Happy 82nd Birthday Rip Torn – Joe looks at his best work

Rip Torn is 82 today. JOE celebrates his birthday by taking a look at his best work in TV and film.

by Genna Patterson

Rip Torn has been acting onscreen since 1956, when he played a dentist in Babydoll. That’s incredible career duration.

Real name Elmore Rudolph Torn, he’s had his fair share of both serious and comedic roles including winning an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor in 1983’s Cross Creek. He was also nominated for six Emmy awards for his role as Artie, the producer on The Larry Sanders Show, and won in 1996.

Torn has had his troubles over the years. He was arrested for drunk driving a number of times and he broke into a closed branch of a Litchfield Bancorp office drunk and armed in Connecticut in 2010. Apparently he thought it was his home…

Despite the arrests, he has given solid performances throughout his career. His first cousin is Sissy Spacek (Carrie), whom he helped out in the first stages of her career.

JOE celebrates all the wonderful work Torn has given us over the years. Long may it continue.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Rip showed us his comedic side in this movie as coach Patches O’Houlihan, a wheelchair-bound man who trains Vince Vaughan and his gym team in dodgeball warfare in order to beat Ben Stiller, owner of a rival gym and leader of the Cobra team.

Men In Black

Rip played Zed, the chief agent at the Men In Black headquarters, guiding Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith to save the world from aliens. He reprised his role in Men In Black II.

30 Rock

Rip played CEO of NBC, Don Geiss, for two years from 2007-2009. Geiss was the man Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) looked up to and aspired to be like.

Freddy Got Fingered

In a comedy written, produced and starring comedian Tom Green, this movie was seen as Rip’s worst career moment. He played Green’s father and while it didn’t do well at the box office, it gained a cult following on DVD.

Larry Sanders

Rip played a producer, Artie, on a fictional late night chat show in this sitcom.  The show ran from 1992-98 and won Rip an Emmy and six nominations.