Tobin Bell | |
---|---|
Born | Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. August 7, 1942 Queens, New York, U.S. |
Other names | Joseph Tobin |
Alma mater | Boston University Montclair State University |
Occupation |
|
Years active | 1970s–present |
Known for | Saw franchise |
Children | 2 |
Tobin Bell (born Joseph Henry Tobin Jr.; August 7, 1942) is an American actor. He has appeared in a number of television shows and films but is most recognized for his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise.
He started his acting career in the late 1970s and early 1980s doing stand-ins and background work on feature films. He had his first feature film role in Mississippi Burning (1988). Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bell appeared in supporting roles in a number of films and television shows, including The Firm (1993), Unabomber: The True Story (1996), Walker, Texas Ranger (1998), The Sopranos (2001), and 24 (2003).
His breakout role came in 2004 when he was cast as the serial killer Jigsaw in Saw (2004). The film was a box office success, and Bell went on to portray the character in eight of the nine sequels: Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), Saw 3D (2010), Jigsaw (2017), and Saw X (2023). The series has become one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time and earned Bell recognition as a horror icon.
Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. was born on August 7, 1942, in Queens, New York and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts. [1] [2] [3] His English mother, Eileen Julia (née Bell) Tobin, who also had Irish ancestry, was an actress who worked at the Quincy Repertory Company. [4] His American father, Joseph H. Tobin, built and established the radio station WJDA in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1947 and once ran for mayor of Gloversville, New York. [2] He has one sister and one brother. [2]
Bell studied liberal arts and journalism in college, with the intention of becoming a writer and entering the broadcasting field. He also has an interest in environmental matters, holding a master's degree in environmental science from Montclair State University as well as having worked for the New York Botanical Garden. [5] He credits hearing a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston University with inspiring him to begin an acting career. [6] Bell later joined the Actors Studio where he studied with Lee Strasberg and Ellen Burstyn, and joined Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. [7] [8] [9]
Bell played background roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s in over 30 films, including Woody Allen's Manhattan (1979), while also performing on off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. [8] [10] [11] Bell said that other actors at the Actors Studio thought doing stand-in and background work was "stupid or degrading", but he believed otherwise. [12] In 1982, he had an uncredited scene in the Sydney Pollack film, Tootsie , playing a waiter at the Russian Tea Room that Pollack used as a tracking shot. He told Movieline, "You know, when you're talking about Tootsie, it's the tip of the iceberg, because those other twenty-nine films I did aren't even on IMDb." [13]
He worked on The Verdict (1982) for two weeks as a courtroom reporter in the trial. He recollected it being a "great opportunity" watching Sidney Lumet and Paul Newman, while also learning the technical aspect of acting. [13] For every role he plays, starting with the initial reading of the script to the final shot of a production, he keeps a journal of various questions about and motivations for his character. "I write all kinds of stream-of-consciousness things that help me." [9] He would have his first speaking role in the 1983 film Svengali playing a waiter with three lines. [13] The same year Bell had a small speaking role as a reporter in the drama Sophie's Choice . In the mid-1980s, Bell said "I was doing off-Broadway plays three nights a week, working on my craft. And a director at the Actors Studio said, 'You know, Tobin, you've been doing that for a while. I think you should go to Hollywood and play bad guys'." [12] Bell moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his first feature film, Mississippi Burning in 1988, as "tough and street smart" FBI agent Stokes. [12]
