Although Torn's career began in the early 1950's, the bulk of his mainstream success came later in his career during the 1990's with his role as Artie on The Larry Sanders Show for which he won an Emmy and in the Men in Black franchise.
But before this Torn had an extensive resume in TV, movies and the stage both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. Torn had a difficult personality and when profiled by Studs Terkel for his seminal work Working in the early 1970's, Torn admitted he was easily angered and saddened. Alcohol didn't help matters much and may have very well contributed to his attacking Norman Mailer with a hammer on the set of the ill-fated film Maidstone. However, Torn won a substantial sum from Dennis Hopper after Hopper told Jay Leno on The Tonight Show that Torn had gone after him with a knife on the set of Easy Rider. Torn was replaced by Jack Nicholson and the rest is cinematic history. He would also make headlines in 2010 after breaking into a bank with a firearm while intoxicated thinking it was his home. Perhaps not surprisingly this behavior made for difficult, tumultuous marriages with Geraldine Page and Ann Wedgeworth.
Nevertheless, Torn leaves behind an impressive body of work. Aside from The Larry Sanders Show and Men in Black, there were appearances on stage in Sweet Bird of Youth, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Cross Creek and a recurring role on 30 Rock not to mention TV credits on shows ranging from Bonanza, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as well as when he portrayed the murderer on the 1991 Columbo episode "Death Hits The Jackpot". He also co-starred with musical icons David Bowie and Paul Simon in The Man Who Fell to Earth and One Trick Pony.
I leave you with his lone appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1983 where he promotes Cross Creek. R.I.P.
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