Tobin Bell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bell in 2019 | |
| 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 |
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| 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.