Kevin Pollak didn’t hesitate when asked to name the most eccentric actor he’s ever collaborated with.
The “Tulsa King” actor pointed to the late Rip Torn, sharing a few outlandish stories from the filming of “Canadian Bacon,” a movie featuring John Candy that came out posthumously.
“Oh, wow. It’s really not even a contest,” Pollak remarked during his guest spot on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
Torn, who passed away in 2019, had a knack for keeping his fellow actors on their toes, Pollak noted.
“Every day, it seemed Rip decided that someone in the cast or crew was out to get him,” he recalled.
Pollak, also known for his role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” mentioned how Torn frequently referenced his position on former President Richard Nixon’s enemies list.
“If a day went by without him proclaiming, ‘I was on Nixon’s list,’ that was a rarity. We got it, Rip,” Pollak joked.
When asked how Torn ended up on that list, Pollak admitted, “Honestly, no one wanted to ask.”
However, the Nixon mentions were just the tip of the iceberg regarding Torn’s antics.
Pollak shared that fellow actor Kevin O’Connor and his wife were staying near Torn at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto.
The couple often heard Torn yelling at someone through the paper-thin walls. After several weeks of listening in, they put together a top ten list of Torn’s most unforgettable quotes.
“The top thing we heard him scream at the hooker through the wall was, ‘I said milk it like a cow,’” Pollak recalled.
This anecdote provided a glimpse into Torn’s notorious off-screen behavior.
Torn was a celebrated figure in film, television, and theater, earning an Academy Award nomination for “Cross Creek” and becoming widely recognized from projects like “Men in Black” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”
His portrayal of Artie on “The Larry Sanders Show” garnered him six consecutive Emmy nominations, along with a win in 1996.
