Capable of shifting from unctuous charm to snarling menace in a split second, character actor Rip Torn is liable to steal almost any scene he's in. Born Feb. 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, he took up acting to buy a ranch. His dreams of easy riches faded, however, when he failed to become an instant star.But Torn's perseverance paid off, and he made his film bow in Baby Doll (1956) before moving to the Big Apple to study at the Actors Studio. He soon turned up on live TV shows such as "Omnibus," and big-screen roles followed, with Torn delivering acclaimed performances in movies such as Payday (1973) and 1983's Cross Creek (for which he earned an Oscar nod).
In 1992, Torn began playing caustic producer Artie on "The Larry Sanders Show," a part that won him an Emmy. Torn has since appeared in several prominent films, including 1997's Men in Black (and its 2002 sequel) and Wonder Boys (2000).
The Man Who Fell to EarthDavid Bowie stars as Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien from a dry, dying world who journeys to Earth to save his planet. Newton starts high-tech companies, using the cash to build ships that can transport water to his home planet. But instead of rushing to get home, Newton becomes enamored with the... Read More
Freddy Got FingeredAfter his ideas are rejected as idiotic, aspiring animator Gord Brody (Tom Green) moves into his parents' basement. While planning his comeback, Gord woos a kinky paraplegic rocket scientist (Marisa Coughlan) and devises shocking strategies for driving his dad (Rip Torn) nuts. Green makes his... Read More
The Golden BoysDesperate for a housekeeper, three crotchety Cape Cod sea captains and housemates decide that one of them must sacrifice his own bachelor bliss and take a mail-order bride, a woman who will cook and clean for all of them. But when the candidate bride (Mariel Hemingway) arrives, her beauty prompts... Read More
HeartlandIn early 20th-century Wyoming, bitter Scottish farmer Clyde Stewart (Rip Torn) hires a housekeeper, a widow named Elinore (Conchata Ferrell) who penetrates Stewart's cold heart with her determination as she scrapes by to support her young daughter. As feelings between the two intensify, outside... Read More
A Stranger Is WatchingA demented kidnapper terrorizes New York City in this adaptation of Mary Higgins Clark's suspense novel. Hiding in New York's maze of underground tunnels, a psychopath (Rip Torn) watches and waits for the perfect opportunity. That chance comes when he kidnaps a famous reporter (Kate Mulgrew) and a... Read More
