Happy Birthday Tommy Lee Jones! The ‘Men in Black’ star turns 77 today so there’s no better time to look back at his legacy on the silver screen.
Fame first came to Lee after his role in the thriller ‘The Fugitive’ where he played opposite Harrison Ford. While the role garnered Lee a Golden Globe and Oscar win, he’s more likely known for one of his most famous lines from the movie, “I don’t care.” But did you know that Jones didn’t think the movie that would make a name for him would even be successful?
The movie would go on to earn seven Oscar nominations with Jones being the sole receipt of one of the nominations. The Atlantic called the movie a ‘cultural touchstone’ that still has weight even 25 years after its release. Lee has had a successful career following his hit.
He would later go on to work on a film alongside a pre-Marvel Robert Downey Jr. In a social media post shared on Facebook, Downey Jr. spoke to the character of Jones.
“I remember Tommy Lee Jones in an interview back around the time we were doing U.S Marshals. Someone said, ‘What’s the most important word for you?’ And he said, ‘Honor.’ And I was like ‘Oh, honor, Ok. Was he in the Marines or something?’ Ten, 15 years later, I couldn’t agree with him more.”