In 1993, Bell was cast in another Pollack film, The Firm as an assassin called "The Nordic Man". [5] The same year, he played Mendoza in In the Line of Fire , where he attempts to taunt an undercover Clint Eastwood into proving his loyalty by murdering his partner, played by Dylan McDermott. He went on to appear in an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld titled "The Old Man" playing a record store owner. [14] He appeared in two episodes of NYPD Blue playing different characters in 1993 and 1996. [15] [16] In 1994, Bell played a hospital administrator in the second episode of the first season of ER and went on to appear in an episode of another medical drama Chicago Hope , playing a terminally ill inmate on Death Row. [13] That same year, he portrayed Ted Kaczynski in the made-for-television film Unabomber: The True Story . [17] In 1997, Bell guest starred in an episode of La Femme Nikita and Nash Bridges . The following year, he guest starred in an episode of Stargate SG-1 and a two-part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger . [18] Bell made a one-scene appearance in the 2001 episode Army of One of The Sopranos playing Major Carl Zwingli. [19] In 2003, he was cast as the villain Peter Kingsley Group during the second season of 24 . [20]
Bell's breakthrough role came in 2004 when he was cast as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the horror film, Saw . The film is about John Kramer who is an engineer-turned-serial killer that wants others to appreciate the value of life by placing them in twisted "games" of physical and psychological torture. [21] The film was James Wan's directorial debut and was shot in 18 days on a budget of $1.2 million. Bell spent two weeks lying on a floor and had very few lines, but his role was pivotal to the film. He gives two reasons for joining the film; the opportunity to work with Danny Glover for the first time and thinking very highly of the film's ending. [17] Lionsgate acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film days before its release at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. [22] While initially getting a direct-to-video release, test screenings that March turned out positive prompting Lionsgate to release it theatrically that Halloween. [23] It became a box office success, grossing $103 million worldwide. [24] Even though Bell would join the first film with no intention of a second film being made, as a result of the financial success, six direct sequels were released on every October from 2005 to 2010. [17]
The following year, Bell starred in Saw II , which he said was because "the character of John Kramer was not fully defined and he had an opportunity as an actor to take him to the next level". [17] In 2006's Saw III his character was killed off, however he later signed on for up to five sequels. [25] [26] He would return to Saw IV , Saw V , Saw VI and Saw 3D where Jigsaw is featured in flashbacks, some focusing on his origin. [27] [28] He explained, "Saw doesn't happen in a straight line so, you know, in Hollywood everything's possible. It just depends on if you can do it well you can do it. There's a certain thing that we've done in Saw where it's like pieces of a puzzle. It happens out of sync. So that's how it's done." [28] He provided his voice and likeness for the Jigsaw character in the 2009 Saw video game and its 2010 sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood . [29] [30]
For his role as Jigsaw, Bell received MTV Movie Awards nominations in 2006 and 2007 for "Best Villain". [31] [32] He won "Best Butcher" in the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and was given the "Best Villain in a Film Series" title at the 2010 Chiller-Eyegore Awards. [33] [34] The Saw franchise went on to become one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time making, as of 2021, over $1 billion worldwide. [23] [35] The character Jigsaw has been labeled a horror icon. [36] [21]
In March 2014, Bell played the antagonist Seth in Victor Salva's horror film Dark House . The following month he was featured in an episode of Criminal Minds , playing a farmer from West Virginia. [11] In the comedy Manson Family Vacation Bell plays a guy who is one of Charlie Manson's followers and lives on his old property in Death Valley. [11] It premiered at South by Southwest in March 2015 to positive reviews with Variety pointing out the "creepy gravitas" with which Bell portrayed the role. [37]
In March 2016, Bell joined the soap opera Days of Our Lives for a five-episode arc playing Yo Ling, who is revealed to be John Black's long lost father. [38] From 2016 and 2017, he guest starred as the voices of the villain Doctor Alchemy and the malicious speed god and main antagonist Savitar on the third season of The Flash , in which he was uncredited throughout the season until his last episode. [39] He reprised his role in the ninth season for its season and series finale "A New World: Part Four". [40] Bell was cast in April 2017 in a short film, My Pretty Pony based on Stephen King's short story My Pretty Pony . [41] In October 2017, seven years after Saw 3D was released and marketed as the final Saw film, Bell reprises his role as Jigsaw in the standalone film Jigsaw . [42] It grossed $103 million worldwide. [43] Bell was also featured in other horror films released in October 2017, including the television film The Sandman , the Mexican film Belzebuth , and Italian film Gates of Darkness .
