“Forgotten Hollywood”- That Tears It…
“`Rip Torn was a distinguished actor in theater, television and movies. He won an Emmy for his comedy turn on television’s The Larry Sanders Show. Torn’s career on stage and screen spanned seven decades, ranging from an early career of dark, threatening roles to iconic comedic performances later in life.
“`Nicknamed Rip in his youth, he refused to change his name when suggested by drama students. Torn made his film debut in 1956 in Tennessee Williams Baby Doll. Within a few years, he became a respected movie and television actor working on occasions with his second wife, Geraldine Page. At the Actors Studio, Rip gained the attention of Elia Kazan, who hired him as understudy to play Brick Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Near the end of the show’s Broadway run, Torn took over the role.
“`Torn’s other cinematic roles include A Face in the Crowd, Pork Chop Hill, King of Kings, Sweet Bird of Youth, Critic’s Choice, The Cincinnati Kid, and more recently, Airplane II and Men in Black. He lost a chance to star in Easy Rider after a conflict with Dennis Hopper, and was replaced by Jack Nicholson. On television, torn guest-starred in Combat!, Rawhide, Bonanza, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dr. Kildare, Mannix, Columbo, Will & Grace, and 30 Rock.
“`Rip Torn was regarded, along with Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and James Dean, as actors of a postwar generation who brought tense realism to their craft. He was also a noted political activist who joined James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte and other cultural and Civil Rights leaders for a frank and emotional 1963 meeting with then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy about the country’s treatment of blacks. His success eventually inspired a younger cousin to take up acting, too — Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek.
“`Rip Torn (above) was eighty-eight.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 10th, 2019 at 2:23 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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