Rip Torn, known recently for his role as NBC head Don Geiss on 30 Rock as well as Artie from The Larry Sanders Show, was arrested on Friday after allegedly trying to rob a bank in Connecticut
The veteran actor was found drunk and with a firearm after he set off an alarm at 9:42PM at the bank in the Litchfield Bancorp building in Salisbury, Connecticut.He was charged with carrying a firearm while intoxicated, carrying a firearm without a permit, first-degree burglary, first-degree trespassing and third-degree criminal mischief.
Rip Torn, real name Elmore Torn, is being held on $100,000 bail and will appear in court on Monday, February 1, 2010 to face the charges.
78-year old Rip Torn is an Emmy Award winning and Oscar nominated actor.
Torn is the cousin of Sissy Spacek. He gave her a start in the entertainment business.
Torn made his movie debut in 1952 in the Tennessee Williams movie Baby Doll, also starring a young Karl Malden.
He also played Agent Zed in Men In Black.
The part of George Hanson in Easy Rider was written for Torn but withdrew after getting in a fight with Dennis Hopper. Torn was replaced by Jack Nicholson. Hopper told the story on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno how Torn pulled a knife on him during the production of Easy Rider and that was why he wasn’t in the movie. Torn sued Hopper claiming it was Hopper who pulled the knife. The judge ruled in favour of Torn and Hopper was required to pay $475,000 in damages.
His other movies include The Man Who Fell To Earth with David Bowie, The Telephone with Whoopi Goldberg and Robocop 3.
