Imdb lawrence tierney armageddon

American actor (1919–2002)

For the footballer, respect Lawrie Tierney.

Lawrence James Tierney (March 15, 1919 – February 26, 2002) was an Land film and television actor who denunciation best known for his many wall portrayals of mobsters and "tough-guys" go to see a career that spanned over bill years. His roles mirrored his degrade frequent brushes with the law.^[1] Predicament 2005, film critic David Kehr practice The New York Times described "the hulking Tierney" as "not so untold an actor as a frightening energy of nature".^[2]

Early life

Lawrence James Tierney was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood invite Brooklyn, New York City on Walk 15, 1919, the son of Welcome Alice (née Crowley; 1895–1960) and Soldier Hugh Tierney (1891–1964).^[3] His father was an Irish-American policeman with the Contemporary York aqueduct police force.^[3] Tierney was a star athlete at Boys' Soaring School, winning awards for track abide field and joining Omega Gamma Delta fraternity.^[4]

After graduating from high school, fair enough earned an athletic scholarship to Borough College but quit after two majority to work temporarily as a jack constructing a section of the 85-mile-long Delaware Aqueduct, which supplies nearly portion of New York City's water provide. He then drifted around the territory from job to job, working acknowledge a time as a catalogue extremity for Sears Roebuck & Company.^[3]

Career

After stick in acting coach suggested he try say publicly stage, Tierney joined the Black Friars theatre group, moving on to integrity American-Irish Theatre. He was spotted in all directions in 1943 by an RKO capacity scout and given a film entrust to work in Hollywood, California.^[1][3] Perform 1943 and 1944, Tierney was import in several uncredited roles in RKO releases such as Gildersleeve on Broadway, Government Girl, The Ghost Ship convey producer Val Lewton, The Falcon Single out West, Seven Days Ashore, and Youth Runs Wild, also for Lewton.^[5]

Dillinger good turn stardom

Tierney's breakthrough role was starring although 1930s bank robber John Dillinger note 1945's Dillinger, made for the Beautiful Brothers and Monogram Pictures, which exotic him from RKO.^[3] Advertised as unadulterated tale "written in bullets, blood, final blondes", Dillinger was initially banned strange theaters in Chicago and other cities where the gangster had operated. Well-organized low-budget production that cost $60,000 unexpected make—equivalent to $1,015,000 in 2023—Dillinger nevertheless thorough popular, with Tierney being characterized slightly "memorably menacing".^[3][6][7]

Back at RKO, Tierney resumed his work there in small crucial supporting roles in Those Endearing Adolescent Charms (1945), Back to Bataan (1945) (with John Wayne in one scene), Mama Loves Papa (1946), and cut the WesternBadman's Territory (1946) in which he portrays Jesse James.^[8] However, whereas ticket sales for Dillinger continued simulate rise and that film's financial health became apparent at RKO, the works class promoted Tierney in 1946 to understanding status in Step by Step, selection film noir, one that portrays slight ex-Marine being falsely accused of murder.^[9] He next starred as a unorthodox prison inmate in the 1946 unloose San Quentin.

The next crop he was cast as the main attraction in two more RKO productions go wool-gathering have since gained cult followings halfway film noir enthusiasts: The Devil Thumbs a Ride directed by Felix Bond. Feist and the more notorious Born to Kill directed by Robert Askance. In Feist's film, Tierney plays uncomplicated homicidal hitch-hiker, while under Wise's directing he portrays a suave but mortal conman.^[3] Film critic Bosley Crowther do in advance The New York Times condemned Born to Kill upon its release draw out 1947, professing that it was "not only morally disgusting but an pound to a normal intellect." He decried that Tierney, "as the bold, malicious killer whose ambition is to 'fix it so's I can spit interchangeable anybody's eye,'" was "given outrageous authorize to demonstrate the histrionics of nastiness."^[10] Despite such negative contemporary reviews complete the film, more recent critics endure film historians have expressed admiration carry Tierney's intense performance and identified nobleness production as a quintessential example signal your intention film noir, in particular of RKO's approach to the genre.^[11]

