Tobin Bell
Tobin Bell | |
---|---|
![]() Bell in 2019 | |
Born | Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. August 7, 1942 Queens, New York, U.S. |
Other names | Joseph Tobin |
Education | Boston University |
Alma mater | Montclair State University |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1979–present |
Known for | Jigsaw/John Kramer (Saw franchise) |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Bell
(m. 1993; div. 2018) |
Children | 2 |
Website | officialtobinbell |
Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. (born August 7, 1942),[1][2][3] known professionally as Tobin Bell, is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of John Kramer / Jigsaw, the central character of the Saw franchise. He appears in the first eight films in the series, and also voices the character in the two video game adaptations, Saw (2009) and Saw II: Flesh & Blood (2010). His portrayal of Jigsaw has earned him five award nominations and two wins.
Bell is a life member of the Actors Studio.[4] After years of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first major acting job in Mississippi Burning (1988) and eventually went on to star in made-for-television films and guest star in television shows throughout the 1990s. Before his breakthrough with Saw, Bell appeared in many notable and various films, including The Verdict (1982), Tootsie (1982), Mississippi Burning (1988), False Identity (1990), Loose Cannons (1990), Goodfellas (1990), Ruby (1992), a narration role in Boiling Point (1993), The Firm (1993), In the Line of Fire (1993), Malice (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995), Brown's Requiem (1998), and a voice role in The Road to El Dorado (2000).
He is sometimes credited as Joseph Tobin in the various 1980s films such as Sophie's Choice and Turk 182.
Early life[]
Bell was born in Queens, New York and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts.[2] His English-born mother, Eileen Julia Bell Tobin, was an actress who worked at the Quincy Repertory Company. His American-born father, Joseph H. Tobin, who was of Irish descent,[5] built and established the radio station WJDA in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1947 and once ran for mayor of Gloversville, New York. Bell's maternal grandmother, Julia Gandon Bell, was born in Cork, Ireland. Bell has one sister and one brother.[2][3] Bell studied liberal arts and journalism in college, with the intention of becoming a writer and entering the broadcasting field. He also has an interest in environmental matters, holding a master's degree in environmental science from Montclair State University as well as having worked for the New York Botanical Garden.[6] He credits hearing a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston University with inspiring him to begin an acting career.[7]
Bell later joined the Actors Studio where he studied with Lee Strasberg and Ellen Burstyn, and joined Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse.[8][9] He played background roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s in over 30 films, including films by Woody Allen (Manhattan) and Martin Scorsese, while also performing in Broadway.[8][10] Bell said that other actors at the Actors Studio thought doing stand-in and background work was "stupid or degrading", but he never felt that way.[11]
Career[]
Early work: 1982–1999[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Tobin_Bell_Saw_3D_premiere.jpg/170px-Tobin_Bell_Saw_3D_premiere.jpg)
In 1982, Bell had a short uncredited scene in the Sydney Pollack film, Tootsie, playing a waiter at the Russian Tea Room. He told Movieline, "You know, when you're talking about Tootsie, it's the tip of the iceberg, because those other twenty-nine films I did aren't even on IMDb."[12] He worked on The Verdict (1982) for two weeks as a courtroom reporter in the trial. He recollected it being a "great opportunity" watching Sidney Lumet and Paul Newman, while also learning the technical aspect of acting.[12] For every role he plays, starting with the initial reading of the script to the final shot of a production, he keeps a journal of various questions about and motivations for his character. "I write all kinds of stream-of-consciousness things that help me."[9]
In 1982 Bell landed his first speaking role in the last few moments of the drama Sophie's Choice, starring Meryl Streep. In the mid-1980s, Bell said "I was doing off-Broadway plays three nights a week, working on my craft. And a director at the Actors Studio said, 'You know, Tobin you've been doing that for a while. I think you should go to Hollywood and play bad guys.'" Bell moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his first feature film, Alan Parker's Mississippi Burning (1988), as a "tough, street smart, FBI agent".[11] Bell played an assassin called "The Nordic Man" in another Pollack film, The Firm (1993). The same year, he played Mendoza in In the Line of Fire, where he attempts to taunt an undercover Clint Eastwood into proving his loyalty by murdering his partner, played by Dylan McDermott. He went on to appear in an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld titled "The Old Man" playing a record store owner. He appeared in two episodes of NYPD Blue playing different characters.
In 1994, Bell played a hospital administrator in the second episode of the first season of ER and went on to appear in an episode of another medical drama Chicago Hope, playing a terminally ill inmate on death row. That same year, he portrayed the "Unabomber" in the made-for-television film Unabomber: The True Story. In 1997, Bell guest starred in an episode of La Femme Nikita and Nash Bridges. The following year, he guest starred in an episode of Stargate SG-1 and a two-part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. He also appeared as the villain Peter Kingsley during the second season of 24.
