Russ Tamblyn | |
|---|---|
 Tamblyn in 2010 | |
| Born | Russell Irving Tamblyn (1934-12-30)December 30, 1934 (age 90) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1948–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2, includingAmber Tamblyn |
| Father | Eddie Tamblyn |
| Relatives | David Cross (son-in-law) |
| Website | www |
Russell Irving Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934), also known asRusty Tamblyn, is an American film and television actor and dancer.
Born and raised inLos Angeles, Tamblyn trained as agymnast in his youth. He began his career as a child actor forMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Tamblyn appeared in the musicalSeven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). He subsequently portrayed Norman Page in the dramaPeyton Place (1957), for which he earned anAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actor. InWest Side Story (1961), he portrayed Riff, the leader of the Jets gang.
Throughout the 1970s, Tamblyn appeared in severalexploitation films and worked as achoreographer in the 1980s. In 1990, he starred as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby inDavid Lynch's television dramaTwin Peaks, reprising the role during its 2017revival.
Tamblyn was born December 30, 1934, inLos Angeles,California,[1] to actors Sally Aileen (Triplett) andEdward Francis "Eddie" Tamblyn.[2] His younger brother,Larry Tamblyn, was the organist for the 1960s bandthe Standells.[3]
Tamblyn was a hyperactive child with a penchant for gymnastics and performing. He took the stage during intermissions at the local movie theater and gavetumbling performances.[4] When he was 13, Tamblyn lived inNorth Hollywood, studied dramatics under Grace Bowman and dancing at the North Hollywood Academy, owned and operated by his parents.[5]
Tamblyn wanted to be a circus performer and was skilled in acrobatics and dancing as a child. He developed a musical act that involved singing, dancing, juggling and comedy.[6]
Tamblyn's first professional job came when he was ten years old and was cast by actorLloyd Bridges in a play Bridges was directing calledThe Stone Jungle alongsideDickie Moore.[5] During the play's run Tamblyn was seen by several talent scouts and an agent, who signed him. The agent arranged for Tamblyn to audition for a role inThe Boy With Green Hair (1948), and he was given a small part.[7]
He appeared as youngSaul inCecil B. DeMille's 1949 version ofSamson and Delilah. "That was a big break for me", he later said. "After that I worked a lot."[7]
Tamblyn appeared inReign of Terror, then was given a role inThe Kid from Cleveland (1949), billed third (as "Rusty Tamblyn") after stars George Brent andLynn Bari,[4] and inWhat Happened to Jo Jo? (1950).[4]
Tamblyn played the younger Bart Tare (played as an adult byJohn Dall) in thefilm noirGun Crazy (1950) andElizabeth Taylor's younger brother inFather of the Bride (also 1950) and its sequel,Father's Little Dividend (1951) at MGM. He appeared inCaptain Carey, U.S.A. (1950),The Gangster We Made (1950),As Young as You Feel (1951),Cave of Outlaws (1951),Retreat, Hell! (1952), andThe Winning Team (1952).[8]
MGM was impressed by Tamblyn's performance inRetreat, Hell! and signed him to a long-term contract.[9] He called this "the second big break" of his career.[8]
His first role under the contract was as a young soldier in boot camp inTake the High Ground! (1953), directed byRichard Brooks.[10] His training as a gymnast in high school, and abilities as anacrobat, prepared him for his breakout role as Gideon, the youngest brother, inSeven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).[11] Tamblyn says the director wanted to cast a Broadway dancer but MGM insisted the filmmakers use some contract talent, leading to him and Jeff Richards being used.[8]
Tamblyn was not a trained dancer and always considered himself an actor who danced rather than the other way around,[11] but the film was a big success and established him at MGM. He said "my career really took off" after the film.[8]
Tamblyn was one of many studio contract players in the musicalDeep in My Heart (1954). He playedEleanor Parker's brother in the WesternMany Rivers to Cross (1955), and was one of several young MGM actors (others includedJane Powell andDebbie Reynolds) in the musicalHit the Deck (1955).[8]
Tamblyn supported older actors in two Westerns:Robert Taylor andStewart Granger inThe Last Hunt (1956), a flop; andGlenn Ford andBroderick Crawford inThe Fastest Gun Alive (1956), a big hit, where he performed an extraordinary "shovel" dance at ahoe-down early in the film.[12][13][14] He served (uncredited) as achoreographer forElvis Presley in 1957'sJailhouse Rock. MGM loaned Tamblyn to Allied Artists for his first star role,The Young Guns (1957). Back at MGM he supportedGlenn Ford andGia Scala inDon't Go Near the Water (1957), a comedy set among members of theU.S. Navy.[3]
20th Century Fox borrowed Tamblyn to play Norman Page inPeyton Place (1957), oppositeLana Turner andDiane Varsi. For his performance he received anAcademy Award nomination forBest Supporting Actor.[3] Immediately after filming that, Tamblyn went to England to play the title role in the musicalTom Thumb (1958), made forGeorge Pal. When he returned, MGM immediately cast him as the lead inHigh School Confidential (1958), which was a solid hit.[15]
Tamblyn's career momentum was interrupted when he was drafted into theUnited States Army in 1958.[16] During his service he was given leave to play a prominent supporting part inCimarron (1960).
