Sad news tonight, as we’ve learned that prolific actor Rip Torn has passed away at the age of 88. As reported by THR, “Torn died peacefully at his home in Lakeville, Connecticut.”

Rip Torn of course played the character Zed in the first two Men in Black films, the head of the MiB organization. Torn also starred in genre films such as The Man Who Fell to Earth, A Stranger Is Watching, The Beastmaster, Dolly Dearest and RoboCop 3.

The Beastmaster director Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) tweeted tonight, “As a young filmmaker I was blown away by Rip Torn’s performance in PAYDAY. We became friends working together on THE BEASTMASTER. I’ll always look back fondly on meeting up at his little crash pad for lunches in Malibu- and the great Hollywood stories he’d tell. RIP dear friend.”

Outside of genre fare, Rip Torn was nominated for an Oscar in 1984 for Cross Creek, and he won a Primetime Emmy in 1996 for his role as Artie on “The Larry Sanders Show.”

Torn’s one-of-a-kind presence as a standout character actor elevated countless films over the years, also notably including Defending Your Life, Freddy Got Fingered and Dodgeball.