Photo: Alan Light; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 07:41, 26 January 2011 (UTC) / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Rip Torn, born on February 6, 1931 in Temple, Texas, United States, was a film director, television actor and stage actor. Death is recorded on July 9, 2019, at the age of 88. Rip Torn studied at Taylor High School and Texas A&M University. Listed accolades include Theatre World Award (1959) and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1996). Notable works include DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story and Men in Black.
My Take
Rip Torn was one of those character actors whose presence you feel before you can name him, and I miss that breed. Over roughly six decades he swung from comic menace, as Zed in Men in Black and the unhinged coach in DodgeBall, to serious dramatic weight, earning an Oscar nomination for Cross Creek. His Emmy-winning turn as Artie on The Larry Sanders Show is, to me, a masterclass in barely-contained intensity. A Texas A&M man from Temple, he carried a raw, unpredictable edge that modern Hollywood rarely cultivates anymore. Actors that genuinely dangerous and that funny don't come along often, and his loss in 2019 still stings.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Rip Torn
- Name (Japanese)
- リップ・トーン
- Reading
- りっぷ・とーん
- Born
- February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Goat
- Origin
- Temple, Texas, United States
- Occupation
- actor / film director / television actor / stage actor / film actor
2. Background
- High school
- Taylor High School
- University
- Texas A&M University
Awards & achievements
- 1959 Theatre World Award
- 1996 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story | — | |
| Notable work | Men in Black | — |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip%20Torn
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AA%E3%83%83%E3%83%97%E3%83%BB%E3%83%88%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q313522
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Rip Torn born?
Born February 6, 1931.
When did Rip Torn die?
Died July 9, 2019, aged 88.
Where was Rip Torn from?
Rip Torn was from Temple, Texas, United States.
What did Rip Torn do?
Rip Torn worked as actor, film director, television actor, stage actor, film actor.
What was Rip Torn known for?
Notable works include DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Men in Black.
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