Tamblyn's best-known musical role came as Riff, the leader of the Jets street gang inWest Side Story (1961).[3] He then appeared in two MGMCinerama movies,The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, again for Pal, andHow the West Was Won (both 1962).
Tamblyn played Luke Sannerson inThe Haunting for Robert Wise, who had madeWest Side Story. Tamblyn said he originally turned down the role as he disliked the part but agreed to do it when MGM threatened to put him on suspension. He then played "Smitty" Smith in MGM'sFollow the Boys (both 1963).[17]
Tamblyn was unable to consolidate his position as a leading man, and later said he "dropped out" after hisWest Side Story success and devoted himself to art, refusing movie roles, as well as the role of Gilligan in the TV seriesGilligan's Island.[18]
In the 1960s he appeared in the TV seriesThe Greatest Show on Earth ("Silent Love, Secret Love"; 1963), andChanning ("The Last Testament of Buddy Crown"; 1963). Tamblyn played a Viking alongsideRichard Widmark andSidney Poitier inThe Long Ships (1965). Also in 1965 he appeared inBurke's Law ("Who Killed Rosie Sunset?") andDays of Our Lives.[19]
Tamblyn had the starring role in the low-budget MGM WesternSon of a Gunfighter (1965) and starred in the 1966Japanesekaiju filmWar of the Gargantuas. He guest starred onTarzan ("Leopard on the Loose", 1966), andIron Horse ("Decision at Sundown", 1967). Tamblyn later said he became "bored" with acting around this time and more interested in art.[11]
Tamblyn starred in the notorious biker movieSatan's Sadists (1969) forAl Adamson. He followed it withScream Free! (1969),The Last Movie (1971),The Female Bunch (1971), andDracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) for Adamson.[citation needed]
He appeared on TV inCade's County ("Ragged Edge", 1972),Win, Place or Steal (1973),The World Through the Eyes of Children (1975),The Quest ("The Captive", 1976),The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams ("The Skyrider", 1978), andNero Wolfe ("Before I Die", 1981). He was also inBlack Heat (1976).[citation needed]
At the same time he worked in exploitation, Tamblyn also worked in the construction industry and computer software.[11]
Tamblyn played the supporting role inNeil Young's 1982Human Highway while also credited for screenplay and choreography. Tamblyn is credited as director, choreographer and actor for Young'sGreendale concert tour.[20] He choreographed a play,Man with Bags, in 1983.[21]
Tamblyn appeared in the TV seriesFame,Commando Squad (1987) forFred Olen Ray,The Phantom Empire (1988),Necromancer (1988),B.O.R.N. (1988),The Bloody Monks (1988), and an episode ofQuantum Leap. He was inAftershock (1990) andWizards of the Demon Sword (1991) for Fred Olen Ray.
In 1990–91, Tamblyn starred asDr. Lawrence Jacoby on theDavid Lynch-created seriesTwin Peaks (alongside hisWest Side Story co-starRichard Beymer, who playedBen Horne);[22] his scenes in the 1992 prequel filmTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me were cut.
