Tobin Bell (born Joseph Henry Tobin Jr.; August 7, 1942) is an
American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of John
Kramer / Jigsaw in the eight films of the Saw franchise. After years
of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first
major acting job in Mississippi Burning (1988) and went on to star in
made-for-television films and guest star in television shows
throughout the 1990s.A life member of the Actors Studio, Bell also
voice-acted his Jigsaw character in two video games based on the film
series, Saw and its sequel Saw II: Flesh & Blood. Bell's portrayal of
Jigsaw has earned him five award nominations and two wins.Before his
breakthrough with Saw, Bell appeared in many notable 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).Bell
was born in Queens, New York and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
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, 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. 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. He credits
hearing a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston
University with inspiring him to begin an acting career.
American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of John
Kramer / Jigsaw in the eight films of the Saw franchise. After years
of work doing stand-ins and background work on films, he got his first
major acting job in Mississippi Burning (1988) and went on to star in
made-for-television films and guest star in television shows
throughout the 1990s.A life member of the Actors Studio, Bell also
voice-acted his Jigsaw character in two video games based on the film
series, Saw and its sequel Saw II: Flesh & Blood. Bell's portrayal of
Jigsaw has earned him five award nominations and two wins.Before his
breakthrough with Saw, Bell appeared in many notable 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).Bell
was born in Queens, New York and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
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, 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. 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. He credits
hearing a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston
University with inspiring him to begin an acting career.
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