Oscar-winner who ‘discovered’ Jack Black and acted with Tom Cruise is unrecognizable at 66… who is he?
An Oscar-winning actor who has worked with Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Sean Penn and Morgan Freeman was spotted in Los Angeles this week.
Now 66, he was unrecognizable when he was spotted at LAX on Friday, with a big festive white beard obscuring his memorable facial features just before Christmas.
He first became a movie star in the late 1980s, in a classic sports drama whose leading lady became his real-life girlfriend.
They were often cited as a rare example of a long-term Hollywood relationship, but their romance ended after 21 years.
Not only was he an A-list actor, but he also enjoyed an acclaimed career as a filmmaker – and even discovered Jack Black.
Can you guess who he is?
An Oscar winner who has worked with the likes of Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Sean Penn and Morgan Freeman was spotted in Los Angeles this week
The actor in question is The Shawshank Redemption star Tim Robbins, who was spotted this week dragging a carry-on bag through Los Angeles International Airport.
Tim cut a stylish figure during his latest sighting, wearing a moss green checked jacket over a black t-shirt and fashionable dark jeans.
His best-remembered work role is the wrongly convicted prisoner Andy Dufresne in the 1994 drama The Shawshank Redemption.
The film, based on a novel by Stephen King, cast Tim alongside Morgan Freeman and is often cited as one of the best films ever made.
Born in Los Angeles and partly raised in New York, Tim came from an artistic family: his father was the 1960s folk musician Gil Robbins, known for The Highwaymen.
Early in his acting career, Tim appeared in beloved TV shows such as the hospital drama St. Elsewhere and Bruce Willis’ star-making detective comedy Moonlighting.
In 1981, Tim founded a Los Angeles theater group called the Actors’ Gang, whose members included the young John Cusack.
One of his early film roles was a supporting role as LTJG Sam Wells, aka Merlin, in the classic 1986 film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer.
The actor in question is The Shawshank Redemption star Tim Robbins, who was spotted this week carrying a carry-on through Los Angeles International Airport.
Based on a novel by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption saw Tim cast alongside Morgan Freeman and is often cited as one of the best Hollywood films ever made.
Tim and Susan Sarandon began their romance in 1988 and stayed together for 21 years before shocking their fans by going their separate ways in 2009; pictured in 2008
Tim’s big break, however, came in the 1988 baseball film Bull Durham, in which he starred opposite Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon.
Tim and Susan started their romance on the set of Bull Durham and stayed together for 21 years before shocking their fans by going their separate ways in 2009.
While together, they were praised for their professional collaborations, their left-wing political activism and their long-lasting personal relationship, which produced two sons: Jack, 35, and Miles, 32.
When Tim became a filmmaker, he received critical acclaim for directing Susan alongside Sean Penn in the 1995 anti-death penalty drama Dead Man Walking.
Susan won an Oscar for her role as nun Helen Prejean, while Tim was nominated for best director and Sean was up for best actor for his role as a prisoner in the scroll of death.
Tim’s other films as an actor include the beloved 2000 romantic comedy High Fidelity, which was helmed by his longtime friend John Cusack.
He also starred in the 1990 horror film Jacob’s Ladder with Elizabeth Pena and in the 1992 dark comedy The Player with Greta Scacchi.
His Academy Award finally came in 2004, when he won Best Supporting Actor for playing a traumatized rape victim in Clint Eastwood’s drama Mystic River.
Tim’s big break, however, came in the 1988 film Bull Durham, in which he starred (right) alongside Hollywood heavyweights Kevin Costner (left) and Susan Sarandon.
When Tim became a filmmaker, he received critical acclaim for directing Susan alongside Sean Penn in the 1995 anti-death penalty drama Dead Man Walking.
Tim’s Academy Award finally came in 2004, when he won Best Supporting Actor for playing a rape victim with lasting trauma in Clint Eastwood’s drama Mystic River.
Tim is also credited with discovering Jack Black, who he first cast in a play when the School Of Rock actor was just 12 years old.
As a teenager, Jack started hanging out with Tim’s college theater company, the Actors’ Gang, Tim revealed in an interview with The bell.
When Tim made his feature film debut with the 1992 political satire Bob Roberts, he cast Jack in a supporting role, giving the younger actor his first film.
Jack eventually became a star in High Fidelity, a project that also harkened back to his Actors’ Gang days, as both Tim and John Cusack were in the cast.
One of Tim’s (pictured) early roles was a supporting role as LTJG Sam Wells, aka Merlin, in the classic 1986 original Top Gun film, starring Tom Cruise.
When Tim made his feature film debut with the 1992 political satire Bob Roberts, he cast Jack Black (center) in a supporting role, giving the younger actor his first film.
Tim is currently in a relationship with director and cinematographer Reed Morano, 47, who was his date at this year’s Oscars where they are pictured
Since 2023, Tim has appeared in the post-apocalyptic science fiction series Silo, playing an authoritarian leader who he believes is influenced by the real-life political figures who imposed the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“I’m talking about a lot of things, lack of freedom of movement, lack of freedom of assembly, lack of freedom of expression,” he told Variety.
The series features a formidable cast, including Rashida Jones, Rebecca Ferguson, Harriet Walter, David Oyelowo and Common.
Tim is currently dating director and cinematographer Reed Morano, 47, who was his date at this year’s Oscars, where he presented Best Supporting Actor.