Photo: Alan Light / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Russ Tamblyn is one of those guys who genuinely did it all — and did it better than most people remember. Born in Los Angeles in 1934, he grew up practically inside Hollywood, and it shows: by the time he played Riff in West Side Story (1961) he was already a seasoned pro, flipping and tumbling across the screen with an energy that made everyone else look a little stiff. His gymnast background gave him a physical fearlessness that pure dancers couldn't fake. He'd already charmed audiences in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and earned an Oscar nomination for Tom Thumb, so Riff wasn't a breakout role so much as a confirmation. Then decades later a whole new generation found him as the eccentric Dr. Jacoby in Twin Peaks, and somehow that role fit him just as naturally. Range like that across six-plus decades is genuinely rare, and Tamblyn pulls it off without ever seeming like he's trying hard.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Russ Tamblyn
- Name (Japanese)
- ラス・タンブリン
- Reading
- らす・たんぶりん
- Born
- December 30, 1934 (age 91)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Dog
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Occupation
- actor / stage actor / television actor / film actor
2. Background
- High school
- North Hollywood High School
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Russ Tamblyn born?
Born December 30, 1934 (age 91).
Where is Russ Tamblyn from?
Russ Tamblyn is from Los Angeles, California, United States.
What does Russ Tamblyn do?
Russ Tamblyn works as actor, stage actor, television actor, film actor.
Actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
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.