They say “older is wiser.” The gist behind this adage is that experience makes you more intelligent. In many cases that may be true. In the case of Rip Torn, one of Hollywood’s great character actor’s this was, unfortunately, not the case.
Torn was absolutely marvelous as the producer on HBO series “The Larry Sanders Show” and also starred in “Men in Black” and “Down Periscope”.
Rip was totally “ripped” when he was pulled over in 2004 after running his car into a parked taxi cab. Somehow, Torn was acquitted of this offense, but his DUI behavior would catch up with him.
Just two years later he was arrested after refusing to take both a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer. He was still charged with drunken driving. Initially he claimed he was innocent.
He later admitted his guilt. For his offense he paid only a $380 fine and lost his license for three months. His mug shots one of the all-time great celebrity DUI mug shots.
Again, I remind all readers that celebrities are not role models. They are human beings and as a percentage screw up more than the rest of society. Rip Torn, rest in peace, is another example of why not to model your life after a celebrity. The question everybody is asking, does Rip Torn need a California Alcohol Awareness Class?