2004–present[]
In 2004, Bell was cast as John Kramer / Jigsaw, an engineer-turned-serial killer who wants others to appreciate the value of life via twisted "games", in the horror film Saw.[10][13] The low-budget film was a box office success, spawning eight sequels: Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), Saw 3D (2010), Jigsaw (2017), and Spiral (2021). He provided his voice for the Jigsaw character in the Saw video game (2009) and its sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood (2010), to which he also provided his likeness.[14] Even though Bell spent three weeks lying on a floor and had very few lines, his role was pivotal to the first film.[15][16] For his role as "Jigsaw", Bell received MTV Movie Awards nominations in 2006 and 2007 for "Best Villain", won "Best Butcher" in the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and was given the "Best Villain in a Film Series" title at the 2010 Chiller-Eyegore Awards.[17] Although he considers his role in Saw to have been "a great blessing", he hopes to soon have the opportunity to be cast against type.[18]
In 2016, Bell starred as hermit Yo Ling on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, revealed to be John Black's long lost father. He starred as the voices of the villain Doctor Alchemy and the malicious speed god and main antagonist Savitar on the third season of The Flash, in an uncredited role.
Personal life[]
Bell has two sons. In January 2018, Bell's wife, Elizabeth, filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage. When not acting, he coaches a Little League Baseball team and flag football.[19] His other hobbies include hiking and playing guitar.[18]
Filmography[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Tobin_Bell_at_Comic_Con_2010_%28Cropped%29.jpg/170px-Tobin_Bell_at_Comic_Con_2010_%28Cropped%29.jpg)
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Manhattan | Man On Street | Uncredited |
1981 | Tales of Ordinary Madness | Bar Patron | |
1982 | Sophie's Choice[20] | Reporter | Credited as Joseph Tobin |
The Verdict | Courtroom Observer | Uncredited | |
Tootsie | Waiter | ||
1983 | Svengali | Waiter | |
1985 | Turk 182! | Sergeant On Bridge | Credited as Joseph Tobin |
1988 | Mississippi Burning | FBI Agent Stokes | |
1989 | An Innocent Man | Zeke | |
1990 | False Identity | Marshall Errickson | |
Loose Cannons | Gerber | ||
Goodfellas | Parole Officer | ||
1992 | Ruby | David Ferrie | |
1993 | Boiling Point | Freddie Roth | |
The Firm | The Nordic Man | ||
In the Line of Fire | Marty Mendoza | ||
Malice | Earl Leemus | ||
1995 | Serial Killer | William Lucian Morrano | Direct-to-video |
The Quick and the Dead | 'Dog' Kelly | ||
1996 | Cheyenne | Marshal Toynbee | |
1998 | Brown's Requiem | Stan 'Stan The Man' | |
Overnight Delivery | John Dwayne Beezly | ||
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning | Lukasz Slava | ||
1999 | The 4th Floor | The Locksmith | |
2000 | The Road to El Dorado | Zaragoza | Voice, Grouped under "Voice Talent" |
2001 | Good Neighbor | Geoffrey Martin | |
2002 | Power Play | Clemens | |
Black Mask 2: City of Masks | Moloch | ||
2004 | Saw | John Kramer / Jigsaw | |
2005 | Hacking Away at 'Saw' | Himself | Video documentary short |
Saw II | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2006 | Going to Places: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film | Himself | Documentary, Archive footage only |
Saw III | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2007 | Buried Alive | Lester | Direct-to-video |
Decoys 2: Alien Seduction | Professor Erwin Buckton | ||
The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It | The Stranger | ||
Boogeyman 2 | Dr. Mitchell Allen | ||
Saw IV | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2008 | Boogeyman 3 | Dr. Mitchell Allen | Voice, Uncredited |
Saw V | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2009 | Saw VI | ||
2010 | Saw 3D | ||
2014 | Dark House | Seth | Also co-producer of the film |
Finders Keepers | Dr. Freeman | ||
Saw: Filmmaker Q&A | Himself | Video short | |
2015 | Run | Man At Bar | Short film |
Phantom Halo | 'Smashmouth' | ||
Manson Family Vacation | 'Blackbird' | ||
Unbelief | Frank | Short film, Also executive producer of the film | |
2016 | Rainbow Time | Peter | |
2017 | Jigsaw[21] | John Kramer / Jigsaw | |
61: Highway to Hell | The Devil | ||
12 Feet Deep | McGradey | ||
The Sandman | Valentine | ||
Belzebuth | Vasilio Canetti | ||
My Pretty Pony | George Banning | Short film, Also executive producer of the film | |
