Rip Torn, ‘Men in Black’ and ‘The Larry Sanders Show' star, dies at 88
Famed Hollywood actor, Rip Torn who was popular for his roles in HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” and the “Men in Black” franchise passed away peacefully on Tuesday at his house in Lakeville, Connecticut, disclosed his representatives.
Torn, who was 88, was surrounded by his wife and two of his daughters when he died. In a statement, his publicist said, “His remarkable career on stage and screen spanned seven decades, ranging from an early career of dark, threatening roles to iconic comedic performances later in life." Torn had appeared in 10 Broadway productions, he also starred as Zed in “Men in Black” in 1997.
Born in Texas, Torn studied agriculture at Texas A&M. He studied acting at the University of Texas. After serving as a military policeman, in the 1950s Torn hitchhiked to Hollywood where he began a career in acting. Torn later moved to New York after he landed a small television role in California.
He became known for playing Artie, a talk show producer on the HBO comedy, 'The Larry Sanders Show' that aired from 1992 to 1998. Torn won an Emmy for his role on 'The Larry Sanders Show' which was created by and starred Garry Shandling.
Following his role in 'The Larry Sanders Show,' Torn went on to star as Patches O’Houlihan who is a wheelchair-bound dodgeball coach in “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" which is a cult classic.
Torn is survived by his six children, sister and four grandchildren. Currently, no cause of Torn's death was revealed.
After the news of Torn's death was made public, stars who knew the actor and worked with him took to social media to share their condolences.
Will Smith who starred alongside Torn in 'Men In Black' took to his Instagram account and uploaded a picture of him and the actor together captioning it, "R.I.P. Rip."
Alec Baldwin also paid tribute to him on Twitter saying, “He was a deeply committed, phenomenal actor. See you down the road, Rip. You wonderful madman."
Tom Green, who acted and directed with Torn in Freddy Got Fingered, tweeted saying, “Just heard the sad news that the great Rip Torn has passed away. Rip was a class act. He was an incredible actor. One of the greats. A true legend. I am proud to have worked with him and to have known him. Rest in peace Rip.”