Rex Linn

Last updated
Rex Linn
Rex Linn by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Linn in 2022
Born
Rex Maynard Linn

(1956-11-13) November 13, 1956 (age 67)
Perryton, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Partner(s) Reba McEntire
(2020–present)

Rex Maynard Linn (born November 13, 1956) is an American film and television actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama CSI: Miami and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the television series Better Call Saul . Internationally he is best known for playing Richard Travers in the 1993 action thriller film Cliffhanger .

Contents

Early life and education

Linn was born in Perryton, Texas, the third child, and second son, of Darlene (née Deere) and James Paul Linn. [1] In August 1969, his parents relocated the family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his father practiced law. There he attended Heritage Hall School and later Casady School, an independent school affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and was employed part-time at the Oklahoma City Zoo. November 1975, after seeing Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , Linn announced he was an actor. [2]

In his high-school production of Fiddler on the Roof , after Linn demolished a set during a number, his drama coach ordered him off the set and advised him to direct his energy to some other field of endeavor, ending Linn's high-school acting career. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1980. [3]

Career

After graduation, Linn worked his way up to vice president of energy lending for the Lakeshore Bank, remaining with it until July 5, 1982, when the bank went insolvent. Linn was able to persuade a talent agent to take a chance on him and represent him in the Oklahoma market. At the same time, he accepted a job with an oil company, overseeing field operations in western Oklahoma, all the while auditioning for film and TV commercial parts. After shooting some commercials, he started landing small roles in various projects. During this time, he was given the opportunity to act in his first film, Dark Before Dawn, which was being produced by his best friend, Edward K. Gaylord II.

In 1989, he was cast in his first substantial role, as serial killer Floyd Epps, in Night Game , starring Roy Scheider. Following this film, and a part as the sheriff in a 1990 episode of The Young Riders (titled "Hard Time"), he decided it was time to head west. He began with small roles in theatrical films such as My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991), Thunderheart (1992), Sniper (1993), and Cliffhanger (1993), and guest shots on TV series including Northern Exposure, Raven, and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. . Since Cliffhanger, he has appeared in more than 35 films, with that number growing annually. Linn's most recent movie credit is in the political thriller, An Acceptable Loss (2018), where he starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.

On June 29, 1994, Linn was honored with a star on Carpenter's Square Theatre Walk of Fame in Oklahoma City. In 1994, he played a detective in Clear and Present Danger. He was a celebrity co-host of the Oklahoma Film Society Real to Reel 2005: "Classic Monster Mash". He has narrated three audio books, One Ranger (2005), A Man Called Cash (2005), and Missing Persons (2006), as well as a documentary for the Oklahoma University InvestEd program, Anatomy of Fraud – Catching a Con in Pottawatomie County in 2004. A similar documentary, Anatomy of a Fraud: Catching a Con in Logan County, also to be narrated by Linn, was described as being "in production" in 2005.

He currently is reported to be living in Sherman Oaks, California, with his dogs, Jack and Choctaw. [4] Linn is a University of Texas Longhorns fan, even taking the day off from his CSI: Miami work to attend the 2005 Rose Bowl game when his beloved team played and won the 2005 national championship against the University of Southern California. [5] [6]

He is a former chairman of the Oklahoma City chapter of Ducks Unlimited. [7] In 1986, he won the state duck-calling competition, and came fourth in the national competition. [8]

Linn is an active supporter of children's charities and the arts. On May 12, 2007, he was a celebrity award presenter at the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award ceremony in Washington, DC. [9]

He had recurring roles in several TV series, most recently as Sgt. Frank Tripp on CSI: Miami , a role for which he was tricked into reading during the first season and which he held, as a series regular, [10] until the end of the series.

He had a minor role in the webisode series The Walking Dead: Torn Apart playing as Mike Palmer, a father hiding in a neighborhood in Georgia during a zombie apocalypse. It aired on AMC.com on October 3, 2011. [11] Since 2017 he’s played Principal Tom Peterson on Young Sheldon on CBS.

Personal life

Linn has been dating country singer and actress Reba McEntire since late 2020. [12] They first met on the set of the Kenny Rogers vehicle The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) and reconnected almost thirty years later when McEntire guest-starred as June on Young Sheldon. [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Night Game Epps
1992 Thunderheart FBI Agent #1
1993 Sniper Colonel WeymuthUncredited
Cliffhanger Richard Travers
1994 Iron Will Joe McPherson
Wyatt Earp Frank McLaury
Clear and Present Danger Washington Detective
Drop Zone Bobby
1995 Cutthroat Island Mr. Blair
1996 Tin Cup Dewey
The Long Kiss Goodnight Man in Bed
Ghosts of Mississippi Martin Scott
1997 Breakdown Sheriff Boyd
The Postman Mercer
1998 The Odd Couple II Jay Jay
Rush Hour Agent Dan Whitney
1999 Blast from the Past Dave
Instinct Guard Alan
2001 Ghosts of Mars Yared
2002 The Salton Sea Detective Bookman
2003 The Hunted Powell
Cheaper by the Dozen Coach Bricker
2004 After the Sunset Agent Kowalski
2005 The Zodiac Jim Martinez
American Gun Earl
2006 Two Tickets to Paradise Karl
Abominable Farmer Hoss
2008 Appaloosa Sheriff Clyde Stringer
2012 Atlas Shrugged: Part II Kip Chalmer
Django Unchained Tennessee Henry
2013 Devil's Knot Chief Inspector Gitchell
2014 Zombeavers Smyth
A Million Ways to Die in the West Sheriff / Narrator
2018 Under the Silver Lake Manager
An Acceptable Loss The President

