Tobin Bell

Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. (born August 7, 1942), known professionally as Tobin Bell, is an American actor. Appearing in over 100 titles during a five-decade career, he is most recognized for his role as John Kramer / Jigsaw in the Saw franchise.

Bell 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).

Bell's 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.

Early life and education Joseph Henry Tobin Jr. was born on August 7, 1942, in Queens, New York, and raised in Weymouth, Massachusetts. His English mother, Eileen Julia (née Bell) Tobin, who also had Irish ancestry, was an actress who worked at the Quincy Repertory Company. His American father, Joseph H. Tobin, built and established the radio station WJDA in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1947 and once ran for mayor of Gloversville, New York.

Bell studied liberal arts and journalism in college, with the intention of becoming a writer and entering the broadcasting field. He also has an interest in environmental matters, holding a master's degree in environmental science from Montclair State University as well as having worked for the New York Botanical Garden. He credits hearing a seminar by Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy at Boston University with inspiring him to begin an acting career. Bell later joined the Actors Studio where he studied with Lee Strasberg and Ellen Burstyn, and joined Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse.

Career 1979–2003: Work in background roles, film debut and television appearances

Bell played background roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s in over 30 films, including Woody Allen's Manhattan (1979), while also performing on off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. In 1982, he had an uncredited scene in the Sydney Pollack film, Tootsie, playing a waiter at the Russian Tea Room that Pollack used as a tracking shot. He told Movieline, "You know, when you're talking about Tootsie, it's the tip of the iceberg, because those other twenty-nine films I did aren't even on IMDb."

He worked on The Verdict (1982) for two weeks as a courtroom reporter in the trial. He recollected it being a "great opportunity" watching Sidney Lumet and Paul Newman, while also learning the technical aspect of acting. In 1994, Bell played a hospital administrator in the second episode of the first season of ER and went on to appear in an episode of another medical drama Chicago Hope, playing a terminally ill inmate on Death Row. That same year, he portrayed Ted Kaczynski in the made-for-television film Unabomber: The True Story. Bell made a one-scene appearance in the 2001 episode Army of One of "The Sopranos" playing Major Carl Zwingli. In 2003, he was cast as the villain Peter Kingsley during the second season of 24. The film was James Wan's directorial debut and was shot in 18 days on a budget of $1.2 million. Bell spent two weeks lying on a floor and had very few lines, but his role was pivotal to the film. He gives two reasons for joining the film: the opportunity to work with Danny Glover for the first time and thinking very highly of the film's ending. Lionsgate acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film days before its release at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. While initially getting a direct-to-video release, test screenings that March turned out positive prompting Lionsgate to release it theatrically that Halloween. Even though Bell would join the first film with no intention of a second film being made, as a result of the financial success, six direct sequels were released on every October from 2005 to 2010. He would return to Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI and Saw 3D where Jigsaw is featured in flashbacks, some focusing on his origin. He provided his voice and likeness for the Jigsaw character in the 2009 Saw video game and its 2010 sequel, Saw II: Flesh & Blood.

For his role as Jigsaw, Bell received MTV Movie Awards nominations in 2006 and 2007 for "Best Villain". He won "Best Butcher" in the Fuse/Fangoria Chainsaw Awards and was given the "Best Villain in a Film Series" title at the 2010 Chiller-Eyegore Awards. The Saw franchise went on to become one of the highest-grossing horror franchises of all time making, as of 2021, over $1 billion worldwide. The character Jigsaw has been labeled a horror icon. He appeared in the short film, Unbelief.

In March 2016, Bell joined the soap opera Days of Our Lives for a five-episode arc playing Yo Ling, who is revealed to be John Black's long lost father. From 2016 and 2017, he guest starred as the voices of the villain Doctor Alchemy and the malicious speed god and main antagonist Savitar on the third season of The Flash, in which he was uncredited throughout the season until his last episode. He reprised his role in the ninth season for its season and series finale "A New World: Part Four". Bell was cast in April 2017 in a short film, My Pretty Pony based on Stephen King's short story My Pretty Pony. In October 2017, seven years after Saw 3D was released and marketed as the final Saw film, Bell reprises his role as Jigsaw in the standalone film Jigsaw. It grossed $103 million worldwide. Bell was also featured in other horror films released in October 2017, including the television film The Sandman, the Mexican film Belzebuth, and Italian film Gates of Darkness.

Bell guest starred in a September 2019 episode of Creepshow, alongside Giancarlo Esposito in the segment "Gray Matter" that is based on King's short story. In May 2021, he played Dr. Lasher in an eight-part found footage fictional podcast series, The Gloom. The series is about a string of unsolved crimes committed by a group of teens in the 1990s while an investigative journalist uncovers a supernatural cover-up that is tied to her past. In March 2023, he played Von in the indie psychological thriller ReBroken. Bell played John Kramer once again in Saw X, released in September 2023. The film received positive reviews, with Bell's performance and his return as a main character being praised by critics. Bell was nominated for the "Best Actor in a Horror Movie" award at the 4th Critics' Choice Super Awards, and "Best Lead Performance" at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.

