Biography
Who is Tobin Bell?
Early life and education
Joseph Henry Tobin Bell Jr. Was born on August 7, 1942, in Queens, New York, and grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts. His mother, Eileen Julia Tobin, worked as an actress at the Quincy Repertory Company. His father, Joseph H. Tobin, founded the radio station WJDA in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1947. He has one brother and one sister.
He attended Boston University, where a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy inspired him to pursue acting. Later, he studied with Lee Strasberg and Ellen Burstyn at the Actors Studio and joined the Neighborhood Playhouse to work with Sanford Meisner. He also holds a master's degree in environmental science from Montclair State University and previously worked for the New York Botanical Garden.
Career beginnings
Before achieving major success, he spent the late 1970s and early 1980s working as an extra and stand-in on over 30 films, including Manhattan in 1979. He had an uncredited scene as a waiter in the 1982 film Tootsie. During the same period, he performed in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theater productions to hone his craft.
His first speaking role came in the 1983 film Svengali. He also appeared as a reporter in the 1983 drama Sophie's Choice. In 1988, he played FBI agent Stokes in his first feature film role, Mississippi Burning. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in various supporting roles, including the assassin The Nordic Man in The Firm and Mendoza in In the Line of Fire.
Breakthrough as Jigsaw
His career changed in 2004 when he was cast as the serial killer John Kramer, known as Jigsaw, in the horror film Saw. Although he spent much of the film lying on the floor with limited dialogue, his performance became key to the project. The film grossed over $100 million worldwide, leading to a long series of sequels.
He reprised the role of Jigsaw in Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, Saw 3D, Jigsaw, and Saw X. He also provided his voice and likeness for the Jigsaw character in the 2009 video game Saw and its 2010 sequel. For this work, he received several nominations, including Best Villain from the MTV Movie Awards, and won Best Butcher at the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.
Television and later film work
Beyond his horror film work, he has appeared in numerous television shows. His credits include episodes of Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, ER, Chicago Hope, La Femme Nikita, Nash Bridges, Stargate SG-1, and Walker, Texas Ranger. In 2003, he portrayed the villain Peter Kingsley in the second season of 24.
More recently, he joined the cast of the soap opera Days of Our Lives in 2016 for a five-episode arc as Yo Ling. He also provided the voice for the characters Doctor Alchemy and Savitar on the television series The Flash. In 2015, he received positive reviews for his role as a follower of Charlie Manson in the comedy Manson Family Vacation, which premiered at South by Southwest.
Birthday and age
Tobin Bell was born on August 7, 1942, which makes Tobin 84 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Tobin shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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