2019 | The Way We Weren't | Jerry | Also producer of the film |
Ice Cream in the Cupboard | Pop | ||
Gates of Darkness | Monsignor Canell | ||
2020 | Let Us In | Mr. Munch | |
The Call | Edward Cranston | ||
A Father's Legacy | Billy Ford | ||
2021 | Spiral | John Kramer / Jigsaw | Photo only |
Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman | Lewis Fell | Post-production | |
TBA | Awaken | Cooper Mason | Post-production, Also co-producer of the film |
Wolf Mountain | Dr. Avery | Post-production | |
Liberty | General Volker | Pre-production | |
The Rogue | V.P. Williamson | Pre-production | |
ReBroken | Von | Filming | |
The Bunker | Mr. Riley | Post-production | |
Ghostkiller | Special Agent Lee Tarkington / 1862 Herbert Tarkington | Announced, Also producer of the film | |
Mouth to Mouth | TBA | Pre-production | |
Dark Corners | TBA | Currently in development | |
Sins of the Father | TBA | Currently in development |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987-1988 | The Equalizer | Unknown | 2 episodes |
1989 | Perfect Witness | Dillon | Television film |
1990 | Alien Nation | Brian Knox | Episode: "Crossing the Line" |
Jake and the Fatman | Vic | Episode: "More Than You Know" | |
Broken Badges | Martin Valentine | Episode: "Pilot" | |
1991 | Love, Lies and Murder | Al Stutz | Television film |
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage | Tony Gianini | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride | Barman | Television film | |
1992 | Mann & Machine | Richards | Episode: "No Pain, No Gain" |
Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story | Unknown | Television film | |
Silk Stalkings | Emil Rossler | Episode: "Hot Rocks" | |
1993 | Seinfeld | Ron | Episode: "The Old Man" |
Sex, Love, and Cold Hard Cash | Mansfield | Television film | |
NYPD Blue | Donald Selness | 2 episodes | |
1994 | Deep Red | Warren Rickman | Television film |
Dead Man's Revenge | Bullock | ||
ER | Hospital Administrator | Episode: "Day One" | |
Mortal Fear | Dr. Alvin Hayes | Television film | |
New Eden | Ares | ||
1995 | Under Suspicion | Ron O'Keefe | Episode: "A Haunting Case" |
1996 | The Babysitter's Seduction | Detective Frank O'Keefe | Television film |
The Lazarus Man | Unknown | Episode: "Among the Dead" | |
Murder One | Jerry Albanese | Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Two" | |
Unabomber: The True Story | Theodore Kaczynski | Television film | |
Chicago Hope | Luther Evans | Episode: "A Time to Kill" | |
1997 | La Femme Nikita | Perry Bauer | Episode: "Love" |
Nash Bridges | William Boyd | Episode: "Payback" | |
1998 | Stargate SG-1 | Omoc | Episode: "Enigma" |
One Hot Summer Night | Vincent 'Coupe' De Ville | Television film | |
Walker, Texas Ranger | Karl Storm | 2 episodes | |
Vengeance Unlimited | Teddy Hix | Episode: "Bitter End" | |
1999 | Strange World | Owen Sassen | Episode: "Eliza" |
The Pretender | Mr. White | Episode: "The World's Changing" | |
2000 | The X-Files | Darryl Weaver | Episode: "Brand X" |
Harsh Realm | Slater | Episode: "Reunion" | |
2001 | Once and Again | Man In Suit | Episode: "Aaron's Getting Better" |
The Sopranos | Major Carl Zwingli | Episode: "Army of One" | |
The Guardian | Unknown | Episode: "The Funnies" | |
Alias | SD-6 Agent Karl Dreyer | 2 episodes | |
2002 | Charmed | Orin | Episode: "The Eyes Have It" |
The West Wing | Colonel Whitcomb | Episode: "Process Stories" | |
2003 | 24 | Peter Kingsley | 4 episodes |
E! Live from the Red Carpet | Himself | Episode: "The 2003 Screen Actors Guild Awards" | |
2005 | Revelations | Nathan Volk | 5 episodes |
2006 | Scream Awards 2006 | Himself | Television special |
Casino Cinema | Himself | Episode: "31 October 2006" | |
2007 | The Kill Point | Alan Beck | 6 episodes |
07 Spaceys | Himself | Television film | |
2009 | Starz Inside: Unforgettably Evil | Himself | Television film documentary |
Made in Hollywood | Himself | 1 episode | |
2010 | 14th Annual PRISM Awards | Himself | Television special |
IMDb's 20th Anniversary Star of the Day | Himself | Episode: "Tobin Bell" | |
2011 | Twist & Shout: The Saw Story | Himself | Television short documentary |
2012 | Visionado obligado | 'Jigsaw' | Also known in English as Forced Viewing, Episode: "Primer", Archive footage only |
2014 | Criminal Minds | Malachi Lee | Episode: "Blood Relations" |
Wilfred | Charles | Episode: "Happiness" | |
2015 | Skin Wars | Himself - Guest Judge | Episode: "Emotional Rollercoaster" |
Nerd Nation TV | Himself | Episode: "Tobin Bell" | |
