Rip Torn: a life in pictures

American actor Rip Torn has died at the age of 88. Torn was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his part in Cross Creek. He reinvented himself as a comedic actor in Garry Shandling’s sitcom The Larry Sanders Show, which ran for six seasons and won multiple Emmys, and appeared in Men in Black, Tina Fey’s show 30 Rock and the film Dodgeball
• Rip Torn, cult actor, dies aged 88

• Rip Torn: a wild man of stage and screen

Main image: Rip Torn in Men in Black II. Torn has died at the age of 88. Photograph: Alamy

  • Elmore Rual Torn Jr was born in Temple, Texas, on 6 February 1931. The nickname ‘Rip’ was a family tradition but when he broke into acting many Hollywood producers advised him to change it. However, Torn figured his name would become an asset: people would remember it. After several small parts, he landed a big role in 1957’s Time Limit from which this is a publicity shot.
    Rip Torn in 1957's Time Limit

  • Pork Chop Hill, 1959

    Rip Torn and Gregory Peck in the gritty Korean war film.
    Rip Torn and Gregory Peck in the gritty Korean war film.

  • King Of Kings, 1961

    Rip Torn as Judas Iscariot cringes as Jesus is prepared for the crucifixion in a scene from the MGM epic.
    Rip Torn as Judas Iscariot cringes as Jesus is prepared for the crucifixion in a scene from the MGM epic King Of Kings, 1961

  • Rip Torn and Geraldine Page arrive at the Academy Awards on 9 April 1962, where Page was nominated for the best actress award for her performance in Sweet Bird of Youth. The couple married the following year.
    Rip Torn and Geraldine Page arrive at the Academy Awards on 9 April 1962, where Page was nominated for the best actress award for her performance in Sweet Bird of Youth. The couple married the following year

  • The Cincinnati Kid, 1965

    Rip Torn, Karl Malden and Edward G Robinson.
    Rip Torn, Karl Malden and Edward G Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid, 1965

  • The Kitchen, 1966

    Rip Torn and author Norman Mailer during the latter’s visit to the set of the play by Arnold Wesker at the 81st Street theatre in New York in June 1966.
    Rip Torn talks with author Norman Mailer during the latter’s visit the set of the play the Kitchen by Arnold Wesker at the 81st Street theatre in New York in June 1966

  • Rip Torn photographed for Vogue on 15 February 1970.
    Rip Torn photographed for Vogue on 15 February 1970

  • Tropic of Cancer, 1970

    Author Henry Miller with Rip Torn, who plays him in the movie, on-set in Paris.
    Author Henry Miller with Rip Torn, who plays him in the movie, on the set of Tropic of Cancer in Paris, 1970

  • Rip Torn with his friend, author, screenwriter and satirist Terry Southern at Torn’s Chelsea apartment in New York in February 1973. Southern worked on the script for the 1969 film Easy Rider and claimed he had originally written a lead role for Torn but, after a fiery meeting with Dennis Hopper, Torn withdrew and the role went to Jack Nicholson.
    Rip Torn with his friend, author, screenwriter and satirist Terry Southern at Torn’s Chelsea apartment in New York in February 1973. Southern worked on the script for the 1969 film Easy Rider and claimed he had originally written a lead role for Torn but, after a fiery meeting with Dennis Hopper, Torn withdrew and the role went to Jack Nicholson

  • Payday, 1973

    Elayne Heilveil, Rip Torn, Ahna Capri in a scene from the movie about a successful yet jaded country and western singer.
    Elayne Heilveil, Rip Torn, Ahna Capri in Payday, 1973

  • The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976

    Rip Torn as Dr Nathan Bryce and David Bowie as the humanoid alien Newton in a scene from the movie.
    Rip Torn as Dr. Nathan Bryce and David Bowie as the humanoid alien Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth, 1976

  • Husband and wife Rip Torn and Geraldine Page at home in New York on 28 April 1977. The couple remained together until her death in 1987.
    Husband and wife Rip Torn and Geraldine Page at home in New York on 28 April 1977