Bell guest starred in a September 2019 episode of Creepshow , alongside Giancarlo Esposito in the segment "Gray Matter" that is based on King's short story. [44] In May 2021, he played Dr. Lasher in an eight-part found footage fictional podcast series, The Gloom. The series is about a string of unsolved crimes committed by a group of teens in the 1990s while an investigative journalist uncovers a supernatural cover-up that is tied to her past. [45] In March 2023, he played Von in the indie psychological thriller ReBroken . [46] Bell played Kramer once again in Saw X , released in September 2023. [47] The film received positive reviews, with Bell's performance and his return as a main character being praised by critics. [48] For his performance, Bell was nominated for the "Best Actor in a Horror Movie" award at the 4th Critics' Choice Super Awards, and "Best Lead Performance" at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. [49] [50] In October 2024, Los Angeles Times confirmed Bell will reprise the role once more in Saw XI , slated for a release date on September 26, 2025. [51]
Bell has two sons. [52] He has coached a Little League Baseball team and flag football, with other hobbies including hiking and playing guitar. [53] [54] He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [55]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Manhattan | Man on Street | Uncredited |
1981 | Tales of Ordinary Madness | Bar Patron | |
1982 | Sophie's Choice | Reporter | Credited as Joseph Tobin [56] |
The Verdict | Courtroom Observer | Uncredited | |
Tootsie | Waiter | ||
1983 | Svengali | ||
1985 | Turk 182 | Sergeant on Bridge | Credited as Joseph Tobin [56] |
1988 | Mississippi Burning | FBI Agent Stokes | |
1989 | An Innocent Man | Zeke | |
1990 | False Identity | Marshall Errickson | |
Loose Cannons | Gerber | ||
Goodfellas | Parole Officer | ||
1992 | Ruby | David Ferrie | |
1993 | Boiling Point | Freddie Roth | |
The Firm | The Nordic Man | ||
In the Line of Fire | Marty Mendoza | ||
Malice | Earl Leemus | ||
1995 | Serial Killer | William Lucian Morrano | |
The Quick and the Dead | 'Dog' Kelly | ||
1996 | Cheyenne | Marshal Toynbee | |
1998 | Brown's Requiem | Stan 'Stan The Man' | |
Overnight Delivery | John Dwayne Beezly | ||
Best of the Best 4: Without Warning | Lukasz Slava | ||
1999 | The 4th Floor | The Locksmith | |
2000 | The Road to El Dorado | Zaragoza (voice) | Grouped under "Voice Talent" |
2001 | Good Neighbor | Geoffrey Martin | |
2002 | Power Play | Clemens | |
Black Mask 2: City of Masks | Moloch | ||
2004 | Saw | John Kramer / Jigsaw | |
2005 | Saw II | ||
2006 | Saw III | ||
2007 | Buried Alive | Lester | |
Decoys 2: Alien Seduction | Professor Erwin Buckton | ||
The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It | The Stranger | ||
Boogeyman 2 | Dr. Mitchell Allen | ||
Saw IV | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2008 | Boogeyman 3 | Dr. Mitchell Allen (voice) | Uncredited |
Saw V | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
2009 | Saw VI | ||
2010 | Saw 3D | ||
2014 | Dark House | Seth | Also co-producer [57] |
Finders Keepers | Dr. Freeman | ||
2015 | Phantom Halo | 'Smashmouth' | |
Manson Family Vacation | 'Blackbird' | ||
2016 | Rainbow Time | Peter | |
2017 | Jigsaw | John Kramer / Jigsaw | |
61: Highway to Hell | The Devil | ||
12 Feet Deep | McGradey | ||
The Sandman | Valentine | ||
Belzebuth | Vasilio Canetti | ||
2019 | The Way We Weren't | Jerry | Also producer |
Ice Cream in the Cupboard | Pop | ||
Gates of Darkness | Monsignor Canell | ||
2020 | The Call | Edward Cranston | |
A Father's Legacy | Billy Ford | ||
2021 | Let Us In | Mr. Munch | |
Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman | Lewis Fell | ||
2022 | Sleep No More | 'Smashmouth' | |
2023 | ReBroken | Von | |
The Curse of Wolf Mountain | Dr. Avery | [58] | |
The Cello | Vincent | ||
Saw X | John Kramer / Jigsaw | ||
The Curse of the Clown Motel | Mr. Wilson | [59] | |
Altered Reality | Cooper Mason | [60] | |
2024 | The Bunker | Mr. Riley | [61] |
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987–1988 | The Equalizer |
|
|
1989 | Perfect Witness | Dillon | Television film |
1990 | Alien Nation | Brian Knox / Dr. Death | Episode: "Crossing the Line" |
Nasty Boys | Finley | Episode: "The Line" | |
Jake and the Fatman | Vic | Episode: "More Than You Know" | |
Broken Badges | Martin Valentine | Episode: "Pilot" | |
Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride | Barman | Television mini series; 3 episodes | |
1991 | Love, Lies and Murder | Al Stutz | Television mini series; 2 episodes |
The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage | Tony Gianini | Episode: "Pilot" | |