Cinerockom | Himself - Silver Award Best Actor Winner | Episode: "Cinerockom Beverly Hills 2015 Festival & Awards" | |
2016 | Days of Our Lives | Yo Ling | 4 episodes |
All Access Pass | Himself | Episode: "Tobin Bell - Wizard World Comic Con Portland" | |
2016-2017 | The Flash | Doctor Alchemy / Savitar | Voices, 15 episodes |
2017 | Demented Pictures | Himself | Episode: "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Saw", Archive footage only |
2018 | Demented Top Tens | 'Jigsaw' | Episode: "Top Ten Twist Endings", Archive footage only |
Eli Roth's History of Horror | Himself | Episode: "Slashers Part 2" | |
2019 | Creepshow | Chief (segment "Gray Matter") | Episode: "Gray Matter/The House of the Head" |
2020 | MacGyver | Leland | 2 episodes |
2021 | The Gloom | Dr. Lasher | 8 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Saw | John Kramer / Jigsaw | Voice |
2010 | Saw II: Flesh & Blood | Voice | |
2020 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019 video game) | Voice |
Further reading[]
- Voisin, Scott; Roebuck, Daniel (2009-05-25). Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-342-5.
References[]
- ^ The Cross & Crescent - Google Books. 1962. Retrieved 2012-11-09 – via Google Books.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Barbuto, Dana (2008-10-24). "Weymouth native puts the buzz in Saw movies". The Patriot Ledger. GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on 2012-03-01. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Tobin, Ex-candidate In Gloversville, Dies". Schenectady Gazette. 1977-09-05. p. 27. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 280. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
- ^ "Genealogy of Tobin Bell's paternal family". Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ Rose, Lisa (2009-10-22). "Tobin Bell 'Saw' the future in horror series". NJ.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ^ Dobuzinskis, Alex (2009-10-22). "A Minute With: Tobin Bell of the "Saw" horror films". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Harrington, Richard (2007-10-29). "Cult icon born with 'Saw' star - Tobin Bell key to franchise's success". The Journal Gazette. Fort Wayne, Indiana: The Journal Gazette Co: 5D.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Carroll, Larry (2007-10-22). "'Saw IV' Star Tobin Bell Reveals Method Behind Jigsaw's Madness". MTV.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Buchanan, Kyle (2009-10-16). "The Only Tobin Bell Interview You'll Ever Need". Movieline. PMC. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Harrington, Richard (2007-10-26). "Tobin Bell: A Pivotal Piece of the 'Saw' Puzzle". The Washington Post. 130 (325): 32–35. Archived from the original on 2012-11-11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Buchanan, Kyle (2009-10-16). "The Only Tobin Bell Interview You'll Ever Need". Movieline. PMC. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ "Saw (2004)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- ^ Berardini, César (2009-07-04). "Konami Signs Tobin Bell To Voice Jigsaw In Saw Game". Team Xbox. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ Heisler, Steve (2008-10-29). "Tobin Bell Random Roles". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ^ Dirks, Tim. "Greatest Movie Plot Twists, Spoilers and Surprise Endings". Filmsite.org. AMC. Archived from the original on 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ^ "Dread Central at the 2009 Chiller-Eyegore Awards and Halloween Horror Nights". DreadCentral. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Moore, Roger (2010-10-24). ""Jigsaw" Tobin Bell would rather be cutting a rug". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
- ^ Koltnow, Barry (2008-10-25). "Tobin Bell carves out a niche as 'Jigsaw'". The Orange County Register. Freedom Communications.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2017-02-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Squires, John. "[Exclusive] We've Got the First 'Saw: Legacy' Plot Details; Tobin Bell Returning!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
External links[]
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- 1942 births
- Living people
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American people of English descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Male actors from Massachusetts
- Montclair State University alumni
- People from Queens, New York
- People from Weymouth, Massachusetts
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors