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Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones

Actor, also director, producer and writer · Born September 15, 1946 (80) · San Saba, Texas, USA

Oscar winner · Primetime Emmy winner · Golden Globe winner · 5 other major award bodies

Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive. His other notable starring roles include Texas Ranger Woodrow F. Call in the television miniseries Lonesome Dove, Agent K in the Men in Black film series, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men, Hank Deerfield in In the Valley of Elah, the villain Two-Face in Batman Forever, Mike Roark in the disaster film Volcano, terrorist William "Bill" Strannix in Under Siege, Texas Ranger Roland Sharp in Man of the House, rancher Pete Perkins in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (which he also directed), Colonel Chester Phillips in Captain America: The First Avenger, CIA Director Robert Dewey in Jason Bourne, and Warden Dwight McClusky in Natural Born Killers. He most recently appeared in the science fiction film Ad Astra in 2019 and in the comedy The Comeback Trail in 2020. He has also portrayed historical figures such as businessman Howard Hughes in The Amazing Howard Hughes, Radical Republican Congressman Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln, executed murderer Gary Gilmore in The Executioner's Song, U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur in Emperor, businessman Clay Shaw, the only person prosecuted in connection with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in JFK, Oliver Vanetta "Doolittle" Lynn, in Coal Miner's Daughter, and baseball player Ty Cobb in Cobb.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 15, 1946 (80)
From
San Saba, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor, also director, producer and writer
Titles
72 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 8% in 30 days

What are Tommy Lee Jones' films like?

Across their 73 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action23 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Thriller2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Thriller movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
27%
Bonds
21%
Survival
17%
Self
16%
Society
8%
Power
6%
Ideas
5%
Justice25 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds18 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival14 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose8 titles, browse their movies with this themeViolence8 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 72 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 19 · Serious 20 · Dark 33

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 40 · Stylized 25 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 29 · Intense 33

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 21 · Shifting 42 · Whiplash 9

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 47 · Some laughs 17 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 20 · Even-paced 35 · Relentless 17

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 24 · Engaged 33 · Full focus 15

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 20 · Affecting 28 · Heavy 24

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 49 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

70 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 21 of 70 analyzed roles.

Hero
21 of 70
Mentor
19 of 70
Shadow
14 of 70
Ally
9 of 70
Threshold guardian
3 of 70
Shapeshifter
2 of 70
Trickster
1 of 70
Herald
1 of 70
Show the 70 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
54
Melancholic
26
Thrilling
23
Contemplative
18
Hopeful
15
Other
59

How their films linger

Bittersweet30 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 15 with a twist

  • Happy18
  • Bittersweet34
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous15

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tommy Lee Jones' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 47 of their 72 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (24).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tommy Lee Jones' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

88 credits, 72 with a MovieCove page; 31 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Angel and the Badman(2026)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Burial(2023)

    as Jeremiah O'Keefe

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Finestkind(2023)

    as Ray Eldridge

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Wander(2020)

    as Jimmy Cleats

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Comeback Trail(2020)

    as Duke Montana

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Ad Astra(2019)

    as H. Clifford McBride

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Shock and Awe(2017)

    as Joe Galloway

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Just Getting Started(2017)

    as Leo

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Mechanic: Resurrection(2016)

    as Max Adams

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Jason Bourne(2016)

    as CIA Director Robert Dewey

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Criminal(2016)

    as Dr. Franks

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Homesman(2014)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as George Briggs

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Family(2013)

    as FBI Agent Robert Stansfield

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Lincoln(2012)

    as Thaddeus Stevens

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Emperor(2012)

    as General Douglas MacArthur

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Hope Springs(2012)

    as Arnold Soames

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Men in Black 3(2012)

    as Agent K

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Captain America: The First Avenger(2011)

    as Colonel Chester Phillips

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Sunset Limited(2011)

    Director · Executive Producer · as White

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Company Men(2010)

    as Gene McClary

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • In the Electric Mist(2009)

    as Dave Robicheaux

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • No Country for Old Men(2007)

    as Ed Tom Bell

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • In the Valley of Elah(2007)

    as Hank Deerfield

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández(2007)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Prairie Home Companion(2006)

    as Axeman

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada(2005)

    Director · Producer · as Pete Perkins

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Man of the House(2005)

    Executive Producer · as Ranger Roland Sharp

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Missing(2003)

    as Samuel Jones

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Hunted(2003)

    as L.T. Bonham

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Men in Black II(2002)

    as Kay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Space Cowboys(2000)

    as Hawk Hawkins

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Rules of Engagement(2000)

    as Col. Hayes Lawrence "Hodge" Hodges II

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Double Jeopardy(1999)

    as Travis Lehman

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Small Soldiers(1998)

    as Chip Hazard (voice)

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • U.S. Marshals(1998)

    as Samuel Gerard

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Men in Black(1997)

    as Kay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Volcano(1997)

    as Mike Roark

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Batman Forever(1995)

    as Harvey Two-Face / Harvey Dent

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Good Old Boys(1995)

    Director · Teleplay · as Hewey Calloway

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Cobb(1994)

    as Ty Cobb

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Blue Sky(1994)

    as Hank Marshall

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Natural Born Killers(1994)

    as Warden Dwight McClusky

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Client(1994)

    as Roy Foltrigg

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Blown Away(1994)

    as Ryan Gaerity

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Heaven & Earth(1993)

    as Steve Butler

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Fugitive(1993)

    as Samuel Gerard

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • House of Cards(1993)

    as Jake Beerlander

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Under Siege(1992)

    as William Strannix

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • JFK(1991)

    as Clay Shaw

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Fire Birds(1990)

    as Brad Little

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • The Package(1989)

    as Thomas Boyette

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Lonesome Dove(1989)

    Show 4 episodes · as Woodrow F. Call

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Gotham(1988)

    as Eddie Mallard

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Point of View (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

  • Stormy Monday(1988)

    as Cosmo

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • April Morning(1988)

    as Moses Cooper

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Stranger on My Land(1988)

    as Bud Whitman

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Big Town(1987)

    as George Cole

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Broken Vows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Pater Joseph McMahon

  • The Park Is Mine(1985)

    as Mitch

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Double Image (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Steve Daley

  • Black Moon Rising(1986)

    as Quint

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Steve Daley

  • The River Rat(1984)

    as Billy

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1984)

    as Brick

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Nate and Hayes(1983)

    as Captain Bully Hayes

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Executioner's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 2 episodes · as Gary Gilmore

  • The Rainmaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Starbuck

  • The Executioner's Song(1982)

    as Gary Mark Gilmore

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Brick Pollitt

  • Back Roads(1981)

    as Elmore Pratt

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Barn Burning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Ab Snopes

  • Coal Miner's Daughter(1980)

    as 'Mooney' Lynn

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Eyes of Laura Mars(1978)

    Writer · as John Neville

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Betsy(1978)

    as Angelo Perino

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Rolling Thunder(1977)

    as Johnny Vohden

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Howard Hughes(1977)

    as Howard Hughes

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Howard Hughes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Howard Hughes

  • Jackson County Jail(1976)

    as Coley Blake

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Charlie's Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Aram

  • Smash-Up on Interstate 5(1976)

    as Officer Hutton

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Baretta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Eliza's Horoscope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Tommy Lee

  • Life Study (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Gus

  • Love Story(1970)

    as Hank - Oliver's Roommate

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Moses Cooper

  • Outside Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Gus Wanamaker

  • The Razor's Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Taxman

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 88 titles, 86 of them dated from 1951 to 2026; peak year 1993.

Biggest box office

Men in Black 3 (2012)

$654M worldwide

Highest rated

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Batman Forever (1995)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19512026

Peak 1993 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 55 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 5 more milestones

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting88 of 88: 83 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thDirecting4 of 88: 0 only directing, 4 with another roleWriting2 of 88: 0 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing4 of 88: 0 only producing, 4 with another role

88 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s12 · acting1980s23 · acting1990s18 · 18 acting · 1 crew2000s12 · 12 acting · 2 crew2010s15 · 15 acting · 2 crew2020s5 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 33% of 63 roles
708085909500051015

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar, a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 1 other major award from 26 major nominations, 1981–2014.

WinNomination
  1. 2014
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 2013
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
  3. 2008
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Acting Ensemble
  4. 2007
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Acting Ensemble
  5. 2006
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
  6. 2005
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated
  7. 1996
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries
  8. 1994
    • Oscar, won · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Show 6 earlier years
  1. 1993
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  2. 1992
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
  3. 1990
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
  4. 1989
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special
  5. 1983
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special
  6. 1981
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Tommy Lee Jones' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 71; across their 72 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Reach · how many have seen their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Midcredits score across 72 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th32
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

40 of their 72 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser40
  • Broadly Agreed13
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández (2007)

97th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 69 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Tommy Lee Jones' work okay for kids?

Across up to 52 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore38 titles37–89 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity52 titles12–58 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity41 titles38–76 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs39 titles18–57 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense38 titles32–76 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Tommy Lee Jones work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tommy Lee Jones' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arnon Milchan shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles