Rip Torn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rip Torn
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Torn in 1994
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| Born |
Elmore Rual Torn Jr.
February 6, 1931 Temple, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | July 9, 2019 (aged 88) Lakeville, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Burial place | Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–2016 |
| Spouse(s) |
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 a talented American actor. His acting career lasted for more than 60 years. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie Cross Creek (1983).
Rip Torn was also famous for playing Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show. He won an Emmy Award in 1996 for this role. Many people also remember him as Zed in the Men in Black movies (1997–2002). He also played Patches O'Houlihan in the comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elmore Rual Torn Jr. was born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas. His parents were Elmore Rual Torn Sr. and Thelma Mary Torn. The nickname "Rip" was a family tradition. Many men in the Torn family, including his father and uncle, used this nickname.
Rip Torn went to Taylor High School and graduated in 1948. He later studied acting at the University of Texas. After college, he served in the United States Army during the Korean War.
Acting Career Highlights
After moving to Hollywood, Rip Torn started his film career in 1956. He then studied acting in New York at the famous Actors Studio. He became a very active stage actor. He was in the first cast of the play Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams. He later acted in the movie and TV versions of the play too.
Early Roles in Film and TV
One of Torn's first movie roles was in Pork Chop Hill. He also had a small role in A Face in the Crowd. In 1957, he appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He played Judas in the 1961 movie King of Kings.
In 1965, Torn played a rich millionaire named Slade in the movie The Cincinnati Kid. He continued to play many different characters in films.
Notable Roles in the 1970s and 1980s
In 1972, Torn received great reviews for his role as a country singer in the movie Payday. He also acted alongside singer David Bowie in the 1976 science-fiction film, The Man Who Fell to Earth.
In 1982, Torn played a cult leader in the movie The Beastmaster. He also appeared in Airplane II: The Sequel. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. In this movie, he played a poor neighbor in Florida. He also co-starred with John Candy in the 1985 comedy Summer Rental.
Directing and Later Career
In 1988, Rip Torn directed a movie called The Telephone. The story was about an actor who was having a tough time.
In 1991, he played a lawyer in heaven in the movie Defending Your Life. In 1993, he was the CEO of a company in RoboCop 3. He also appeared in commercials for Energizer batteries.
In 1997, Torn voiced the god Zeus in the Disney animated film Hercules. That same year, he played Zed, the boss of the MIB agency, in the hit movie Men in Black. He played Zed again in the sequel, Men in Black II, in 2002. In 2004, he became well-known for his role as the coach Patches O'Houlihan in DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.
Stage Performances
Rip Torn acted in ten plays on Broadway. He also directed one. In 1959, he was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Sweet Bird of Youth.
He also performed in many plays off-Broadway. He won an Obie Award in 1967 for his acting in The Deer Park. He also won an Obie Award in 1968 for directing the play The Beard.
The Larry Sanders Show
From 1992 to 1998, Rip Torn played Artie in the TV show The Larry Sanders Show. He was nominated for an Emmy Award six times for this role. He won the award in 1996 for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was the only actor on the show to win an Emmy.
Final Roles
After The Larry Sanders Show, Torn continued to appear in many comedy films. He also did voice-overs for animated movies.
From 2007 to 2008, he made guest appearances on the TV show 30 Rock. He played Don Geiss, the boss of a big company. He was nominated for another Emmy Award for this role. In 2010, he voiced the character of Hephaestus in the video game God of War III.
In 2015, he played Zed again in a safety video for Air New Zealand. This was a fun return to his Men in Black character.
Personal Life
Rip Torn was married three times and had six children. He also had four grandchildren.
His first marriage was to actress Ann Wedgeworth. They had a daughter named Danae.
In 1963, he married actress Geraldine Page. They stayed married until she passed away in 1987. They had a daughter, actress Angelica Page, and twin sons, Tony and Jon.
Rip Torn married actress Amy Wright in 1989. They had two daughters, Katie and Claire.
Death
Rip Torn passed away on July 9, 2019, at his home in Lakeville, Connecticut. He was 88 years old. He died due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. He is buried in the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery in New York.
Images for kids
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Torn in 1994
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Rip Torn meeting a fan in 1993
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Rip Torn attending the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2015
See Also
In Spanish: Rip Torn para niños
