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IMDbPro

Timothy Bottoms(I)

  • Actor
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Timothy Bottoms in Dirt (2007)
A mysterious creature rises from the depths of the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles to wreak the city.
Play trailer2:56
Tar (2020)
24 Videos
77 Photos
From a talented acting generation of four brothers, Timothy Bottoms was the closest to achieving out-and-out super-stardom in the 1970s. The eldest of four siblings, he was followed in birth by Joseph Bottoms, Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms.

All four boys were born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, with Timothy James birth date being August 30, 1951. As the children of James "Bud" Bottoms, a sculptor and high school art teacher, and his wife Betty, artistic expression was certainly encouraged in this family and Timothy expressed an avid interest, even during his preschool years, of wanting to perform. He was a local member of the Youth Theater Productions at school and in 1967 toured Europe along with the Santa Barbara Madrigal Society, which sealed his aspirations.

Following high school, Timothy was spotted by Universal in a stage production of "Romeo and Juliet" and chosen (with no prior film experience) for a lead part in director Dalton Trumbo's Johnny s'en va-t-en guerre (1971). As Joe, a young American soldier who is shelled and left armless and legless on the last day of World War I, Timothy received excellent reviews and earned a Golden Globe nomination as "Most Promising Newcomer." His next starring role propelled him into the top leagues. Cast as aimless Texas-boy "Sonny," the sensitive, mournful-eyed, youthful focus of Peter Bogdanovich's downbeat Oscar winner La dernière séance (1971), the film went on to make full-fledged stars not only of Timothy, but of Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd. Younger brother Sam, who frequently visited the set, wound up touchingly cast as simple, naive, ill-fated character.

The early 1970s was a time of great personal accomplishments for Timothy in film. Engagingly maladroit and looking slightly uncomfortable in his own skin, he proved that his first reviews were no flukes. He appeared to great advantage in the touching drama Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973) opposite British acting doyenne Maggie Smith and as the tousle-haired college protagonist in the coming-of-age box-office hit La chasse aux diplômes (1973). In an effort to break free of his sensitive prototype, he delved into stranger, darker characters with The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974) and Le Toboggan de la mort (1977). These efforts were less successful, however, and he quickly began to discover his film career slipping away at the early age of 26.

Outgrowing his awkward adorableness, he shifted to the smaller screen in order to secure challenging roles, such as the biblical lead in The Story of David (1976); his ex-convict in La vengeance aux tripes (1976); his bank teller in Les hommes d'argent (1976); his fatally-stricken track runner in A Shining Season (1979), and the Raymond Massey role (in which he aged 30 years) in the ambitious mini-series À l'est d'Eden (1981), with brother Sam recreating the James Dean part.

Timothy's success certainly encouraged his younger siblings. By this time Joseph, Sam and Ben were were all experiencing significant lifts in their own respective careers. As a group, the four brothers hooked up together for the TV movie Island Sons (1987), in which they all played brothers and used their real first names. The movie was promoted as a pilot for an upcoming weekly series, but it failed to make the grade. While Timothy continued to work steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the quality of material he was given grew more standard. Roles in such films as L'invasion vient de Mars (1986), Dangereuse rencontre (1988) and the foreign-made Istanbul (1989) did little to reignite his earlier success. A sequel to his famous "The Last Picture Show", entitled Texasville (1990), could have had heads turning but the movie decided instead to focus instead on Jeff Bridges (who at this juncture was a big name star) while Timothy's character was given short shrift with what was essentially a cameo.

Into the millennium Timothy had a slight taste of his former glory while showing a keen talent for parody with his uncanny impersonation of president George W. Bush. Who would have thought? Bottoms' dead-on spoof on Bush, président (2001), courtesy of the creators of "South Park", led to a brief Bush cameo in the family film Traqueur de croco en mission périlleuse (2002) and the much more serious TV-movie DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (2003). Interestingly, Timothy needed little in the way of prosthetics. He simply parted his hair differently, added a bit of a drawl and imitated his walk!

The still boyish-looking actor with that same trickle of sadness and discomfort has worked continuously for the past thirty years and appeared in over 65 films. Of late he has shined in small independent features such as with his dysfunctional father in writer/director Gus Van Sant's Elephant (2003), which chronicled a Columbine High School-like massacre, and his closer-to-home portrayal as a middle-aged actor in search of his early fame in Paradise, Texas (2006).

Other millennium films include Shanghai Kiss (2007), Along the Way (2007), the remake of Jack London's Call of the Wild (2009), Étudiantes exemplaires (2010), Realm of the Mole Men (2012) and the quirky romantic comedy The One-Nighter (2012) opposite the producer/writer/director of the film Jill Jaress. In addition, he has been frequently viewed in such comedic and dramatic TV movies as Jane Doe, miss détective: Pas vu, pas pris (2005), Bats, l'invasion des chauves-souris (2005), J'ai épousé une star (2012), L'auberge des amoureux (2014) and La demande en mariage (2015), and made guest appearances on the popular series "The Governor's Wife," "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and "The Bridge."

Timothy's marriage to folk singer Alicia Cory from 1975 to 1978, produced son Bartholomew. He has three other children (Benton, William, Bridget) with current wife (since 1984) Marcia Morehart. Bottoms divides his time between his acting work and his other great love of training wild horses at his two ranches near Big Sur, California. On the sly he has worked as a surveyor's assistant.