Television

Year1997Title.Nash bridgesRole Alan tully1Episode


1987 Unsolved Mysteries Terry Conner1 episode
1988 Bonanza: The Next Generation CeaseTelevision film
1989 Oklahoma Passage Quantrill Miniseries, 1 episode
1990 The Young Riders Sheriff1 episode
1990 Cop Rock Deputy / Officer Cerruto2 episodes
1991 Northern Exposure Martin1 episode
1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. Billy1 episode
1991 Guns of Paradise Grant Page1 episode "Unfinished Business"
1991 The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw HenryTelevision film
1992 FBI: The Untold Stories Christopher Wilder 1 episode
1994 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Mountain McClain1 episode
1996–1997 3rd Rock from the Sun Chuck / Webber2 episodes
1997–2000 JAG Lt. Mark "Falcon" SokolRecurring role, 5 episodes
1998 Vengeance Unlimited J.J.1 episode
1999 The Jack Bull Shelby DykesTelevision film
1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Lester Stahl / Sheriff Leland Stahl1 episode
1999 Y2K Nuclear Plant ForemanTelevision film
1999 Snoops Jasper1 episode
2000 The Pretender Agent Ellis Talbot1 episode
Profiler
2000–2001 The Fugitive Karl VasickRecurring role, 5 episodes
2001 Crossfire Trail Luke TaggartTelevision film
2002–2012 CSI: Miami Sgt. Frank Tripp Main role, 187 episodes
2007 Saving Grace Wiley1 episode
2008 Trial by Fire Chief Bill BerryTelevision film
2014 The Lottery General Alan LangdonRecurring role, 6 episodes
2015 State of Affairs Senator Burke4 episodes
2015 Key & Peele Detective1 episode
2015 The Brink Rear Admiral McBride4 episodes
2015–2016 Nashville Bill Lexington3 episodes
2016–2022 Better Call Saul Kevin Wachtell Recurring role, 13 episodes
2016 The Ranch Coach Shaw1 episode
2017–2018 Lethal Weapon Nathan RiggsRecurring role, 12 episodes
2017–present Young Sheldon Principal Tom PetersenRecurring role, 15 episodes
2018 Waco Dick DeGuerin Miniseries, 1 episode
2018 The Kominsky Method Ed1 episode
2019 The L Word: Generation Q Jeff Milner2 episodes
2022 Roar Sheriff1 episode
2022 Big Sky Buck BarnesRecurring role
2023 Reba McEntire's The Hammer Bart CrawfordTelevision film

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reba McEntire</span> American country singer and actress (born 1955)

Reba Nell McEntire, or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed "the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 25 of which reached the number one spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Caruso</span> American retired actor and producer (born 1956)

David Stephen Caruso is an American retired actor and producer, best known for his roles as Detective John Kelly on the ABC crime drama NYPD Blue (1993–1994) and Lieutenant Horatio "H." Caine on the CBS crime drama series CSI: Miami (2002–2012). He appears in the feature films An Officer and a Gentleman, First Blood, Twins (1988), King of New York (1990), Kiss of Death (1995) and Proof of Life (2000).

<i>CSI: Miami</i> American police procedural drama TV series (2002–2012)

CSI: Miami is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detective Calleigh Duquesne, and Adam Rodriguez as Detective Eric Delko, the series is the first direct spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "transplanting the same template and trickery—gory crimes, procedural plot and dazzling graphics—into [a new city] while retaining the essence of the original idea".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Joy</span> Canadian actor (born 1951)

Robert Joy is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as medical examiner Sid Hammerback on the police procedural series CSI: NY, and his appearances in the films Atlantic City (1980), Ragtime (1981), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), and The Hills Have Eyes (2006). He is a two-time Genie Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor; for Atlantic City and Whole New Thing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Dourdan</span> American actor

Gary Dourdan is an American actor. He is known for portraying Warrick Brown on the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Shazza Zulu on the television series A Different World and Mickey Monroe in crime thriller Righteous Villains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corin Nemec</span> American actor

Joseph Charles Nemec IV, known professionally as Corin Nemec, is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter. He was billed as Corin "Corky" Nemec or Corky Nemec until 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Sasso</span> Canadian actor

William Sasso is a Canadian actor, comedian and podcaster. He is notable for his five seasons as a cast member on Mad TV from 1997 to 2002, for starring as Curly in the 2012 film reboot of The Three Stooges, and as Mover #1 in Happy Gilmore (1996). He is also known for his TV roles as Carl Monari in Less than Perfect (2003–2006), Doug Martin in How I Met Your Mother (2008–2012), Young Sheldon as Jim McAllister, Bill Ryan in United We Fall (2020), and Ben Burns in Loudermilk (2017–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Guilfoyle</span> American actor (born 1949)

Paul Vincent Guilfoyle is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He returned for the series finale, "Immortality", in 2015. He also returned for two episodes in the sequel CSI: Vegas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Hopkins</span> American actor

William Joshua Hopkins is an American actor. Some of his best known roles include Raymond Millbury on Ally McBeal (2001–2002), Grayson Ellis on Cougar Town (2009–2015), and Liam O'Connor on Quantico (2015–2016).