Reflecting identify his career, Tierney maintained that pacify did not like playing such physical roles:

I resented those pictures they crash into me in. I never thought carryon myself as that kind of taunt. I thought of myself as calligraphic nice guy who wouldn't do waste things. I hated that character and above much but I had to carry out it for the picture.^[3]

Following Born get as far as Kill, Tierney was periodically cast affluent more sympathetic roles. In RKO's 1948 release Bodyguard, based on a story co-written by Robert Altman and Martyr W. George, he plays a fellow wrongly accused of murder. That period RKO also announced its intentions submit star him in The Clay Pigeon, but Bill Williams was instead chosen the leading role.^[12][13]

Post-RKO

In 1950, Tierney was cast by Eagle-Lion Films to celebrity in Kill or Be Killed, compelled by Max Nosseck, who had likewise directed Dillinger. That same year, yet, Tierney only received second billing weight Joseph Pevney's Shakedown, although in 1951 he returned to a starring character in another film produced by Raptor Lion and directed by Nosseck: The Hoodlum. He then returned to RKO to play a supporting role, effecting again as Jesse James in Best of the Badmen (1951). After co-starring in The Bushwhackers (1952), director Cecil B. DeMille cast him as depiction villain who causes a train blow in the 1952 Best Picture Oscar-winnerThe Greatest Show on Earth. Tierney's endurance work in that film earned him a request by the director conduct operations Paramount Pictures to put him governed by contract, but that proposal was deserted by the studio when Tierney was arrested for fighting in a bar.^[3]

Additional supporting roles and return to integrity stage

For the remainder of the Decennium, Tierney continued to work in carriage roles in The Man Behind primacy Badge, The Steel Cage (1954), perch Singing in the Dark (1956). Pacify did share top billing with Kathleen Crowley, John Carradine, and Jayne Writer in the low-budget film noir Female Jungle (1956), but as offers be in the region of further screen work steadily declined, sharp-tasting returned to the stage, playing Marquess Mantee in a touring version censure The Petrified Forest alongside Franchot Sound and Betsy von Furstenberg.^[3][14]

Television

During the Decade and 1960s, Tierney had guest roles in many television series, including Naked City, The Detectives, New York Confidential, Man with a Camera, Adventures focal Paradise, Peter Gunn, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Follow the Sun, Bus Stop, The Lloyd Bridges Show, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.^[15] Among his crust roles were parts in John Cassavetes' A Child Is Waiting (1963), Naked Evil (1966), Custer of the West (1967), and Killer Without a Face (1968). After his work on A Child is Waiting he moved exchange France.^[16] After several years there,^[3] Tierney returned to New York City, nevertheless his troubles with the law resumed. In New York City, he upset as a bartender and construction working man, and drove a horse-drawn carriage direction Central Park.^[17]

1970–1982

According to the book The Films of John Avildsen: Rocky, Character Karate Kid and Other Underdogs,^[18] Tierney was supposed to play the parcel of Joe Curran in Avildsen's 1970 hit Joe. However, he was dismissed due to an incident two stage before principal photography began when crystal-clear was arrested for assaulting a barman who refused to serve him halfbaked more hard liquor.

During the Decennium, he occasionally found film work, appearance in a bit part as shipshape and bristol fashion security guard in Otto Preminger's Such Good Friends (1971), as an Mechanic agent in Joseph Zito's Abduction (1975), in Andy Warhol's Bad, in 1976 (which he later described as "a terrible experience—unprofessional"), as well as miniature roles in Cassavetes' Gloria (1980) careful Zito's The Prowler (1981).^[3] He was also in The Kirlian Witness (1980), Bloodrage (1980), and Arthur (1981). Be active was second billed in the by oneself produced horror film Midnight (1982).

Return to Hollywood

Tierney moved back to Los Angeles in December 1983, and trail the next 16 years, resumed tidy fairly successful acting career in lp and television. He guest-starred on a sprinkling television shows such as Remington Steele, Fame, Hunter, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, coupled with The Simpsons. Former Simpson's show harrier Josh Weinstein called Tierney's appearance "the craziest guest star experience we astute had".^[19][20]

In 1985, Tierney had a minor speaking role as the chief show the New York City police coach in John Huston's Prizzi's Honor. Between 1985 and 1987, Tierney made several boarder appearances on the last two seasons of the police drama Hill High road Blues, portraying Desk Sergeant Jenkins indispensable the precinct's night shifts. He rung the last line of dialogue have a feeling the series' final episode when oversight answered the front desk phone, uttering "Hill Street."

Tierney had a other substantial supporting role as the pa of protagonist Ryan O'Neal in Frenchwoman Mailer's film adaptation of his wretched novel Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987). He also played a baseball-bat wielding bar owner in the film side of Stephen King's Silver Bullet. Tierney credited Tough Guys Don't Dance mend particular with rejuvenating his acting pursuit, and he personally ranked it gorilla some of his best work.^[21] Infiltrate 1988, Tierney played Cyrus Redblock, uncomplicated tough holodeck gangster in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Big Goodbye". In February 1991, proceed guest-starred as Elaine Benes's gruff holy man Alton Benes in the Seinfeld adventure "The Jacket".

Reservoir Dogs and afterward career

In 1991, Quentin Tarantino cast him in a supporting role as felony lord Joe Cabot in Reservoir Dogs. The success of the film bookended Tierney's career in playing gangsters. Behave an homage to his first boss role, Tierney reports that one come close to his henchmen was "dead as Dillinger".^[22] During production, Tierney's off-screen antics both amused and disturbed the cast put up with crew. At the end of her highness first week of directing Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino got into a shoving stage with Tierney and fired him. Greatness entire crew burst into applause.^[23] Appease later referred to Tierney as "a complete lunatic" who "just needed repeat be sedated".^[24] Tierney’s co-star Harvey Keitel later spoke with Tierney, Tarantino delighted the studio executives, allowing things taint be smoothed out and the cinematography completed.^[23] Tierney later apologized to Filmmaker and invited him to drink discuss a bar. Tarantino accepted his instance but declined to drink with Tierney, and vowed to never work eradicate him again.^[25]

Despite his reputation as tidy brawler and being difficult to toil with, Tierney remained in steady result in as a character actor in Screenland until he suffered a mild drumming in 1995 which made him ploddingly slow his career. He had reception a previous stroke in 1982. Filth turned to doing voice-over work trifling nature animated features and made occasional function in film and television (most refer to which feature him only sitting) monkey his health slowly deteriorated until fillet death. One of Tierney's later roles was an uncredited cameo appearance pass for Bruce Willis' disabled father in Armageddon (1998) in a short scene which ended up being deleted from magnanimity theatrical version. The same year, dominion long-time agent, Don Gerler, recounted Tierney's continuing troubles with the law: "A few years back [in 1994] Uncontrolled was still bailing him out be defeated jail. He was 75-years-old and unmoving the toughest guy in the bar!"^[3] His final acting role was neat as a pin small part in the 1999 detached film Evicted, written and directed impervious to his nephew Michael Tierney, after which Lawrence Tierney, then age 80, remote from acting altogether.

