MooseportLove ObjectEulogy
The Lyon's DenManiac MageeRolling Kansas
Men in Black II
Law & Order: Criminal IntentFreddy Got Fingered
Soul FoodWonder BoysA Vision of Murder: The Story of DonielleClint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
The InsiderThe Almost Perfect Bank RobberyPassing GloryBalloon FarmSeasons of Love
Will & GraceSenseless
Men in BlackHerculesThe MouseGhost StoriesTrial and Error
Down PeriscopeThe Hindenburg
For Better or WorseHow to Make an American QuiltCanadian BaconJames Dean: A PortraitLetter to My Killer
Chicago HopeHeart of a Child
Late Night with Conan O'BrienThe John Larroquette ShowRoboCop 3Beyond the LawWhere the Rivers Flow North
The Larry Sanders ShowT Bone N WeaselDead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez DisasterA Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan StoryFires of Kuwait
Defending Your LifeDeath FallsMy Son JohnnyAnother Pair of Aces: Three of a KindDolly Dearest
Kojak: None So BlindPair of AcesBy Dawn's Early LightBeautiful Dreamers
Silence Like GlassHit ListSweet Bird of YouthCold Feet
April MorningThe Telephone · Director
Extreme PrejudiceJ. Edgar HooverNadineDestination: AmericaThe King of Love
Manhunt for Claude Dallas
North and SouthThe Atlanta Child MurdersSummer RentalBeerThe Execution
SongwriterCity HeatScarabCat on a Hot Tin RoofFlashpoint
Cross CreekMisunderstood
American PlayhouseAirplane II: The SequelThe BeastmasterThe Blue and the GrayA Stranger Is Watching
Full Filmography
192 titles- Men in Black 3 (2012) as Large-Headed Alien at Funeral (uncredited)
- Norman Mailer: The American (2012) as Self
- Bridge of Names (2012) as Tom
- National Lampoon's The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011) as King Looney
- 3 Weeks to Daytona (2011) as Sal
- Happy Tears (2009) as Joe
- American Cowslip (2009) as Trevor O'Hart
- The Afterlight (2009) as Carl
- August (2008) as David Sterling
- Turn the River (2008) as Quinette
- The Golden Boys (2008) as Capt. Jeremiah Burgess
- Lucky Days (2008) as Bobo
- Lucky Days (2008) Executive Producer
- Bee Movie (2007) as Lou Lo Duca (voice)
- The Making of Marie Antoinette (2007) as Self
- The Making Of 'The Larry Sanders Show' (2007) as Arthur
- Three Days to Vegas (2007) as Joe Wallace
- 30 Rock (2006) as Don Geiss
- Marie Antoinette (2006) as Louis XV
- Zoom (2006) as Larraby
- Sweet Bird of Youth: Chasing Time (2006) as Self
- Yours, Mine & Ours (2005) as Commandant Sherman
- Forty Shades of Blue (2005) as Alan James
- The Sisters (2005) as Dr. Chebrin
- DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004) as Patches O'Houlihan
- Extreme Dodgeball (2004)
- Welcome to Mooseport (2004) as Bert Langdon
- Love Object (2004) as Novak
- Eulogy (2004) as Edmund Collins
- The Lyon's Den (2003)
- Maniac Magee (2003) as George McNab
- Rolling Kansas (2003) as Oldman
- Men in Black II (2002) as Zed
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) as Jules Copeland
- Freddy Got Fingered (2001) as Jim Brody
- Soul Food (2000) as Peter Redmond
- Wonder Boys (2000) as Q
- A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle (2000) as Detective Manny Garett
- Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (2000) as Self
- The Insider (1999) as John Scanlon
- The Almost Perfect Bank Robbery (1999) as Royce
- Passing Glory (1999) as Father Robert Grant
- Balloon Farm (1999) as Harvey Potter
- Seasons of Love (1999) as Spence
- Will & Grace (1998) as Lionel Banks
- Senseless (1998) as Randall Tyson
- Men in Black (1997) as Zed
- Hercules (1997) as Zeus (voice)
- The Mouse (1997) as Trucker 'God'
- Ghost Stories (1997) as The Narrator
- Trial and Error (1997) as Benny Gibbs
- Down Periscope (1996) as Admiral Winslow
- The Hindenburg (1996) as Narrator
- For Better or Worse (1995) as Capt. Cole
- How to Make an American Quilt (1995) as Arthur
