Tim Robbins's Story

Actor and director Tim Robbins is well known for his artistic contributions to American film and his long-time commitment to issues ranging from the death penalty to international refugees to AIDS.

Raised in New York City's Greenwich Village, Tim made his acting debut at age 12 with The Theatre for the New City. After completing his bachelor's degree in acting at UCLA, he founded the Actor's Gang, an avant-garde theatre troupe in Los Angeles.

Tim took film parts to finance the troupe, and broke into Hollywood's leading man circuit with the role of Nuke LaLoosh in 1988's Bull Durham, opposite Kevin Costner. This film also marked the beginning of his longtime personal and professional partnership with actress Susan Sarandon, with whom he collaborated on 1995's Dead Man Walking. Tim was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for the film. In addition, he received the award for Best Actor at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for his role in The Player. Most recently, he has portrayed characters in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), AntiTrust (2001), and The Truth About Charlie (2002).

Given that Tim uses his celebrity status to help raise people's awareness about humanitarian causes, it was natural for him to be part of the groundbreaking television series, What's Going On? which portrays the plight of children in crises around the world. Tim was able to shine a spotlight on the life of a teenager from his own hometown, New York City.

When Tim met with J.R. Bennett, who has lived in and out of shelters in New York City for most of his life, the two quickly established a rapport. J.R. appears to be a confident, intelligent youth, but when he opened up to Tim, the devastating impact of homelessness became clear.

J.R. spoke softly about what it was like not to have a home--how it made him feel depressed, insecure, and at one time almost suicidal. He also talked about how his relationship with his friends and family, and especially his father, had been affected.

Later, Tim used his skills as an actor to help J.R. speak out to a larger audience. The producers of What's Going On? had asked the teenager to speak in a public service announcement on homelessness to show that homeless people look and act like everyone else. They sit beside you on the bus, pass you in the street yet you would never know it.

But the teenager was nervous and stiff when it came time to say his lines. Tim patiently and with gentle humor showed him how to speak to the camera as if he was talking directly to one person--a family member or a close friend. The result: J.R. is a natural: a good-looking, articulate, teenager who gets across the message with quiet authority and credibility.