The “tall”, with the childlike innocent face and the special interpretative ability to change roles and highlight the dark sides of the characters he plays, for some years now seems to keep his distance from Hollywood and limit his appearances on the big screen, with five film appearances in the last ten years. Tim Robbins, one of the most likable stars of the film industry, distinguished by his introverted personality and his courageous political views, which are far from the two dominant parties and always by the side of the weak, those whose voices do not reach the decision making centers.

Although the 90s could be characterized as the most promising for Tim Robbins, starring in huge hits such as the excellent satire “The player” by Robert Altman and the even more commercial and exciting prison drama thriller “Last Exit: Rita Hayworth” by Frank Darabon, but also other notable films, the sequel was no match. Something about his political views, something about the unconditional surrender of American cinema and the big studios, to the technocrats, to the meager writing of worthwhile scripts, the lack of people who put their art and ideas above all else, Robbins especially in the last decade works as much as he has to for a living, so as not to completely disappear from the map.

The “baby face” Robbins, whitened, is now showing his age as he enters the “senior” category and prepares to celebrate his 65th birthday (born October 16, 1958), as usual discreetly, away from the limelight publicity, which he always avoided even when he was in his artistic prime.

Father’s music

THE Tim Robbins was born in West Covena, California, but he grew up in New York, because of his father Jill Robbins, who was a good folk musician and a member of the band The Highwaymen, who had big hits in the 60s. The father passed on to Robbins and his three siblings a love of music and the arts. He started acting in theater at the age of 12 and then joined his school’s drama club. In his 20s he moved to California to study at the UCLA School of Film.

Softball and Top Gun

He would begin his career playing in small theaters, and in 1981 he would found the Actors’ Gang, in Los Angeles, an experimental theater group, with actor friends from his college softball team – including John Cusack. The following year he will begin his appearances in television series, while in 1986 he will play in “Top Gun” in a characteristic role, which will give him a small opportunity for the sequel.

Mrs. Sarandon and the Bull

1988 will be significant in his life, as he will co-star alongside the star of the era, Kevin Costner, in the sweet romance The Lady and the Bull. Except that in Ron Sheldon’s film, in addition to the friendship he made with Costner, he will also meet co-star Susan Sarandon, with whom he will fall in love at once, even though the dynamic activist and good actress was 12 years older than him. With the red-haired Sarandon, they will create a jealous relationship, from which two children will arise, although they never married. Their coexistence will last for 22 years, in 2009 it will end quietly, without fuss and Hollywood episodes.

A special player

His relationship with Sarandon will bring him luck and in 1992 he will star in the brilliant black satire of the talented Robert Altman, “The Player”, which takes aim at the world of Hollywood and the first signs of artistic decline of the studios. In the role of an up-and-coming producer at a major studio who goes as far as crime, Robbins will pleasantly surprise with his performance and win the acting award at Cannes and his first Golden Globe.

Last Exit

In 1993, he starred in the Coen brothers’ witty comedy Mr. Hula Hoop, alongside the holy monster Paul Newman, while the following year he made his biggest commercial success, the thrilling prison drama Last Exit: Rita Hayworth. The film owes its success mainly to the likable persona of Robbins, although there were many wonderful character actors alongside him, first and foremost Morgan Freeman.

Director and star

As a star of the first magnitude, next year he will also try his hand at directing, filming the court drama “I’ll Live” with himself, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Solid film, which earned Sarandon the Academy Award for Best Actress and Robbins a nomination for Best Director. In 1999, the interesting and at the same time quite unconventional for America, “The Broadway Rebels”, will return, with a multitude of important actors including John Cusack, Bill Murray, Susan Sarandon, John Turturro, Vanessa Redgrave. In the same year, he will also star in the thriller “The Suspect of Arlington Street”, making another excellent appearance.

Dark and oscarous

The old man Clint Eastwood in 2003 will choose him to star alongside Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon in the dramatic thriller “Dark River”, holding a difficult role, a character demanding, ambiguous, which required inner performance. Robbins will win the B-actor Oscar, while Penn’s daring role will earn him the A-actor Oscar.

Divorce with cinema too?

From that year, his career will take a declining course, with appearances in relatively indifferent films – an exception is the impressive role of a madman in “War of the Worlds” – while in recent years he has visibly thinned out his participation in the cinema. His latest intervention, after the one that raised a storm of reactions by declaring against the invasion of Iraq, was recently, regarding the tough measures for Covid19, arguing that they “undermine freedom of speech”. Also indicative of his personality and his effort to keep his personal life out of the public eye, three years ago it was announced that he had married actress Gratiella Brancusi in 2017, when their divorce was made official!

Tim Robbins, Hollywood’s likable “tall”, who could be the Jimmy Stewart of our time but is probably half-way through, is entering his senior year, but we’ll always be waiting for him for a spectacular comeback, front or back from the camera.