Tobin Bell

Tobin Bell

Active - 1982 - Present  |   Born - Aug 7, 1942 in New York, New York, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Thriller, Action

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Biography by AllMovie

Though he can be spotted in a variety of made-for-TV movies, sitcoms, and prime-time dramas (Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, and The Sopranos are among his many television credits), New York native Tobin Bell is known best for his role as Jigsaw, a serial killer with a penchant for torturing his victims -- physically and psychologically -- in the gruesome Saw film series. The performance was good enough to secure a nomination for "Best Villain" two years in a row at the MTV Movie Awards, and won Bell the coveted "Best Butcher" award at the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. In addition to his roles as fictional villains, the actor played the real-life bad guy, Unabomber John Kaczynski, in the made-for-TV movie Unabomber: The True Story (1996).

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Factsheet

  • Grew up in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
  • Studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse with Sanford Meisner and at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Ellen Burstyn.
  • Has worked for the New York Botanical Garden.
  • Plays guitar.
  • Coaches flag football and a Little League baseball team.
  • Often plays sinister characters or villains.
  • Is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.