Rex Linn

Last updated

Rex Linn
Rex Linn by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Linn in 2022
Born
Rex Maynard Linn

(1956-11-13) November 13, 1956 (age 67)
Perryton, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Partner(s) Reba McEntire
(2020–present)

Rex Maynard Linn (born November 13, 1956) is an American film and television actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama CSI: Miami and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the television series Better Call Saul . Internationally he is best known for playing Richard Travers in the 1993 action thriller film Cliffhanger .

Contents

Early life and education

Linn was born in Perryton, Texas, the third child, and second son, of Darlene (née Deere) and James Paul Linn. [1] In August 1969, his parents relocated the family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his father practiced law. There he attended Heritage Hall School and later Casady School, an independent school affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and was employed part-time at the Oklahoma City Zoo. November 1975, after seeing Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , Linn announced he was an actor. [2]

In his high-school production of Fiddler on the Roof , after Linn demolished a set during a number, his drama coach ordered him off the set and advised him to direct his energy to some other field of endeavor, ending Linn's high-school acting career. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1980. [3]

Career

After graduation, Linn worked his way up to vice president of energy lending for the Lakeshore Bank, remaining with it until July 5, 1982, when the bank went insolvent. Linn was able to persuade a talent agent to take a chance on him and represent him in the Oklahoma market. At the same time, he accepted a job with an oil company, overseeing field operations in western Oklahoma, all the while auditioning for film and TV commercial parts. After shooting some commercials, he started landing small roles in various projects. During this time, he was given the opportunity to act in his first film, Dark Before Dawn, which was being produced by his best friend, Edward K. Gaylord II.

In 1989, he was cast in his first substantial role, as serial killer Floyd Epps, in Night Game , starring Roy Scheider. Following this film, and a part as the sheriff in a 1990 episode of The Young Riders (titled "Hard Time"), he decided it was time to head west. He began with small roles in theatrical films such as My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1991), Thunderheart (1992), Sniper (1993), and Cliffhanger (1993), and guest shots on TV series including Northern Exposure, Raven, and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. . Since Cliffhanger, he has appeared in more than 35 films, with that number growing annually. Linn's most recent movie credit is in the political thriller, An Acceptable Loss (2018), where he starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.

On June 29, 1994, Linn was honored with a star on Carpenter's Square Theatre Walk of Fame in Oklahoma City. In 1994, he played a detective in Clear and Present Danger. He was a celebrity co-host of the Oklahoma Film Society Real to Reel 2005: "Classic Monster Mash". He has narrated three audio books, One Ranger (2005), A Man Called Cash (2005), and Missing Persons (2006), as well as a documentary for the Oklahoma University InvestEd program, Anatomy of Fraud – Catching a Con in Pottawatomie County in 2004. A similar documentary, Anatomy of a Fraud: Catching a Con in Logan County, also to be narrated by Linn, was described as being "in production" in 2005.

He currently is reported to be living in Sherman Oaks, California, with his dogs, Jack and Choctaw. [4] Linn is a University of Texas Longhorns fan, even taking the day off from his CSI: Miami work to attend the 2005 Rose Bowl game when his beloved team played and won the 2005 national championship against the University of Southern California. [5] [6]

He is a former chairman of the Oklahoma City chapter of Ducks Unlimited. [7] In 1986, he won the state duck-calling competition, and came fourth in the national competition. [8]

Linn is an active supporter of children's charities and the arts. On May 12, 2007, he was a celebrity award presenter at the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award ceremony in Washington, DC. [9]

He had recurring roles in several TV series, most recently as Sgt. Frank Tripp on CSI: Miami , a role for which he was tricked into reading during the first season and which he held, as a series regular, [10] until the end of the series.

He had a minor role in the webisode series The Walking Dead: Torn Apart playing as Mike Palmer, a father hiding in a neighborhood in Georgia during a zombie apocalypse. It aired on AMC.com on October 3, 2011. [11] From 2017 to 2024, he's played Principal Tom Peterson on Young Sheldon on CBS.

