Tommy Lee Jones - Celebrity Biographies – World

Tommy Lee Jones is a renowned American actor, screenwriter, and director. He is known for his memorable performances in films such as The Fugitive, Men in Black, No Country for Old Men, and Lincoln. He attributes his success to his challenging childhood, which he believes made him a "stronger" and "better" person. His talent, determination, and athletic ability earned him a football scholarship, as well as opportunities to perform in school productions and dramas. He later moved to New York, where he landed his film debut in the romantic drama Love Story. He then secured a starring role in Jackson County Jail. After a series of minor and supporting roles, he gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the award-winning film The Fugitive, a performance that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Beyond acting, he has directed several films, including The Good Old Boys and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. He is an avid San Antonio Spurs fan and a dedicated supporter of the Polo Training Foundation. He is also passionate about polo and actively participates in the sport.

Quick Facts

Age: 79 Years, 79 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Dawn Laurel-Jones (m. 2001), Kate Lardner (m. 1971–1978), Kimberlea Cloughley (m. 1981–1996)

father: Clyde C. Jones

mother: Lucille Marie (née Scott)

children: Austin Leonard Jones, Victoria Jones

Born Country: United States

Actors Directors

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Harvard University

Childhood & Early Life

Tommy Lee Jones was bornon September 15, 1946, in San Saba, Texas, USA, to Clyde C. Jones, an oil field worker, and Lucille Marie, an entrepreneur, police officer, and teacher.

He studied at ‘Robert E. Lee High School’ and ‘St. Mark’s School of Texas’ before attending ‘Harvard University’ on a need-based scholarship. During his school years, he was actively involved in playing football and also participated in a number of school dramas and productions.

During his stay at‘Harvard,’ he played for the 1968 Harvard varsity team and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English the following year.

Career

He moved to New York City with the dream of becoming an actor. He made his Broadway debut in 1969, with ‘A Patriot for Me.’ The following year, he landed his first film role in ‘Love Story.’

In 1971, he acted alongside Sid Caesar and Carol Channing in the Broadway production of ‘Four on a Garden.’He also starred in the ABC show ‘One Life to Live’ where he played ‘Dr. Mark Toland.’ He played ‘Dr. Toland’ until 1975.

He landed his first lead role in ‘Jackson County Jail’ in 1976.The following year, he played ‘Corporal Johnny Vohden’ in ‘Rolling Thunder.’ He was lauded for his acting skills and started getting meatier roles.

In 1981, he starred in ‘Back Roads’ along with Sally Fields.Two years later, he was presented with an important award for his performance as ‘Gary Gilmore’ in ‘The Executioner’s Song.’

In 1989, he was once again nominated for a prestigious award for his role as ‘Woodrow F. Call’ in the mini-series ‘Lonesome Dove,’ which was based on a best-selling book of the same name.

He was catapulted to fame when he landed one of the most important roles of his career in the blockbuster film ‘The Fugitive’(1993) where he co-starred with Harrison Ford. Throughout the 1990s, he starred in several hit movies, including ‘Men in Black,’ ‘JFK,’ and ‘Batman Forever.’

In 2000, he co-starred with Clint Eastwood in ‘Space Cowboys’ where he played the role of a retired pilot on a space rescue mission.

In 2005, he directed ‘The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,’ the first of his directorial ventures.The film was showcased at the ‘Cannes Film Festival.’

Since 2006, he has been serving as the official spokesperson for the Japanese brewing company ‘Suntory.’ He has also appeared in a number of ‘Suntory’ advertisements.

His waning film career resurged when he deliveredamazing performance in ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘In the Valley of Elah’ in 2007.

In 2010, he was cast in the drama film ‘The Company Men’ along with Ben Affleck.The film premiered at the ‘Sundance Film Festival.’ He also landed an important role in ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ in 2011.

2012 was a very important year for Jones as he returned with his critically-acclaimed role as ‘Agent K’ in ‘Men in Black 3.’ The same year, he was also cast in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln.’

In 2014, he directed his second major feature film ‘The Homesman,’ starring Hilary Swank and Meryl Streep. In the film, he also played ‘George Briggs.’ The movie competed for the prestigious‘Palme d’Or’ at ‘Cannes Film Festival.’

He was part of two high profile action thrillers in 2016, ‘Jason Bourne’ and ‘Mechanic: Resurrection,’ both of which did well at the box-office.

In the late-2010s, he was cast in movies like ‘Shock and Awe’ (2017), ‘Just Getting Started’ (2017), and ‘Ad Astra’ (2019). In 2019, he was cast to play ‘Jimmy Cleats’ in April Mullen’s thriller film ‘Wander.’ The same year, he was also cast to play ‘Duke Montana’ in George Gallo’s comedy film ‘The Comeback Trail.’

Major Works

Tommy Lee Jones has given a number of critically-acclaimed performances throughout his career, but the performance that cemented his place in Hollywood came in ‘The Fugitive’ where he played the role of‘U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard.’ His deadpan dialogue delivery and thick Texan accent earned him widespread recognition. His performance in the action thriller filmearned him numerous awards, including the prestigious‘Academy Award.’

Awards & Achievements

He won the ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor- Miniseries or a Movie’ for ‘The Executioner’s Song’ in 1983.

He received the ‘Academy Award’ for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for ‘The Fugitive’ in 1994.

He won the ‘Golden Globe Award’ for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for ‘The Fugitive’ in 1994.

Personal Life & Legacy

He married Kate Lardner in 1971.They divorced seven years later. He then married Kimberlea Cloughley with whom he had two children.

After divorcing Kimberlea in 1996, he married Dawn Laurel on March 19, 2001.

Tommy, who can speak fluently in Spanish, currently resides in Texas. He has a 3000-acre cattle ranch in San Saba and another ranch in Van Horn.

In his free time, he plays polo and is an avid supporter of the ‘Polo Training Foundation.’ He also supports the ‘San Antonia Spurs’ team.

Facts About Tommy Lee Jones

Lee is also a talented polo player and has been known to participate in polo matches in his spare time.

Jones is fluent in Spanish and has even acted in Spanish-language films.