Rip Torn, a prolific actor best known for HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” and the “Men in Black” franchise, died Tuesday at his home in Lakeville, Connecticut, his representatives said.
Born Elmore Rual Torn Jr. in Temple, Texas in 1931, Torn studied acting at Texas A&M and the University of Texas, and served a stint in the Army before heading to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s.
But it was the 1992-1998 HBO comedy “The Larry Sanders Show” for which Torn will be perhaps best remembered.
Panned at the time, it received eight Golden Raspberry nominations including Torn for Worst Supporting Actor.
In 1994, during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” Dennis Hopper accused Torn of threatening him with a knife during pre-production on “Easy Rider.”
Torn sued Hopper for defamation and won more than $900,00 in punitive and compensatory damages.
As news of his death became public, Torn’s friends, former colleagues and admirers paid tribute to him on social media:. R.I.P Rip Torn. »