The director who called Tommy Lee Jones crusty: “He doesn’t tolerate people who ask stupid questions”
Much like Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones has always been an actor, which is difficult to imagine as a young man. It’s as if he emerged into the world as fully formed and craggy as he is today, which is technically true.
Even when he was at the beginning of his career, Jones always looked like a man who was a great deal older than he actually was. One of his most memorable early roles came opposite William Devane in Quentin Tarantino favourite Rolling Thunder, where he played a Vietnam veteran more than happy to drop everything and assist his best friend in a rampage of revenge.
Rewatching the film through a modern lens, the mind boggles to think that Jones was only 30 years old during production. It’s not intended as an insult or a slight towards his inability to escape the early ravages of time, especially when it’s been to his immense benefit that the star seems to have always possessed the face of a disgruntled elderly gentleman with a ruthless thousand-yard stare.
He’s got the appearance of a man who has very little patience, which is exactly the kind of guy he is. Jim Carrey discovered that for himself when he was told in no uncertain terms his co-star could not sanction his buffoonery when Batman Forever was shooting, while subverting it worked wonders when he played the straight man to Will Smith in the Men in Black franchise.
Josh Brolin once described Jones’ “genius” approach to acting as, “How can I make this the most uncomfortable moment anybody has ever had in the world?” so it’s not like an act. It’s one that’s paid off handsomely for decades, though, with Jones reaching the pinnacle of the industry when he was given the perfect showcase for his no fucks given approach to both performance and character.
Steven Seagal may have indirectly claimed responsibility, but Jones fully earned his Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in The Fugitive, casually disregarding Harrison Ford’s repeated pleas of innocence until he had enough evidence to convince him otherwise. There were no frills, fuss, airs, or graces, which director Andrew Davis admitted wasn’t too far away from his off-camera persona.
“People are afraid of Tommy because he is crusty, and he doesn’t tolerate people that he doesn’t think are contributing or who ask stupid questions,” he told Peter Sobczynski. “He is a very creative guy, and he brought so much to it, as did Harrison.”
What you see is what you get with Jones, and in the case of his Oscar-winning performance in a ‘Best Picture’ nominee and box office smash hit, Davis couldn’t have been happier that his crustiness was brought to the fore.
