Line #3 Creator/TommyLeeJones


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9	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/19947814.png]]
10	->''"As an actor to watch an audience of people howl together in a single mind as a result of work you've done together with friends is a privilege."''
11
12	Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director from San Saba, Texas. He was little known until his big breaks in the 1990s, where he scored roles in three blockbuster films: ''Film/TheFugitive'', ''Film/BatmanForever'', and ''Film/MenInBlack''. He fell off the radar for a few years until his resurgence with ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''.
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14	He tends to play snarky, grumpy, and usually very badass characters.
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16	He was also UsefulNotes/AlGore's roommate at Harvard. Figure that one out. And in case you've managed to wrap your head around that, according to author Erich Segal (who attended Harvard at the same time), the hero of his novel ''Film/LoveStory'' was based on a fusion of the two of them.[[note]]He also played football for Harvard and played in the famous 1968 Harvard-Yale game recounted in documentary ''Harvard Beats Yale 29-29''.[[/note]]
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18	Try not to confuse him with Music/TomJones. Or even [[Music/MotleyCrue Tommy Lee]].
19
20	----
21	!!Roles of Note:
22
23	* ''Film/LoveStory'' (1970): Hank Simpson (film debut)
24	* ''Film/RollingThunder'' (1977): Johnny Vohden
25	* ''Film/EyesOfLauraMars'' (1978): Lieutenant John Neville
26	* ''Film/CoalMinersDaughter'' (1980): Doolittle "Mooney" Lynn
27	* ''The Exectioner's Song'' (1982): Gary Mark Gilmore (won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie)
28	* ''Film/NateAndHayes'' (1983): Captain Bully Hayes
29	* ''Film/BlackMoonRising'' (1986): Sam Quint
30	* ''Series/LonesomeDove'' (1989): Woodrow F. Call
31	* ''Film/{{JFK}}'' (1991): Clay Shaw
32	* ''Film/UnderSiege'' (1992): Billy Stranix
33	* ''Film/HouseOfCards1993'': Dr. Jake Beerlander
34	* ''Film/TheFugitive'' (1993): Marshal Samuel Gerard (won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor)
35	* ''Film/HeavenAndEarth'' (1993) : Steve Butler
36	* ''Film/BlownAway'' (1994): Ryan Gaerity
37	* ''Film/TheClient'' (1994): Roy Foltrigg
38	* ''Film/NaturalBornKillers'' (1994): Warden Dwight [=McClusky=]
39	* ''Film/{{Blue Sky\|1994}}'' (1994): Major Hank Marshall
40	* ''Film/{{Cobb}}'' (1994): Ty Cobb
41	* ''Film/BatmanForever'' (1995): [[ComicBook/TwoFace Harvey Dent/Two-Face]]
42	* ''Film/{{Volcano}}'' (1997): Mike Roark
43	* ''Film/MenInBlack'' (1997): Agent K
44	* ''Film/USMarshals'' (1998): Marshal Samuel Gerard
45	* ''Film/SmallSoldiers'' (1998): Major Chip Hazard (voice)
46	* ''Film/DoubleJeopardy'' (1999): Travis
47	* ''Film/SpaceCowboys'' (2000): William "Hawk" Hawkins
48	* ''Film/MenInBlackII'' (2002) : Agent K
49	* ''Film/{{The Hunted\|2003}}'' (2003): L.T. Bonham
50	* ''Film/TheThreeBurialsOfMelquiadesEstrada'' (2005): Pete Perkins (won Best Actor Award at Cannes Festival)
51	* ''Film/ManOfTheHouse'' (2005): Roland Sharp
52	* ''Film/APrairieHomeCompanion'' (2006): Axeman
53	* ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'' (2007): Ed Tom Bell
54	* ''Film/InTheValleyOfElah'' (2007): Hank Deerfield
55	* ''Film/TheCompanyMen'' (2010): Gene [=McClary=]
56	* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' (2011): Colonel Chester Philips
57	* ''Film/MenInBlack3'' (2012) : Agent K
58	* ''Film/{{Emperor\|2012}}'' (2012): General UsefulNotes/DouglasMacArthur
59	* ''Film/{{Lincoln}}'' (2012): UsefulNotes/ThaddeusStevens
60	* ''Film/JasonBourne'' (2016): CIA Director Robert Dewey
61	* ''[[Film/TheMechanic2011 Mechanic: Resurrection]]'' (2016): Max Adams
62	* ''Film/AdAstra'' (2019): Clifford [=McBride=]
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64	----
65	!!Associated Tropes regarding his roles:
66
67	* TheCastShowoff: He is fluent in Spanish and speaks it in some of his films. [[invoked]]
68	* TheComicallySerious: When cast in comedic roles, he tends to be this (barring ''Film/BatmanForever'').
69	* CoolOldGuy: Very effective at playing these, usually grumpy, cynical men who do mean well.
70	* DeadpanSnarker: Practically an artform when he is doing it. No one can get across sarcasm like TLJ.
71	* DisapprovingLook: Pretty much his default expression. Also known as the "Implied Facepalm". He is the current page image for a reason.
72	** Noted in the Podcast/{{Rifftrax}} of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' when he says he's happy: "You'll have to take my word for it. This is pretty much all my face can do."
73	* GrumpyOldMan: Many of his roles. [[TheComicallySerious Very helpful]] when PlayedForLaughs.
74	* HiddenDepths: He is a graduate of Harvard University and a good friend of Al Gore.
75	* IAmNotLeonardNimoy: Since nearly every role of his tends to be a grumpy fellow, it's often joked that he's just playing himself.
76	* {{Improv}}: Famously disliked a good deal of his lines in ''Men in Black'', so about half of K's lines are Jones' ad-libs. It works ''perfectly'' for the movie, because J's fresh-faced rookie trying to catch-up is most of the time [[EnforcedMethodActing Will Smith legitimately getting just taken for a ride by Jones]], and the director saving the results.
77	* {{Japandering}}: Played [[HughMann an alien disguised as himself]] in a series of Boss Coffee ads.
78	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: His characters tend to be grumpy, cynical and sarcastic but good and kind underneath it.
79	* KnightInSourArmor: Plays these characters quite frequently.
80	* LargeHam: His performances in ''Film/UnderSiege'' and ''Film/BatmanForever'' can go [[HamToHamCombat ham-to-ham]] with anybody. It also shows off in a downplayed manner in movies such as ''Film/TheFugitive'', given that in spite of the stoic expression he's prone to shout.
81	-->"Four minutes ahead of schedule. Damn, I'm good."
82	* MotorMouth: Once a lot of his characters get going it's very difficult to get them to stop.
83	* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Tends to keep his famous Texas accent, no matter the role and even when playing real-life figures who weren't from there.
84	* PerpetualFrowner: Most of his characters rarely smile.
85	* SeenItAll: Most of his characters tend to have a lot of experience and be jaded against the craziest things that happen, in conjunction with TheComicallySerious. He plays the type extremely well.
86	* SouthernFriedGenius: He keeps his natural Texas accent for most of his roles and he plays a lot of intelligent characters who are very skilled at their work. He's also a real-life example, having attended Harvard.
87	* StockShoutOut: Variations of the following:
88	-->"What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area."
89	* TheStoic: Most of his characters.
90	* YoungerThanTheyLook: Has always looked between ten to fifteen years older than he actually is, though nowadays he's starting to look his age. This actually allowed him to be cast in ''Film/SpaceCowboys'' with Creator/ClintEastwood; despite ranging from 12-20 years younger than his three castmates, his character was portrayed in the same age bracket as them.
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Context Creator / TommyLeeJones