1992 | Mann & Machine | Richards | Episode: "No Pain, No Gain" |
Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story | Dan Cushman | Television film | |
Silk Stalkings | Emil Rossler | Episode: "Hot Rocks" | |
1993 | Seinfeld | Ron | Episode: "The Old Man" |
Sex, Love, and Cold Hard Cash | Mansfield | Television film | |
NYPD Blue | Jerry the Artist | Episode: "Personal Foul" | |
1994 | Deep Red | Warren Rickman | Television film |
Dead Man's Revenge | Bullock | ||
ER | Hospital Administrator | Episode: "Day One" | |
Mortal Fear | Dr. Alvin Hayes | Television film | |
New Eden | Ares | ||
1995 | Under Suspicion | Ron O'Keefe | Episode: "A Haunting Case" |
1996 | The Babysitter's Seduction | Detective Frank O'Keefe | Television film |
The Lazarus Man | — | Episode: "Among the Dead" | |
Murder One | Jerry Albanese | Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Two" | |
NYPD Blue | Donald Selness | Episode: "He's Not Guilty, He's My Brother" | |
Unabomber: The True Story | Theodore Kaczynski | Television film | |
Chicago Hope | Luther Evans | Episode: "A Time to Kill" | |
1997 | La Femme Nikita | Perry Bauer | Episode: "Love" |
Nash Bridges | William Boyd | Episode: "Payback" | |
1998 | Stargate SG-1 | Omoc | Episode: "Enigma" |
One Hot Summer Night | Vincent 'Coupe' De Ville | Television film | |
Walker, Texas Ranger | Karl Storm |
| |
Vengeance Unlimited | Teddy Hix | Episode: "Bitter End" | |
1999 | Strange World | Owen Sassen | Episode: "Eliza" |
The Pretender | Mr. White | Episode: "The World's Changing" | |
2000 | The X-Files | Ashman / Darryl Weaver | Episode: "Brand X" |
Harsh Realm | Slater | Episode: "Reunion"; uncredited | |
2001 | Once and Again | Man In Suit | Episode: "Aaron's Getting Better" |
The Sopranos | Major Carl Zwingli | Episode: "Army of One" | |
The Guardian | Mr. Pierce | Episode: "The Funnies" | |
Alias | SD-6 Agent Karl Dreyer |
| |
2002 | Charmed | Orin | Episode: "The Eyes Have It" |
The West Wing | Colonel Whitcomb | Episode: "Process Stories" | |
2003 | 24 | Peter Kingsley Group | 4 episodes |
2005 | Revelations | Nathan Volk | Television mini series; 5 episodes |
2006 | Casino Cinema | Himself | Episode: "31 October 2006" |
2007 | The Kill Point | Alan Beck | 6 episodes |
2014 | Criminal Minds | Malachi Lee | Episode: "Blood Relations" |
Wilfred | Charles | Episode: "Happiness" | |
2015 | Skin Wars | Himself/Guest Judge | Episode: "Emotional Rollercoaster" |
2016 | Days of Our Lives | Yo Ling | 5 episodes |
2016–2017, 2023 | The Flash | Doctor Alchemy / Savitar | Voice role, 16 episodes |
2019 | Creepshow | Chief (segment "Gray Matter") | Episode: "Gray Matter/The House of the Head" |
2020 | MacGyver | Leland |
|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Saw | John Kramer / Jigsaw | Voice |
2010 | Saw II: Flesh & Blood |
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | The Gloom | Dr. Lasher | 8 episodes |
Saw is a 2004 American horror film directed by James Wan in his feature directorial debut, and written by Leigh Whannell, from a story by Wan and Whannell. It is the first installment in the Saw film series, and stars Whannell alongside Cary Elwes, Danny Glover, Monica Potter, Michael Emerson, and Ken Leung.
Douglas William Bradley is an English actor and author, best known for his role as the lead Cenobite "Pinhead" in the Hellraiser film series and for narration on various Cradle of Filth albums.
Anthony TiranTodd was an American actor. He was best known for playing the titular character in the Candyman film series (1992–2021) and William Bludworth in the Final Destination franchise (2000–2025). For the former, he was nominated at the Critics' Choice and Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.
Saw II is a 2005 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell and Bousman. It is the sequel to 2004's Saw and the second installment in the Saw film series. The film stars Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, Glenn Plummer, Beverley Mitchell, Dina Meyer, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Erik Knudsen, Shawnee Smith, and Tobin Bell. In the film, a group of ex-convicts are trapped by the Jigsaw Killer inside a house and must pass a series of deadly tests to retrieve the antidote for a nerve agent that will kill them in two hours.
Leigh Whannell is an Australian filmmaker and actor. He is best known for writing films directed by his friend James Wan, including Saw (2004), Dead Silence (2007), Insidious (2010), and Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). Whannell made his directorial debut with Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015), and has since directed two more films, Upgrade (2018) and The Invisible Man (2020).