Personal life

Linn has been dating country singer and actress Reba McEntire since late 2020. [12] They first met on the set of the Kenny Rogers vehicle The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) and reconnected almost thirty years later when McEntire guest-starred as June on Young Sheldon. [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Night Game Epps
1992 Thunderheart FBI Agent #1
1993 Sniper Colonel WeymuthUncredited
Cliffhanger Richard Travers
1994 Iron Will Joe McPherson
Wyatt Earp Frank McLaury
Clear and Present Danger Washington Detective
Drop Zone Bobby
1995 Cutthroat Island Mr. Blair
1996 Tin Cup Dewey
The Long Kiss Goodnight Man in Bed
Ghosts of Mississippi Martin Scott
1997 Breakdown Sheriff Boyd
The Postman Mercer
1998 The Odd Couple II Jay Jay
Rush Hour Agent Dan Whitney
1999 Blast from the Past Dave
Instinct Guard Alan
2001 Ghosts of Mars Yared
2002 The Salton Sea Detective Bookman
2003 The Hunted Powell
Cheaper by the Dozen Coach Bricker
2004 After the Sunset Agent Kowalski
2005 The Zodiac Jim Martinez
American Gun Earl
2006 Two Tickets to Paradise Karl
Abominable Farmer Hoss
2008 Appaloosa Sheriff Clyde Stringer
2012 Atlas Shrugged: Part II Kip Chalmer
Django Unchained Tennessee Henry
2013 Devil's Knot Chief Inspector Gitchell
2014 Zombeavers Smyth
A Million Ways to Die in the West Sheriff / Narrator
2018 Under the Silver Lake Manager
An Acceptable Loss The President

Television

Year1997Title.Nash bridgesRole Alan tully1Episode


1987 Unsolved Mysteries Terry Conner1 episode
1988 Bonanza: The Next Generation CeaseTelevision film
1989 Oklahoma Passage Quantrill Miniseries, 1 episode
1990 The Young Riders Sheriff1 episode
1990 Cop Rock Deputy / Officer Cerruto2 episodes
1991 Northern Exposure Martin1 episode
1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. Billy1 episode
1991 Guns of Paradise Grant Page1 episode "Unfinished Business"
1991 The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw HenryTelevision film
1992 FBI: The Untold Stories Christopher Wilder 1 episode
1994 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Mountain McClain1 episode
1996–1997 3rd Rock from the Sun Chuck / Webber2 episodes
1997–2000 JAG Lt. Mark "Falcon" SokolRecurring role, 5 episodes
1998 Vengeance Unlimited J.J.1 episode
1999 The Jack Bull Shelby DykesTelevision film
1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Lester Stahl / Sheriff Leland Stahl1 episode
1999 Y2K Nuclear Plant ForemanTelevision film
1999 Snoops Jasper1 episode
2000 The Pretender Agent Ellis Talbot1 episode
Profiler
2000–2001 The Fugitive Karl VasickRecurring role, 5 episodes
2001 Crossfire Trail Luke TaggartTelevision film
2002–2012 CSI: Miami Sgt. Frank Tripp Main role, 187 episodes
2007 Saving Grace Wiley1 episode
2008 Trial by Fire Chief Bill BerryTelevision film
2014 The Lottery General Alan LangdonRecurring role, 6 episodes
2015 State of Affairs Senator Burke4 episodes
2015 Key & Peele Detective1 episode
2015 The Brink Rear Admiral McBride4 episodes
2015–2016 Nashville Bill Lexington3 episodes
2016–2022 Better Call Saul Kevin Wachtell Recurring role, 13 episodes
2016 The Ranch Coach Shaw1 episode
2017–2018 Lethal Weapon Nathan RiggsRecurring role, 12 episodes
2017–2024 Young Sheldon Principal Tom PetersenRecurring role, 26 episodes
2018 Waco Dick DeGuerin Miniseries, 1 episode
2018 The Kominsky Method Ed1 episode
2019 The L Word: Generation Q Jeff Milner2 episodes
2022 Roar Sheriff1 episode
2022–2023 Big Sky Buck BarnesRecurring role, 13 episodes
2023 Reba McEntire's The Hammer Bart CrawfordTelevision film
2024Happy's PlaceEmmettMain role

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References

  1. ↑ Rex Linn Film Reference biography
  2. ↑ Triplett, Gene (January 17, 2003). "Ropin' dreams Rex Linn living actor's dream, playing a cowboy". The Oklahoman . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Luckiest Guy On The Planet". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  4. ↑ Beale, Lauren (November 2, 2010). "Rex Linn buys four-bedroom Sherman Oaks house". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ Soldan, Penny (December 20, 2005). "TV Everything's coming up roses for Rex Linn". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Rex Linn: Cooking up a show". University of Texas. July 11, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ducks Unlimited Raising Funds". The Oklahoman. November 17, 1985. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ LeWand, Nicole (March 11, 1988). "Former Banker Finds An Acting Bonanza With Western Movie". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Marshal Award Winner of Top Cops Award". United States Marshals Service. May 3, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ Soldan, Penny (December 27, 2004). "Meeting leads to recurring role for actor". The Oklahoman. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Video Extra - The Walking Dead - Torn Apart Webisodes". AMC. October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  12. ↑ Chung, Gabrielle (August 6, 2021). "Reba McEntire Says She and Boyfriend Rex Linn Caught COVID Despite Being Vaccinated: 'Stay Safe'". People Magazine . Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Reba McEntire Owes Her Relationship to Young Sheldon". October 11, 2023.
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