- Canadian Bacon (1995) as General Dick Panzer
- James Dean: A Portrait (1995) as Self (Narrator)
- Letter to My Killer (1995)
- She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal (1995) as Adm. Snyder
- Chicago Hope (1994) as Warren Shutt
- Heart of a Child (1994) as Dr. Leonard Bailey
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- The John Larroquette Show (1993) as Bernard Galvin
- RoboCop 3 (1993) as The CEO
- Beyond the Law (1993) as Deputy Prescott
- Where the Rivers Flow North (1993) as Noel Lord
- The Larry Sanders Show (1992) as Arthur
- T Bone N Weasel (1992) as Happy Sam
- Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster (1992) as Admiral Paul Yost
- A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story (1992) as Bill Morgan
- Fires of Kuwait (1992) as Narrator (voice)
- Defending Your Life (1991) as Bob Diamond
- Death Falls (1991) as Dub Farley
- My Son Johnny (1991) as Brian Stansbury
- Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991) as Captain Jack Parsons
- Dolly Dearest (1991) as Karl Resnick
- Kojak: None So Blind (1990) as Gideon Hogarth
- Pair of Aces (1990) as Capt. Jack Parsons
- By Dawn's Early Light (1990) as Colonel Fargo
- Beautiful Dreamers (1990) as Walt Whitman
- Silence Like Glass (1989) as Dr. Markowitz
- Hit List (1989) as Vic Luca
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1989) as Boss Finley
- Cold Feet (1989) as Sheriff
- April Morning (1988) as Solomon Chandler
- The Telephone (1988) Director
- Extreme Prejudice (1987) as Sheriff Hank Pearson
- J. Edgar Hoover (1987) as Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Nadine (1987) as Buford Pope
- Destination: America (1987) as Corbet St. James IV
- The King of Love (1987) as Jack Kraft
- Laguna Heat (1987) as Joe Datilla
- Manhunt for Claude Dallas (1986) as Tim Nettleton
- North and South (1985) as Adolphus
- The Atlanta Child Murders (1985) as Lewis Slaton
- Summer Rental (1985) as Scully
- Beer (1985) as Buzz Beckerman
- The Execution (1985) as Wilheim Gehbert
- Songwriter (1984) as Dino McLeish
- City Heat (1984) as Primo Pitt
- Scarab (1984) as Khepera
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984) as Big Daddy
- Flashpoint (1984) as Sheriff Wells
- When She Says No (1984) as Stuart Blankfort
- Cross Creek (1983) as Marsh Turner
- Misunderstood (1983) as Will
- American Playhouse (1982) as Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt
- Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) as Bud Kruger / President Reagan
- The Beastmaster (1982) as Maax
- The Blue and the Gray (1982) as Ulysses S. Grant
- A Stranger Is Watching (1982) as Artie Taggart
- Jinxed! (1982) as Harold Benson
- Heartland (1981) as Clyde Stewart
- First Family (1980) as General G. E. Dumpston
- One Trick Pony (1980) as Walter Fox
- Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case (1980) as Charles Burt
- Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980) as Carlo Ponti
- A Shining Season (1979) as Jack Baker
- Blind Ambition (1979) as Richard M. Nixon
- The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979) as Senator Kittner
- The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978)
- Betrayal (1978) as Dr. Hartogs
- Coma (1978) as Dr. George
- Steel Cowboy (1978) as K.W. Hicks
- Nasty Habits (1977) as Father Maximilian
- Harlan County U.S.A. (1977) Thanks
- The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977) as Dwight Webb
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) as Nathan Bryce
- Birch Interval (1976) as Thomas
- Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975) as Glen Tuttle
- Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975) as Glen Tuttle
- Crazy Joe (1974) as Richie
- Cotter (1973) as Roy
- Payday (1973) as Maury Dann
- The President's Plane Is Missing (1973) as George Oldenburg
- Ghost Story (1972) as Jonathon