Personal life Bell has two sons. He has coached a Little League Baseball team and flag football, with other hobbies including hiking and playing guitar.

Credits Film +List of films and roles Year Title Role Notes 1979 Manhattan Man on street Uncredited 1982 Sophie's Choice Reporter Credited as Joseph Tobin Courtroom Observer Uncredited 1990 Loose Cannons Gerber Dog Kelly 1998 Overnight Delivery John Dwayne Beezly Brown's Requiem Stan The Man 2000 Zaragoza (voice) 2002 Black Mask 2: City of Masks Moloch 2003 Power Play Clemens 2004 SawJohn Kramer / Jigsaw 2005 Saw II The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It The Stranger Boogeyman 2 Dr. Mitchell Allen Buried Alive Lester Saw IVJohn Kramer / Jigsaw Finders Keepers Dr. Freeman Phantom Halo Smashmouth 2015 Manson Family Vacation Blackbird 2016 Rainbow Time Peter 2017 61: Highway to Hell The Devil 12 Feet Deep McGradey Originally titled The Deep End Belzebuth Vasilio Canetti Ice Cream in the Cupboard Pop Gates of Darkness Monsignor Canell 2021 A Father's Legacy Billy Ford Let Us In Frederick Munch Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman Lewis Fell 2022 Sleep No More Smashmouth 2023 ReBroken Von The Curse of Wolf Mountain Dr. Avery The Cello Vincent Saw X John Kramer / Jigsaw 2024 Altered Reality Cooper Mason The Bunker Mr. Riley

Television +List of television appearances and roles Year Title Role Notes 1987–1988 Cronin / Weber Episode: "Mission: McCall"; credited as Joseph Tobin Deputy Secretary Episode: "Day of the Covenant"; credited as Joseph Tobin 1989 Perfect Witness Dillon Television film 1990 Alien Nation Doctor of Death Episode: "Crossing the Line" Nasty Boys Finley Episode: "The Line" Jake and the Fatman Vic Fargo Episode: "More Than You Know" Broken Badges Martin Valentine Episode: "Pilot" Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride Barman Television miniseries 1991 Love, Lies and Murder Al Stutz Television miniseries The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Tony Gianini Episode: "Pilot" 1992 Mann & Machine Richards Episode: "No Pain, No Gain" Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story Dan Cushman Television film Silk Stalkings Emil Rossler Episode: "Hot Rocks" 1993 Seinfeld Ron Episode: "The Old Man" 1993, 1996 NYPD Blue Jerry the Artist Episode: "Personal Foul" Donald Selness Episode: "He's Not Guilty, He's My Brother" 1994 Deep Red Warren Rickman Television film Dead Man's Revenge Bullock ER Hospital Administrator Episode: "Day One" New Eden Ares 1995 Under Suspicion Ron O'Keefe Episode: "A Haunting Case" 1996 Frank O'Keefe Television film Mazzey Episode: "Among the Dead" Murder One Jerry Albanese Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Two" Unabomber: The True Story Theodore Kaczynski Television film Nash Bridges Boyd Episode: "Payback" 1998 Stargate SG-1 Omoc Episode: "Enigma" Walker, Texas Ranger Storm Episodes: "The Wedding: Part 1" and "The Wedding: Part 2" Vengeance Unlimited Teddy Hix Episode: "Bitter End" 1999 Strange World Owen Sassen Episode: "Eliza" Mr. White Episode: "The World's Changing" 2000 Ashman / Darryl Weaver Episode: "Brand X" Harsh Realm Slater Episode: "Reunion" 2001 Once and Again Man in suit Episode: "Aaron's Getting Better" Major Carl Zwingli Episode: "Army of One" Alias SD-6 Agent Karl Dreyer Episode: "Time Will Tell"/"Mea Culpa" 2002 Charmed Orin Episode: "The Eyes Have It" Colonel Whitcomb Episode: "Process Stories" 2003 24 Peter Kingsley Recurring role 2007 Alan Beck Recurring role 2014 Criminal Minds Malachi Lee Episode: "Blood Relations" 2015 Skin Wars Himself Guest judge; Episode: "Emotional Rollercoaster" 2016 Days of Our Lives Yo Ling Recurring role

Video games +List of video game roles Year Title Role Notes 2009 Saw John Kramer / Jigsaw Voice 2010 Saw II: Flesh & Blood

Podcasts +List of podcast series roles Year Title Role(s) Notes 2021The Gloom Dr. Lasher 8 episodes