July 10 (UPI) — Actor Rip Torn, of the acclaimed “The Larry Sanders Show,” has died, according to his representatives.
He was 88.
Torn died Tuesday at his Lakeville, Connecticut, home with his wife, Amy Wright, and daughters Katie Torn and Angelica Page at his side, the statement said.
The cause of death was not released.
Though best known for playing Artie on HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show,” a role for which he received six consecutive Emmy nominations and was awarded Best Supporting Actor in 1996, Torn’s career spanned seven decades filled with both comedic and dramatic performances.
In 1984, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Marsh Turner in “Cross Creek.”
In total, he was nominated for nine Emmy awards, receiving his first nod in 1985 for playing Lewis Slaton in “The Atlanta Child Murders.” His final nomination came in 2008 in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Don Geiss in the comedy TV show “30 Rock.”
The Texan was also praised for his stage performances, having performed on Broadway 10 times. He made his stage debut on March 10, 1959, in Tennessee Williams’ “Sweet Bird of Youth” with Paul Newman and Geraldine Page, whom he’d marry in 1963.
Torn was married three times and had six children.
Comedian Albert Brooks called Torn a “true original.”
“R.I.P., Rip Torn,” Brooks said via Twitter. “He was so great in Defending Your Life. I’ll miss you, Rip.”
Comedian Tom Green, who directed Torn in “Freddy Got Fingered,” in which he also starred, said he was proud to have worked with and gotten to know “a true legend.”
“Rip was a class act,” Green said. “He was an incredible actor. One of the Greats.”