  • Seduced, 1979

    Rip Torn playing Henry Hackamore at the American Place theatre on 9 February in Sam Shepard’s play based on the eccentric and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes’ final days. This was Torn’s final Off-Broadway performance.
    Rip Torn playing Henry Hackamore on 9 February 1979 in Sam Shepard’s play Seduced which is based on the eccentric and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes’ final days

  • Blind Ambition, 1979

    Martin Sheen as John Dean and Rip Torn as Richard Nixon in the CBS mini-series about Dean’s career.
    Martin Sheen as John Dean and Rip Torn as Richard Nixon in the CBS mini-series about Dean’s career.

  • Cross Creek, 1983

    Rip Torn’s sole Academy Award nomination was for best supporting actor for this role as Marsh Turner, whose story became the basis for the Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, played here by Mary Steenburgen.
    Rip Torn and Mary Steenburgen in Cross Creek, 1983

  • Summer Rental, 1985

    Torn began to display his comedy chops in this John Candy vehicle.
    Rip Torn and John Candy in Summer Rental, 1985

  • The Larry Sanders Show, 1992-98

    Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders, the eponymous talk show host, and Rip Torn as as Artie, the show’s producer, in the hugely influential and successful sitcom.
    Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders, the eponymous talk show host and Rip Torn as as Artie, the show’s producer, in The Larry Sanders Show, 1992-98

  • Canadian Bacon, 1995

    Rip Torn, Kevin Pollak, Alan Alda, John Candy, Rhea Perlman and Michael Moore in Moore’s comedy about a failing president trying to start a cold war with Canada.
    Canadian Bacon, 1995Rip Torn, Kevin Pollak, Alan Alda, John Candy, Rhea Perlman and Michael Moore in Moore’s comedy about a failing president trying to start a cold war with Canada

  • Rip Torn received six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on The Larry Sanders Show. He won it just once and here he is with his award on 8 September 1996 in Pasedena, California.
    Rip Torn received six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on The Larry Sanders Show. He won it just once and here he is with his award on 8 September 1996 in Pasedena, California.

  • Men in Black, 1997

    Will Smith as Jay, Rip Torn as Zed and Tommy Lee Jones as Kay in Barry Sonnenfeld’s enormously successful sci-fi comedy.
    Will Smith, Rip Torn and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, 1997

  • Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, 2004

    Rip Torn, Stephen Root, Vince Vaughan, Alan Tudyk, Joel David Moore, Chris Williams and Justin Long in the Ben Stiller comedy,
    Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, 2004Rip Torn, Stephen Root, Vince Vaughan, Alan Tudyk, Joel David Moore, Chris Williams and Justin Long in the Ben Stiller comedy,

  • Marie Antoinette, 2006

    Asia Argento as Comtesse du Barry and Rip Torn as Louis XV in Sofia Coppola’s biopic.
    Asia Argento as Comtesse du Barry and Rip Torn as Louis XV in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, 2006

  • Rip Torn had his demons. Here he is in a New York state police booking photo on 4 December 2006 after he was involved in a two-car accident and refused to take a breathalyser test for alcohol in North Salem. A jury acquitted Torn of the charge. In 2010 he was arrested after breaking into a Litchfield Bancorp branch office in Connecticut and received a suspended jail sentence.
    Rip Torn had his demons. Here he is in a New York state police booking photo on 4 December 2006 after he was involved in a two-car accident and refused to take a breathalyser test for alcohol in North Salem. A jury acquitted Torn of the charge. In 2010 he was arrested after breaking into a Litchfield Bancorp branch office in Connecticut and received a suspended jail sentence.

  • 30 Rock, 2007-09

    Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy and Rip Torn as Don Geiss. Torn received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series.
    Tina Fey as Liz Lemon, Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy and Rip Torn as Don Geiss in 30 Rock

  • Rip Torn backstage during the Texas Film Hall of Fame awards on 10 March 2011 in Austin, Texas.
    Rip Torn backstage during the Texas Film Hall of Fame awards on 10 March 2011 in Austin, Texas
Topics