He appeared inRunning Mates (1992),Little Devils: The Birth (1993),Cabin Boy (1994),Desert Steel (1995), andBabylon 5. He appeared on stage in Los Angeles inZastrozzi.[23] His work drifted back to straight to video:Starstruck (1995),Rebellious (1995),Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (1995) andInvisible Mom (1996) for Fred Olen Ray,Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard (1997),My Ghost Dog (1997), andLittle Miss Magic (1998) for Ray.
Tamblyn appeared on another soap opera,General Hospital, alongside his daughterAmber in 1997 and 2000. In 2004, he appeared with Amber again, playing God in the form of a man walking dogs, in three episodes ofJoan of Arcadia.[24] The two also worked together in the filmsRebellious,Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard, andThe Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. InQuentin Tarantino's filmDjango Unchained, they were billed respectively as "Son of a Gunfighter" and "Daughter of a Son of a Gunfighter", alluding to his leading role in the 1965 westernSon of a Gunfighter.
In 2004, theAcademy Film Archive preserved the mid-1960s worksFirst Film andRio Reel by Tamblyn.[25]
Tamblyn had supporting roles inDrive (2011),Django Unchained (2012), andHits (2014). He appeared several times inThe Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret,[26] and in the revival ofTwin Peaks (2017).[27]
Tamblyn married actressVenetia Stevenson in 1956, but they divorced the next year.[28] In 1960 he married Elizabeth Kempton, ashowgirl, in Las Vegas.[29][30] In later years, Tamblyn discovered he had a daughter from a 1960s relationship with artist and spiritual practitioner Elizabeth Anne Vigil. That daughter, China Faye Tamblyn, is an artist and heavy metal welder who lives in California. Tamblyn did not meet her until she was a teenager and only after the birth of his second child, actress and authorAmber Tamblyn, who was born in 1983 to his third wife, Bonnie Murray.[31]
In 2012, it was announced that Tamblyn was working on an autobiography,Dancing On The Edge.[32] The book was released in 2024.[33]
Tamblyn underwentopen heart surgery in October 2014. There were complications afterward and during his rehabilitation, but his health had reportedly improved by February 2015.[34]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | The Boy with Green Hair | Classmate | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Reign of Terror | Pierre's Oldest Son | Uncredited |
| 1949 | The Kid from Cleveland | Johnny Barrows | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1949 | Samson and Delilah | Saul | |
| 1950 | Gun Crazy | Bart Tare at 14 | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1950 | Captain Carey, U.S.A. | Pietro | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1950 | The Vicious Years | Tino | |
| 1950 | Father of the Bride | Tommy Banks | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1951 | Father's Little Dividend | Tommy Banks | |
| 1951 | As Young as You Feel | Willie McKinley | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1951 | Cave of Outlaws | Young Peter | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Retreat, Hell! | Private | |
| 1952 | The Winning Team | Willie Alexander | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
| 1953 | Take the High Ground! | Paul Jamison | |
| 1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Gideon Pontipee | |
| 1954 | Deep in My Heart | Lazar Berrison, Jr. | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Many Rivers to Cross | Shields | |
| 1955 | Hit the Deck | Danny Xavier Smith | |
| 1956 | The Last Hunt | Jimmy | |
| 1956 | The Fastest Gun Alive | Eric Doolittle | |
| 1956 | The Young Guns | Tully Rice | |
| 1957 | Don't Go Near the Water | Ensign Tyson | |
| 1957 | Peyton Place | Norman Page | |
| 1958 | High School Confidential! | Tony Baker/Mike Wilson | |
| 1958 | Tom Thumb | Tom Thumb | |
| 1960 | Cimarron | The Cherokee Kid | |
| 1961 | West Side Story | Riff | |
| 1962 | The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm | The Woodsman ('The Dancing Princess') / Tom Thumb | |
| 1962 | How the West Was Won | Confederate deserter | |
