Tommy Lee Jones was born in San Saba, Texas, to Lucille Marie Scott, a police officer and beauty shop owner, and Clyde C. Jones, who worked on oil fields. Growing up, Tommy himself worked in underwater construction and on an oil rig.
He attended St. Mark's School of Texas, a prestigious prep school for boys in Dallas, on a scholarship, and went on to Harvard University on another scholarship. At Harvard, he roomed with future Vice President Al Gore and played offensive guard in the famous 29-29 Harvard-Yale football game of 1968 known as "The Tie."
Tommy Lee Jones received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1969. Following college, he moved to New York and began his theatrical career on Broadway in "A Patriot for Me" (1969).
In 1970, he made his film debut in "Love Story" (1970). While living in New York, he continued to appear in various plays, both on- and off-Broadway, including "Fortune and Men's Eyes" (1969),"Four on a Garden" (1971),"Blue Boys" (1972),and "Ulysses in Nighttown" (1974).
During this time, he also appeared on a daytime soap opera, "One Life to Live" (1968),as Dr. Mark Toland from 1971 to 1975. He later moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Kate Lardner, and her two children from a previous marriage.
In Los Angeles, Tommy Lee Jones began to get some roles on television, including "Charlie's Angels" (1976),"Smash-Up on Interstate 5" (1976),and "The Amazing Howard Hughes" (1977). While working on the movie "Back Roads" (1981),he met and fell in love with Kimberlea Cloughley, whom he later married.
Throughout his career, Tommy Lee Jones has established himself as a strong, explosive, thoughtful actor who can handle supporting as well as leading roles. He made his directorial debut in "The Good Old Boys" (1995) on TNT, a film in which he co-wrote the teleplay with J.T. Allen.
The film, based on Elmer Kelton's novel, is set in west Texas, where Jones has strong family ties. As a result, the story of a cowboy facing the end of an era has special meaning for him.
