His first leading role in the notorious flop of all flops, "Howard the Duck" (1986), might not have boded well for Robbins' future, but the actor soldiered on to star with Jodie Foster and John Turturro in the unheralded, early-1960s civil rights drama, "Five Corners" (1987), scripted by esteemed scribe John Patrick Shanley. Audiences began to notice the tall, dimpled player when he delivered a memorable turn as the show tune-singing driver in Rob Reiner's "The Sure Thing" (1985) alongside fellow Actor's Gang member John Cusack, as well as his supporting role of fighter pilot Merlin on the periphery of the blockbuster, "Top Gun" (1986). Meanwhile, he began his professional screen career, co-starring opposite Helen Hunt in the TV movie "Quarterback Princess" (CBS, 1983), and following with his feature debut in "No Small Affair" (1984). Shortly afterwards, Robbins co-founded The Actors' Gang and began co-writing (with Adam Simon) original pieces for the theater group. He was also active in the drama department at Stuyvesant High School, and after a few years at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, went on to graduate with honors from UCLA Film School in 1981. He hit the stage at age 12, when he began performing with the Theater for the New City, an avant-garde company that performed on city streets. 16, 1958, and raised in New York City's Greenwich Village. The son of a folk-singing father and an actress mother, Robbins was born Oct. While directors like Clint Eastwood continued to tap Robbins the actor for films like "Arlington Road" (1999), "Human Nature" (2002) and "Mystic River" (2003), Robbins the filmmaker went on to helm the acclaimed death penalty drama "Dead Man Walking" (1995), and the Depression-era musical "Cradle Will Rock" (1999), where he skillfully offered viewers new perspectives on political and social issues not through dogma, but through engaging, relatable characters and stories. The New York stage actor had his Hollywood breakout in the atypical role of a dim jock in the classic baseball flick "Bull Durham" (1988), but five years later, he had established himself as a force to be reckoned with as the writer-director of the satire "Bob Roberts" (1992), and the Golden Globe-winning star of Robert Altman's sinister industry send-up "The Player" (1992). Recognized by the Academy as both an actor and a director, Tim Robbins stood out in Hollywood not only for his 6'5" height, but also for his high-caliber, character-driven work and his career-long commitment to social issues.
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