Tommy Lee Jones(I)
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Tommy Lee Jones was born in San Saba, Texas, the son of Lucille Marie
(Scott), a police officer and beauty shop owner, and Clyde C. Jones,
who worked on oil fields. Tommy himself worked in underwater
construction and on an oil rig. He attended St. Mark's School of Texas,
a prestigious prep school for boys in Dallas, on a scholarship, and
went to Harvard on another scholarship. He roomed with future Vice
President Al Gore and played offensive
guard in the famous 29-29 Harvard-Yale football game of '68 known as
"The Tie." He received a B.A. in English literature and graduated cum
laude from Harvard in 1969.
Following college, he moved to New York and began his theatrical career
on Broadway in "A Patriot for Me" (1969). In 1970, he made his film
debut in Love Story (1970). While
living in New York, he continued to appear in various plays, both on-
and off-Broadway: "Fortune and Men's Eyes" (1969); "Four on a Garden"
(1971); "Blue Boys" (1972); "Ulysses in Nighttown" (1974). During this
time, he also appeared on a daytime soap opera,
One Life to Live (1968) as
Dr. Mark Toland from 1971-75. He moved with wife
Kate Lardner, granddaughter of short-story
writer/columnist Ring Lardner, and
her two children from a previous marriage, to Los Angeles.
There he began to get some roles on television:
Charlie's Angels (1976)
(pilot episode);
Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976);
and
The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977).
While working on the movie
Back Roads (1981), he met and fell in
love with Kimberlea Cloughley, whom he later married. More roles in
television--both on network and cable--stage and film garnered him a
reputation as a strong, explosive, thoughtful actor who could handle
supporting as well as leading roles. He made his directorial debut in
The Good Old Boys (1995)
on TNT. In addition to directing and starring in the film, he co-wrote
the teleplay (with J.T. Allen). The
film, based on Elmer Kelton's novel, is set
in west Texas where Jones has strong family ties. Consequently, this
story of a cowboy facing the end of an era has special meaning for him.
(Scott), a police officer and beauty shop owner, and Clyde C. Jones,
who worked on oil fields. Tommy himself worked in underwater
construction and on an oil rig. He attended St. Mark's School of Texas,
a prestigious prep school for boys in Dallas, on a scholarship, and
went to Harvard on another scholarship. He roomed with future Vice
President Al Gore and played offensive
guard in the famous 29-29 Harvard-Yale football game of '68 known as
"The Tie." He received a B.A. in English literature and graduated cum
laude from Harvard in 1969.
Following college, he moved to New York and began his theatrical career
on Broadway in "A Patriot for Me" (1969). In 1970, he made his film
debut in Love Story (1970). While
living in New York, he continued to appear in various plays, both on-
and off-Broadway: "Fortune and Men's Eyes" (1969); "Four on a Garden"
(1971); "Blue Boys" (1972); "Ulysses in Nighttown" (1974). During this
time, he also appeared on a daytime soap opera,
One Life to Live (1968) as
Dr. Mark Toland from 1971-75. He moved with wife
Kate Lardner, granddaughter of short-story
writer/columnist Ring Lardner, and
her two children from a previous marriage, to Los Angeles.
There he began to get some roles on television:
Charlie's Angels (1976)
(pilot episode);
Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976);
and
The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977).
While working on the movie
Back Roads (1981), he met and fell in
love with Kimberlea Cloughley, whom he later married. More roles in
television--both on network and cable--stage and film garnered him a
reputation as a strong, explosive, thoughtful actor who could handle
supporting as well as leading roles. He made his directorial debut in
The Good Old Boys (1995)
on TNT. In addition to directing and starring in the film, he co-wrote
the teleplay (with J.T. Allen). The
film, based on Elmer Kelton's novel, is set
in west Texas where Jones has strong family ties. Consequently, this
story of a cowboy facing the end of an era has special meaning for him.