John Allen McDorman IV is an American actor best known for the 2014 film American Sniper and starring on television shows such as CBS' Limitless (2015–2016) and the Disney+ historical drama The Right Stuff as Alan Shepard. He is also well known for his roles on the ABC Family comedy-drama Greek (2007–2011), the fourth season of the Showtime comedy-drama Shameless (2014), the revival season of the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown (2018), FX's What We Do in the Shadows (2019), and Peacock's sci-fi comedy drama series Mrs. Davis (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Howey (actor)</span> American actor (born 1977)

Steven Michael Robert Howey is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as Van Montgomery on The WB/The CW sitcom television series Reba and as Kevin Ball on the Showtime series Shameless. Howey has also appeared in the films Supercross, DOA: Dead or Alive, Bride Wars, Game Over, Man!, Day Shift and Something Borrowed.

Samuel L. Elliott, known professionally as Samuel Page, is an American actor. He has appeared on popular television shows, such as All My Children, Mad Men, Desperate Housewives, House of Cards, Switched at Birth, Scandal, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gossip Girl, and The Bold Type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omar Benson Miller</span> American actor

Omar Benson Miller is an American actor. He is known for his work as Walter Simmons on CSI: Miami (2009–2012), as Charles Greane on Ballers (2015–2019), as the voice of Raphael on Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018-2020) and its 2022 film and on the CBS comedy series The Unicorn (2019–2021).

John Enos III is an American actor. He played Bobby Parezi in the Fox prime time soap opera Melrose Place from 1995 to 1996, and Bobby Marsino on the CBS daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless (2003–2005). In 2018, Enos was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer, for his role as Roger, an Elvis impersonator and partner to Eileen Davidson's Susan Banks, on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

<i>CSI: Miami</i> season 1 Season of American television series CSI: Miami

The first season of CSI: Miami premiered on CBS on September 23, 2002, and ended on May 19, 2003. The show's regular time slot was Mondays at 10:00 pm. The series stars David Caruso, Emily Procter, and Kim Delaney.

<i>CSI: Miami</i> season 2 Season of American television series CSI: Miami

The second season of CSI: Miami premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003, and ended May 24, 2004. The series stars David Caruso and Emily Procter.

<i>CSI: Miami</i> season 3 Season of American television series CSI: Miami

The third season of CSI: Miami premiered on CBS on September 20, 2004. The season finale aired on May 23, 2005. The series stars David Caruso and Emily Procter.

<i>CSI: Miami</i> season 4 Season of American television series CSI: Miami

The fourth season of CSI: Miami premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005 and ended May 22, 2006. The series stars David Caruso and Emily Procter.

<i>CSI: Miami</i> season 6 Season of American television series CSI: Miami

The sixth season of CSI: Miami premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007 and ended May 19, 2008. The series stars David Caruso and Emily Procter.

The Fugitive is an American action drama television series that aired on CBS from October 6, 2000, to May 25, 2001. The series featured Tim Daly as Richard Kimble, Mykelti Williamson as Gerard, and Stephen Lang as the one-armed man. The show serves as a remake of the original 1960s TV series of the same name, and is the fourth release from the titular franchise.

References

  1. ↑ Rex Linn Film Reference biography
  2. ↑ Triplett, Gene (January 17, 2003). "Ropin' dreams Rex Linn living actor's dream, playing a cowboy". The Oklahoman . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Luckiest Guy On The Planet". Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-12-15.
  4. ↑ Beale, Lauren (November 2, 2010). "Rex Linn buys four-bedroom Sherman Oaks house". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ Soldan, Penny (December 20, 2005). "TV Everything's coming up roses for Rex Linn". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Rex Linn: Cooking up a show". University of Texas. July 11, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ducks Unlimited Raising Funds". The Oklahoman. November 17, 1985. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ LeWand, Nicole (March 11, 1988). "Former Banker Finds An Acting Bonanza With Western Movie". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Marshal Award Winner of Top Cops Award". United States Marshals Service. May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ Soldan, Penny (December 27, 2004). "Meeting leads to recurring role for actor". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Video Extra - The Walking Dead - Torn Apart Webisodes". AMC. October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  12. ↑ Chung, Gabrielle (August 6, 2021). "Reba McEntire Says She and Boyfriend Rex Linn Caught COVID Despite Being Vaccinated: 'Stay Safe'". People Magazine . Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Reba McEntire Owes Her Relationship to Young Sheldon". 11 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.