Biografia

On January 29, 2010, Torn was arrested in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut, after police found him passed out, holding a loaded gun, on the floor of a bank that had just been broken into. Torn was drunk and thought the bank was his home. He was charged with criminal trespass, carrying a firearm without a permit, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, burglary and criminal mischief. He later entered a plea of guilty and was given a suspended 2.5-year prison sentence, three years of probation during which time he was forbidden from carrying a firearm and agreed to be subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

On March 14, 1997, it was reported that he won a $475,000 defamation suit against Dennis Hopper. The lawsuit came about after remarks made by Hopper on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992) on 31 May 1994.

In 1970 a bullet was fired through the window of his home after he spoke out against the Vietnam War on The Dick Cavett Show (1968).

Played three American presidents: Ulysses S. Grant, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Torn and his first wife had a daughter, Danae Torn. He and second wife Geraldine Page had a daughter and twin sons (Angelica Page, Tony Torn and John Torn). Although he and Page never divorced, their relationship deteriorated and Torn began a relationship with Amy Wright in 1976. Wright became his third wife, and had two daughters named Katie and Claire.

[about being called volatile] What do they say about all the guys that are tremendous actors? Don't they say they have a volatile temper and emotions? Yeah, sure they do! They're not saying they like a nice, mild guy. Look at Sean Penn.

[on receiving his first Oscar nomination] People are finally realizing I'm one of the few actors who has never missed a performance. I've worked with broken legs, arms, ankles. I once passed a kidney stone during the opening night of a show.

Never think you're better than anyone else, but don't let anyone treat you like you're worse than they are.

I honor religion except when it gets into shedding blood.

I used to be friends with Miles Davis. He didn't like many folks. I lived across the street from him.