Russell Irving "Russ" Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934) is an American film and television actor and dancer, who is best known for his performance in title role of the 1958 Tom Thumb and the 1961 movie musical West Side Story as Riff, the leader of the Jets gang. He is also known for appearing in such films as Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, The War of the Gargantuas, Peyton Place and The Haunting, as well as for his portrayal of Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in the television drama Twin Peaks.

Biography

He has been married three times and has two children from his first and third marriages.

He is the father of actress Amber Tamblyn, who played the starring role in the CBS television series Joan of Arcadia and Two and a Half Men from 2013 to the series finale episode. Tamblyn acted opposite his daughter in several episodes of the former as God in the form of a man walking dogs. The two have also worked together in Rebellious, Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard, and in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Russ and Amber also both have cameos in Quentin Tarantino's film Django Unchained, billed as "Son of a Gunfighter" and "Daughter of a Son of a Gunfighter" respectively, an allusion to Russ's leading role in the 1965 western Son of a Gunfighter.

Currently he is working on his autobiography, titled Dancing On The Edge. According to his official website, he is half way done with the book and just completed the chapter on his experiences making West Side Story.

Tamblyn underwent open heart surgery in October 2014. There were complications following the surgery and during the rehabilitation, although his health had reportedly improved as of February 2015.

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