While brothers Joseph and Ben are lesser seen these days and finding satisfying lives outside the Hollywood realm, Sam pursued his own career until his death from brain cancer in 2008 at age 53. Their eldest brother continues to display his talents with more recent prime roles in such films as the dramedy Welcome to the Men's Group (2016), horror opus The Shed (2019) and the adventure thriller Tar (2020).
BornAugust 30, 1951
  • More at IMDbProContact info & Agent info
  • BornAugust 30, 1951
    IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • IMDbProContact info & Agent info
    • Awards
      • 4 wins & 1 nomination

    Photos77

    Timothy Bottoms and Pilot in L'amour aveugle (1984)
    Timothy Bottoms, Robert Gavin, and The Krofft Puppets in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Shannon Day in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms, Shannon Day, Jenny Drugan, Bobby Porter, Robert Gavin, and The Krofft Puppets in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms, Jenny Drugan, Robert Gavin, and The Krofft Puppets in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Robert Gavin in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Jenny Drugan in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Ed Gale in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Jay Jay Warren in The Shed (2019)
    Timothy Bottoms and Jenny Drugan in Land of the Lost (1991)
    Timothy Bottoms and Graham Beckel in La chasse aux diplômes (1973)

    Known for:

    Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, Cybill Shepherd, and Ben Johnson in La dernière séance (1971)
    La dernière séance
    8.0
    • Sonny Crawford
    • 1971
    Johnny s'en va-t-en guerre (1971)
    Johnny s'en va-t-en guerre
    7.8
    • Joe Bonham
    • 1971
    La chasse aux diplômes (1973)
    La chasse aux diplômes
    7.2
    • James T. Hart
    • 1973
    Alicia Miles in Elephant (2003)
    Elephant
    7.1
    • Mr. McFarland
    • 2003

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor

    • Tar (2020)
      Tar
      3.8
      • Barry Greenwood
      • 2020
    • Jay Jay Warren in The Shed (2019)
      The Shed
      4.8
      • Ellis
      • 2019
    • Welcome to the Men's Group (2016)
      Welcome to the Men's Group
      6.0
      • Larry
      • 2016
    • La demande en mariage (2015)
      La demande en mariage
      4.5
      TV Movie
      • Rick
      • 2015
    • Constance Marie, Marion Ross, Haylie Duff, Arielle Kebbel, and Adam Mayfield in L'auberge des amoureux (2014)
      L'auberge des amoureux
      6.0
      TV Movie
      • Jerry's Dad
      • 2014
    • Demián Bichir and Diane Kruger in The Bridge (2013)
      The Bridge
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Arliss Froome
      • 2013
    • Realm of the Mole Men (2012)
      Realm of the Mole Men
      • Willy
      • 2012
    • Timothy Bottoms, Jill Jaress, Jim Freivogel, Guile Branco, Isidora Goreshter, and Marissa Skell in The One-Nighter (2012)
      The One-Nighter
      6.8
      • Louie
      • 2012
    • Ethan Erickson and Kellie Martin in J'ai épousé une star (2012)
      J'ai épousé une star
      6.0
      TV Movie
      • Mike Swift
      • 2012
    • Hello Stranger
      • Sheriff
      • 2011
    • Étudiantes exemplaires (2010)
      Étudiantes exemplaires
      3.2
      • Cameron Morris
      • 2010
    • Amy Brenneman, Brian Benben, Benjamin Bratt, Taye Diggs, Kate Walsh, Paul Adelstein, Caterina Scorsone, and KaDee Strickland in Private Practice (2007)
      Private Practice
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Irwin
      • 2010
    • Timothy Bottoms, C. Thomas Howell, Stephen Blackehart, Darren Dalton, Lindsey McKeon, David H. Stevens, and Anya Benton in Lost Time, Monde Perdu (2009)
      Lost Time, Monde Perdu
      3.2
      Video
      • Captain Burroughs
      • 2009
    • Christopher Lloyd, Wes Studi, Ariel Gade, Aimee Teegarden, and Devon Graye in Call of the Wild (2009)
      Call of the Wild
      5.3
      • Heep
      • 2009
    • Lesley Ann Warren and Meredith Baxter in Le carnet des regrets (2009)
      Le carnet des regrets
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • Will Hutchinson
      • 2009

    Producer

    • Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas (1991)
      Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas
      7.2
      • producer
      • 1991

    Videos24

    I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
    Clip 1:00
    I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
    I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
    Clip 1:08
    I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:20
    Official Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:33
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 0:49
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:21
    Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:27
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:15
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:09
    Official Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:56
    Official Trailer
    Call of the Wild
    Trailer 2:04
    Call of the Wild
    Rollercoaster
    Trailer 1:25
    Rollercoaster

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative name
      • Tim Bottoms
    • Height
      • 1.80 m
    • Born
      • August 30, 1951
      • Santa Barbara, California, USA
    • Spouses
        Marcia MorehartDecember 31, 1983 - ? (divorced, 3 children)
    • Parents
        James "Bud" Bottoms
    • Relatives
        Joseph Bottoms(Sibling)
    • Other works
      He acted in Marvin Hamlisch and Neil Simon's musical, "They're Playing Our Song," at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts with Marsha Skaggs in the cast.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In a documentary that focused on the making of "The Last Picture Show," Timothy revealed that he had a crush on his co-star Cybill Shepherd during the filming, but that she didn't reciprocate his feelings.
    • Quotes
      The DC 9/11: Time of Crisis film was hard to get the part; I had to audition three times. It was very serious and very sobering. We studied and tried to re-create all the stuff that we saw that day.

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