Elmore Rual Torn Jr., professionally known as Rip Torn, was born on February 6, 1931, in Temple, Texas, to Thelma Mary Spacek and Elmore Rudolph Torn, an agriculturalist and economist. Torn's family name, "Rip," was passed down through generations of Torn men, given to him by his father, who was also called "Rip." He had German, Austrian, Bohemian, and Moravian ancestry, and his mother was an elder sister of actress Sissy Spacek's father, Edwin Spacek.
Torn attended Texas A&M and the University of Texas, where he majored in animal husbandry and joined Sigma Chi Fraternity. He moved to Hollywood with the goal of becoming a movie star, but success did not come immediately. Torn had to work various odd jobs while occasionally being cast in television roles. He made his feature film debut in Elia Kazan's Baby Doll (1956) in a small part.
Determined to hone his craft, Torn moved to New York City, where he studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio and with Martha Graham. He began his serious acting career on television, appearing regularly on live shows such as Omnibus (1952) and Playhouse 90 (1956).
Torn made his Broadway debut in Kazan's staging of Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" in 1959, supporting Paul Newman, Sidney Blackmer, and Geraldine Page, who would become his second wife. He won a 1960 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play and a Theater World award for his role as "Tom, Jr." Torn also starred as "Boss Finley" in a later television adaptation of the play.
Torn earned a reputation as an actor's actor on stage and screen, working in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions, as well as on television and in film. He won two Obie awards for his work off-Broadway and directed his daughter Angelica Page in John Paul Alexander's "Strangers in the Land of Canaan" at the Actors Studio.
Torn's career spanned over six decades, with notable roles in Payday (1973),Cross Creek (1983),and Defending Your Life (1991). He won six consecutive Emmy nominations for his role as "Artie" on The Larry Sanders Show (1992),winning once in 1996.
Torn was married three times: to actress Ann Wedgeworth from 1956 to 1961, to Geraldine Page from 1963 until her death in 1987, and to Amy Wright until his death. He helped his first cousin, Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek, to get her start in the acting world.
Rip Torn died on July 9, 2019, at the age of 88, in Lakeville, Connecticut.
