Tobin Bell Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Tobin Bell
Bell in 2019
Born	Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. (1942-08-07) August 7, 1942 (age 82) Queens, New York, U.S.
Other names	Joseph Tobin
Alma mater	Boston University Montclair State University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	Saw franchise
Children	2

Tobin Bell (born Joseph Henry Tobin Jr.; August 7, 1942) is an American actor. He has been in many TV shows and movies. He is best known for playing John Kramer, also known as Jigsaw, in the scary Saw movie series.

He started acting in the late 1970s. He often worked as a stand-in or in the background of movies. His first movie role was in Mississippi Burning (1988). In the 1990s and 2000s, Bell had smaller roles in films like The Firm (1993) and TV shows like The Sopranos (2001) and 24 (2003).

His big break came in 2004. He was chosen to play Jigsaw in the movie Saw. This movie was very successful. Bell played Jigsaw in eight of the nine sequels. These include Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), Saw 3D (2010), Jigsaw (2017), and Saw X (2023). The Saw series is now one of the most successful horror movie series ever. It made Tobin Bell famous as a horror movie icon.

Early Life and Education
Career Highlights
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. was born on August 7, 1942. He was born in Queens, New York. He grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts. His mother, Eileen Julia Tobin, was an actress. His father, Joseph H. Tobin, started a radio station called WJDA in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Bell studied writing and journalism in college. He wanted to be a writer or work in broadcasting. He also cares about the environment. He has a master's degree in environmental science from Montclair State University. He even worked for the New York Botanical Garden. He decided to become an actor after hearing a talk by actors Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston University. Later, Bell studied acting at the Actors Studio and the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Career Highlights

Early Acting Roles (1979–2003)

Bell at the premiere of Saw 3D in 2010.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tobin Bell worked in over 30 movies. He often played background roles. He also performed in plays in New York. Some actors thought background work was not important. But Bell believed it helped him learn.

In 1982, he had a small, uncredited part as a waiter in the movie Tootsie. He said that many of his early roles are not even listed online. He worked for two weeks on the movie The Verdict (1982). He played a courtroom reporter. He learned a lot by watching famous actors like Paul Newman. Bell always keeps a journal for his roles. He writes down questions and ideas about his characters.

His first speaking role was in the 1983 film Svengali. He played a waiter with three lines. The same year, he was a reporter in Sophie's Choice. In the mid-1980s, a director told him to go to Hollywood to play "bad guys." Bell moved to Los Angeles. His first big movie role was in Mississippi Burning (1988). He played a tough FBI agent.

In 1993, Bell was in The Firm. He played an assassin. He also played a character who tried to trick Clint Eastwood in In the Line of Fire. He appeared in a famous TV show called Seinfeld. He played a record store owner. Bell also appeared in medical dramas like ER and Chicago Hope. In 1996, he played Ted Kaczynski in the TV movie Unabomber: The True Story. He also had roles in shows like Stargate SG-1 and Walker, Texas Ranger. In 2001, he was in The Sopranos. In 2003, he played a villain in 24.

Becoming Jigsaw (2004–2010)

Bell's most famous role came in 2004. He was cast as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the horror movie Saw. This movie was directed by James Wan. It was made very quickly, in just 18 days. The budget was small, only $1.2 million. Bell's character, Jigsaw, was very important to the story. He spent two weeks lying on the floor and had few lines.

Bell joined the movie for two reasons. He wanted to work with actor Danny Glover. He also really liked the movie's ending. The movie was first planned to go straight to video. But test screenings were very good. So, it was released in theaters for Halloween. It became a huge success, earning $103 million worldwide. Bell did not expect a second movie. But because it was so popular, six more Saw movies were made. They were released every October from 2005 to 2010.

Bell at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con.

In Saw II (2005), Bell felt he could develop the Jigsaw character more. In Saw III (2006), his character was killed off. However, he signed on for more sequels. He returned in Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D. In these movies, Jigsaw appears in flashbacks. Some of these flashbacks show how his character started. Bell explained that the Saw story is like puzzle pieces. It doesn't happen in a straight line. He also provided his voice for the Jigsaw character in the Saw video games in 2009 and 2010.

For his role as Jigsaw, Bell was nominated for "Best Villain" at the MTV Movie & TV Awards in 2006 and 2007. He won "Best Butcher" at the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. He also won "Best Villain in a Film Series" in 2010. The Saw series has earned over $1 billion worldwide. Jigsaw is now known as a famous horror movie character.

Later Work and Return to Saw (2014–Present)

In 2014, Bell played a bad guy named Seth in the horror movie Dark House. The next month, he was in an episode of Criminal Minds. He played a farmer. In the comedy movie Manson Family Vacation (2015), Bell played a follower of Charlie Manson. Critics liked his "creepy" performance.

In 2016, Bell joined the TV show Days of Our Lives for five episodes. He played Yo Ling, who was a long-lost father. From 2016 to 2017, he voiced the villains Doctor Alchemy and Savitar on The Flash. He returned to voice Savitar in 2023 for the show's final episode. In 2017, Bell was in a short film based on a Stephen King story.

In October 2017, Bell returned as Jigsaw in the movie Jigsaw. This was seven years after Saw 3D, which was supposed to be the last Saw movie. Jigsaw earned $103 million worldwide. Bell also appeared in other horror films that year.

In 2019, Bell was in an episode of Creepshow. In 2021, he voiced Dr. Lasher in a podcast series called The Gloom. In 2023, he was in the movie ReBroken. Bell played John Kramer (Jigsaw) again in Saw X, released in September 2023. Critics praised his performance in the movie.