Biography
Lawrence Tierney was an American actor known for portraying gangsters and tough guys. Born Lawrence James Tierney on 15 March 1919 in Brooklyn, New York, he began his screen career in the early 1940s after stage work. His breakthrough came with the title role in the 1945 film Dillinger.
Tierney appeared in numerous crime and noir films during the 1940s and 1950s, including Born to Kill (1947). He had a long career spanning over fifty years, with roles often mirroring his reputation for off-screen volatility. In 1992 he played crime boss Joe Cabot in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.
He was the brother of actor Scott Brady. Tierney died of pneumonia on 26 February 2002 in Los Angeles, aged 82.
