This man.
Reliably awesome, effortlessly badass, always on deck with a genuine Dad joke that elicits a real laugh instead of an eye-rolling groan simply because it's coming out of his mouth in that no-bullshit Texan accent.
One of my all-time favorite films is the Coen Bros' masterpiece No Country For Old Men. Mr. Jones' iconic presence is definitely one of the main reasons I love it. He is perfection. Wizened and sanguine, but not without an uncanny gentleness brought out by his deadpan sense of humour.
He played football for HARVARD, folks, because OF COURSE:
And he was really fucking great at it, apparently. He played guard in a famous game against Yale where the Harvard team dramatically tied their rival with a last-minute 16-point comeback. Like, damn. And what a foxy young man as well. DAYUM.
Having grown up in the 90s, of course, my first conscious exposure to him was a handful of legit popcorn crime thrillers like The Fugitive and Double Jeopardy, but as an avid X-Files fan, I was all about the Men in Black franchise. Tommy was absolutely the best man for the job. That earthly veteran lawman persona translated exquisitely into intergalactic territory, trading human outlaws for ones with tentacles and gills. It's either the most genius casting ever, or the most OBVIOUS casting ever. Perhaps it's both.
Lonesome Dove was a revelation for me. Later in my life, as I found myself pleasantly surprised by my unlikely adoration of Western films, I picked up the Larry McMurtry novel and fell in love. I saw the TV series and proceeded to be completely enchanted with the whole thing. Then I sought out Coal Miner's Daughter and my eyes bugged out at how cute Tommy was at that age. And already an impressive actor, to boot.
He owns an enormous cattle ranch in Texas because DUH and he speaks fluent Spanish. He's a cowboy even when he's not. He exudes that earned confidence and utter competence that makes me sure that if he showed up on horseback today and told me to jump in his saddle and head out of town, I'd do it in a second because he probably has a good goddamn reason for kidnapping/rescuing me.
Tommy Lee, sir, you are a joy to watch in everything, even if it's crap. I don't care. As long as you're there, I feel safe. I want to bake you some cattle drive sourdough biscuits and fry up a nice steak and listen to all your stories. Please.