| 1963 | Follow the Boys | Lt (JG) "Smitty" Smith | |
| 1963 | The Haunting | Luke Sannerson | |
| 1964 | The Long Ships | Orm | |
| 1965 | Son of a Gunfighter | Johnny Ketchum | |
| 1966 | War of the Gargantuas | Dr. Paul Stewart | |
| 1967 | The Cool Ones | Whiz-Bam Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1969 | Satan's Sadists | Anchor | |
| 1969 | Scream Free! | Link | |
| 1971 | Dracula vs. Frankenstein | Rico | |
| 1971 | The Female Bunch | Bill | |
| 1971 | The Last Movie | Member of Billy's Gang | |
| 1974 | Win, Place or Steal | Raymond | |
| 1975 | The World Through the Eyes of Children | Devil | |
| 1976 | Black Heat | Ziggy | |
| 1982 | Neil Young: Human Highway | Fred Kelly | Also writer and choreographer |
| 1985 | The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal | Himself | Documentary |
| 1987 | Commando Squad | Anchor | |
| 1988 | Necromancer | Charles DeLonge | |
| 1988 | B.O.R.N. | Hugh | |
| 1988 | The Phantom Empire | Bill | Direct-to-DVD |
| 1989 | The Bloody Monks[citation needed] | Frank | |
| 1990 | Aftershock | Hank Franklin | |
| 1991 | Wizards of the Demon Sword | Ulric | |
| 1992 | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | Scenes deleted |
| 1993 | Little Devils: The Birth | Doc Clapton | |
| 1994 | Cabin Boy | Chocki | |
| 1994 | Desert Steel | Tate | |
| 1995 | Starstruck | Wheeler | |
| 1995 | Rebellious | Old Guy | |
| 1995 | Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold | Gas Attendant | |
| 1996 | Invisible Mom | Dr. Woorter | Direct-to-DVD |
| 1997 | Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard | Blackmoor | Direct-to-DVD |
| 1998 | Little Miss Magic | Brenden Moran | |
| 2000 | Special Envoys | ||
| 2002 | Cinerama Adventure | Himself | Documentary |
| 2011 | Drive | Doc | |
| 2012 | Django Unchained | Son of a Gunfighter | |
| 2014 | Hits | Russ | |
| 2015 | Chatty Cattie | Bruce |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Greatest Show on Earth | Tom Tuttle | Episode: "Silent Love, Secret Love" |
| 1963 | Channing | Hal Langley | Episode: "The Last Testament of Buddy Crown" |
| 1965 | Burke's Law | Maximillian | Episode: "Who Killed Rosie Sunset?" |
| 1965 | Gunsmoke | Billy Waters | Episode: "He Who Steals" |
| 1966 | Tarzan | Bell | Episode: "Leopard on the Loose" |
| 1967 | Iron Horse | Kehoe | Episode: "Decision at Sundown" |
| 1969 | The Name of the Game | John Earl | Episode: "A Hard Case of the Blues" |
| 1972 | Cade's County | Brewster | Episode: "Ragged Edge" |
| 1976 | The Quest | Kelly | Episode: "The Captive" |
| 1978 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | Milton Wright | Episode: "The Skyrider" |
| 1981 | Nero Wolfe | Police Detective | Episode: "Before I Die" |
| 1986–1987 | Fame | Russ / Michael Taftner | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Rags to Riches | Roger | Episode: "Vegas Rock" |
| 1989 | Quantum Leap | Bert Glasserman | Episode: "Thou Shalt Not..." |
| 1990–1991 | Twin Peaks | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | 15 episodes |
| 1992 | Running Mates | Frank Usher | Television film |
| 1994 | Babylon 5 | Capt. Jack Maynard | Episode: "A Distant Star" |
| 1997 | Nash Bridges | Jim the Penman | Episode: "The Counterfeiters" |
| 1997 | General Hospital | Nurses ball dancer | 1 episode |
| 1998 | My Ghost Dog | Vito | Television film |
| 1999 | Inherit the Wind | Ed Morse | Television film |
| 2000 | General Hospital | Dr. Rose | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Dog Walker God | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2012 2016 | The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Chuck Margaret / Billy the Cheesegrater | 9 episodes |
| 2017 | Twin Peaks | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | The Haunting of Hill House | Dr. Montague | Episode: "The Bent-Neck Lady" |
| Award | Category | Year | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | 1957 | Peyton Place | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Award | Most Promising Newcomer - Male | 1956 | Hit the Deck | Won (shared with Ray Danton) |
| Golden Laurel Award | Top Male Musical Performance | 1959 | Tom Thumb | Nominated |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