- Slaughter (1972) as Dominic Hoffo
- Columbo (1971) as Leon Lamarr
- Maidstone (1971) as Raoul Rey O'Houlihan
- Montserrat (1971) as Izquierdo
- 1 P.M. (1971) as Self
- Tropic of Cancer (1970) as Henry Miller
- Lions Love (1969) as The Beard Director (uncredited)
- Coming Apart (1969) as Joe
- Sol Madrid (1968) as Dano Villanova
- Beyond the Law (1968) as Popcorn
- Mannix (1967) as Victor Roarke
- Lionpower from MGM (1967) as Self - Dano Villanova (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Beach Red (1967) as Gunnery Sgt. Ben Honeywell
- One Spy Too Many (1966) as Alexander
- You're a Big Boy Now (1966) as I.H. Chanticleer
- The Cincinnati Kid (1965) as William Jefferson Slade
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Alexander
- 12 O'Clock High (1964) as Col. Mark Royce
- The Lieutenant (1963) as Sgt. Karl Kasten
- The Great Adventure (1963) as Lieutenant John C. Freemont
- Breaking Point (1963)
- Channing (1963) as Donald Burrows
- Critic's Choice (1963) as Dion Kapakos
- Combat! (1962) as Avery
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) as Tom Finley Jr.
- Hero's Island (1962) as Nicholas Gates
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- Dr. Kildare (1961) as Dr. Nicholas Keefe
- Ben Casey (1961)
- The Dick Powell Show (1961) as Joel Coles
- King of Kings (1961) as Judas
- 24 Hours in a Woman's Life (1961) as Paul
- Thriller (1960) as Duncan Corey
- Route 66 (1960) as Alvah Clayhorne
- Bonanza (1959) as Will Hewitt
- Rawhide (1959) as Jacob Yellow-Sun
- The Untouchables (1959) as Harry Strauss
- The Untouchables (1959) as Johnny Mizo
- Pork Chop Hill (1959) as Lt. Walter Russell
- Naked City (1958) as Ansel Boake
- Bomber's Moon (1958) as Lieutenant Harrison
- Johnny Belinda (1958) as Locky McCormick
- The Restless Gun (1957) as Jody Gilman
- A Face in the Crowd (1957) as Barry Mills (uncredited)
- Time Limit (1957) as Lt. George Miller
- Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Presenter
- Baby Doll (1956) as The Dentist (uncredited)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Steve Morgan #22
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Ernie Walters
- Omnibus (1952)
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Locky McCormick
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Solomon Chandler
- Kraft Television Theatre (1947) as Somers
- Kraft Television Theatre (1947)
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Presenter
- Heartland
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Rip Torn best known for?
Rip Torn is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Men in Black 3 (2012), POKÉTOON (2020), Taxa (1997), August (2008).
When and where was Rip Torn born?
Rip Torn was born on February 6, 1931 in Temple, Texas, USA. They passed away on July 9, 2019.
How many credits does Rip Torn have?
Rip Torn has accumulated over 192 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1944 to 2012.
What is Rip Torn's background in cinema and television?
Elmore Rual Rip Torn Jr. was an American actor born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, and he died on July 9, 2019, at the age of 88. His acting career spanned more than 60 years. He was best known for his roles as Zed in the Men in Black franchise from 1997 to 2002, Patches O'Houlihan in the 2004 film Dodgeball: A...
Rip Torn by the numbers
192credits
142films
50TV series
1944–2012active years
Age in their best-rated roles
- Steel Cowboy (1978) as K.W. Hicks — aged about 47
- The Lyon's Den (2003) — aged about 72
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Locky McCormick — aged about 20
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Solomon Chandler — aged about 20
- Columbo (1971) as Leon Lamarr — aged about 40
- The Untouchables (1959) as Harry Strauss — aged about 28
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