Sidney Eddie Mosesian, known professionally as Sid Haig, was an American actor. He was known for his appearances in horror films, most notably his role as Captain Spaulding in the Rob Zombie films House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects and 3 from Hell. Haig's Captain Spaulding, and Haig himself, have been called icons of horror cinema. Haig had a leading role on the television series Jason of Star Command as the villain Dragos. He appeared in many television programs, including The Untouchables, Batman, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Star Trek, Get Smart, The Rockford Files, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, MacGyver, and Emergency!. Haig also had roles in several of Jack Hill's blaxploitation films from the 1970s.
Saw III is a 2006 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and a story by Whannell and James Wan. It is the third installment in the Saw film series and a sequel to 2005's Saw II, starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Angus Macfadyen, Bahar Soomekh, and Dina Meyer.
John Kramer is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the Saw franchise. Jigsaw made his debut in the first film of the series, Saw, and appears in all subsequent installments, with the exception of Spiral, in which he is only mentioned and featured in photographs. He is portrayed by American actor Tobin Bell.
Saw is an American horror media franchise created by Australian filmmakers James Wan and Leigh Whannell, which began with the eponymous 2004 film and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded from films into other media, including a television series, video games, comic books, music, theme park attractions, and merchandising including toys, masks, and clothing. Saw is the fifth highest-grossing horror film franchise.
Amanda Young is a fictional character created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell and is one of the antagonists in the Saw franchise. She first appeared in Saw (2004), portrayed by Shawnee Smith, as a victim of one of serial killer Jigsaw's traps. Amanda's role was expanded in subsequent films, where she served as an apprentice to Jigsaw, with the goal of succeeding him after his death. Amanda has physically appeared in five of the ten films in the series. The character has gone on to appear in various other media, including video games and comic books.
Billy is a puppet that has appeared in the Saw franchise. It was used by John "Jigsaw" Kramer, often appearing on a television screen, or occasionally in person, to describe the details of the traps and the means by which the test subjects could survive.
Saw IV is a 2007 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, and a story by Melton, Dunstan, and Thomas Fenton. It is the fourth installment in the Saw film series and a sequel to 2006's Saw III. The film stars Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, and Lyriq Bent.
Saw V is a 2008 horror film directed by David Hackl, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is the fifth installment in the Saw film series and a sequel to 2007's Saw IV. The film stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Julie Benz, Carlo Rota, and Meagan Good.
Saw, also known as Saw: The Video Game, is a survival horror video game that was developed by Zombie Studios and published by Konami for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The game was released on October 6, 2009, in North America and later that year in other regions. The Microsoft Windows version was released on October 22, 2009. Part of the Saw film franchise, the game is set between the first and second films.
Saw VI is a 2009 horror film directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. The film stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, and Shawnee Smith. It is a sequel to 2008's Saw V and the sixth installment in the Saw film series.
Saw 3D is a 2010 American 3D horror film directed by Kevin Greutert and written by Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. It is a sequel to 2009's Saw VI and the seventh installment in the Saw film series. The film stars Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Cary Elwes.
Jigsaw is a 2017 American horror film directed by the Spierig Brothers and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It is the eighth installment in the Saw film series and stars Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, and Hannah Emily Anderson, with Tobin Bell returning to his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw. The plot follows a group of people who find themselves forced to participate in a series of deadly "games" inside a barn. Meanwhile, the police investigate a new series of murders that fit the modus operandi of the eponymous Jigsaw Killer (Bell), who has been dead for almost a decade.
Spiral is a 2021 American horror thriller film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger. It is a standalone sequel to Jigsaw (2017) and the ninth installment of the Saw film series. The film stars Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson, and follows police efforts to stop a Jigsaw copycat killer. The original creators of the series, James Wan and Leigh Whannell, as well as Rock and series veteran Kevin Greutert, serve as executive producers.
Saw X is a 2023 American horror film directed and edited by Kevin Greutert, and written by Peter Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg. The film is the tenth installment in the Saw film series, serving as a direct interquel set between Saw (2004) and Saw II (2005). It stars Tobin Bell and Shawnee Smith, who reprise their roles from the previous films, alongside Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand, Renata Vaca, and Michael Beach. The film sees John Kramer (Bell) travelling to Mexico in hopes that an experimental procedure may cure his terminal cancer. John later discovers that the operation is a scam, prompting him to kidnap those responsible and subject them to his trademark death traps as retribution, with Amanda Young (Smith) acting as his accomplice.