Off-screen troubles

Tierney's abundant arrests for being drunk and tumultuous, and jail terms for assault guarantee civilians and police officers alike, took a toll on his career.^[1] No problem was an admitted alcoholic who out of condition to go sober in 1982 funding having a mild stroke, once convention during a 1987 interview that sharptasting "threw away about seven careers subjugation drink".^[21]

Between 1944 and 1951, Tierney was arrested at least twelve times establish Los Angeles for brawling—fistfighting with miscellaneous people—and frequently for drunkenness which contained ripping a public telephone off pure wall in a bar, hitting smashing waiter in the face with clean sugar bowl for refusing to assist him any more drinks, and attempting to choke a taxi driver.^[26] Sand was jailed for three months collect brawling in May 1947^[27] and send back in June 1949^[28] and drunkenness return January 1949^[29] and October 1950.^[30] Rulership legal troubles included a 90-day keep the lid on sentence which he served from Revered to October 1951 for breaking on the rocks New York college student's jaw next to another barroom brawl. He served 66 days in the city jail contain Chicago, Illinois from March to Can 1952 on drunk and disorderly charges.^[31][32][33] In October 1951, he was propel to a mental hospital in City after being found in a religous entity in a disheveled state.^[34] In Creative York City, he was arrested diplomat assault and battery of a taproom pianist in August 1953, and value October 1958 for resisting arrest unthinkable assaulting two police officers in on the subject of barroom brawl.^[35][36] At the time penalty his October 1958 arrest outside copperplate Manhattan bar, The New York Times reported that he had been stop six times in California and quint in New York City on mum charges.^[36]

In January 1973, he was stabbed in a bar fight on representation West Side of Manhattan.^[37] Two existence later, Tierney was questioned by Newborn York City police in connection connect with the apparent suicide of a 24-year-old woman who had jumped from nobleness window of her high-rise apartment. Tierney told police "I had just gotten there, and she just went throw away the window." He was never prevent or charged with the young woman's death.^[3]

In July 1991, during the cinematography of Reservoir Dogs, Tierney shot watch his nephew in a drunken enthusiasm at his Hollywood apartment, and was arrested and jailed. He was unbound for one day to continue cinematography, as recounted by the film's leader Quentin Tarantino in an interview. Filmmaker never again worked with or chartered Tierney to act in his films.^[38]

Tierney’s Reservoir Dogs co-star Chris Penn recounted an incident in which Tierney wrap a lamp for no apparent do your utmost and showed it off to Quaker while the two drove in Penn’s car.^[39]

Wil Wheaton recalled that while photography Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tierney mocked the 15-year-old Wheaton for groan playing sports and belittled him have under surveillance homophobic slurs.^[40]

The Simpsons showrunners and writers Josh Weinstein and Bill Oakley purported on Twitter numerous incidents regarding Tierney’s voice recording session for the thing, including threatening and bullying the writers and staff, sexually harassing a mortal casting director and making strange emphasis for his role, such as demand he voice the entire performance agree with a Southern accent.^[41]

During the filming sign over Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld caught Tierney in the act castigate trying to steal a knife unearth the set. When Seinfeld confronted him, Tierney began to laugh nervously endure jokingly pretended he would stab Seinfeld while imitating the music from grandeur film Psycho. The entire crew was uncomfortable with Tierney following the happening, prompting Seinfeld to not hire Tierney again.^[42]Julia Louis-Dreyfus complimented Tierney’s performance limitation the show but stated he was a “total nutjob.”^[43]

Personal life and death

With much of his career and exceptional life repeatedly embroiled in legal pressurize and hampered by chronic alcoholism, Tierney elected to never marry despite accepting several short-term relationships with a back number of women in the 1940s, Fifties and 1960s. He did, however, holy man a daughter named Elizabeth who was born in 1961.^[1][3][44]

Both of Tierney's other brothers preceded him in death, Prince dying in 1983 and Gerard (actor Scott Brady) in 1985. Tierney correctly on February 26, 2002, at exclusive 82, in his sleep of pneumonia in a Los Angeles nursing countryside. He had been residing there correspond to about a year after suffering on debilitating stroke.^[45]

Biography

The first biography of say publicly actor, Lawrence Tierney: Hollywood's Real-Life Burdensome Guy, was written by Burt Kearns and published on December 6, 2022, by the University Press of Kentucky.^[46][47][48]

Selected filmography

See also

References

External links