Over the last few months his face has adorned billboards, cinemas and magazine pages everywhere. The recent launch of Men in Black II, and his ability to command extremely high salaries (he is reputed to have earned $20 million for the sci-fi sequel) have confirmed him as a huge star, and a force to be reckoned with on the Hollywood scene. There is simply no getting away from Tommy Lee Jones.

Tommy started life in San Saba, Texas on 15 September, 1946. He wasn't a child star, in fact he didn't seriously consider a career in acting until 1969, when his dream of becoming a professional American football player fell through. With the determination that has become his trademark, Tommy went to New York, where he immediately found acting work. Within ten days of arriving in the city, he had landed a part in an off-Broadway production. Amazingly, having never taken an acting lesson, Tommy continually prospered within his chosen profession. In 1970, he felt he had struck gold. Just months after deciding to become an actor, he made his bigscreen debut in the hugely successful weepie Love Story (as Hank, Oliver Jr's roommate). Although reasonably small, the role gave him just the amount of exposure he needed, and in 1971 he was offered the part of Dr Toland on the American daytime soap One Life to Live, which kept him occupied until 1975.

After years in the Hollywood wilderness, Tommy starred in Andrew Davis's action flick Under Siege, alongside Steven Seagal. He played William Strannix, a rock 'n' roll terrorist bent on nuclear war and world domination. His impressive performance not only won him Hollywood kudos, but impressed Davis so much that Tommy was offered a part in his next film.

That film was The Fugitive, and proved to be a huge turning point in Jones's career. He played Samuel Gerard, a US Deputy Marshal chasing Harrison Ford's escaped prisoner. Tommy's experience had moulded him into a masterful character actor, and it showed. In fact, the film critics were so impressed with his performance that many claimed he stole the show, completely upstaging Ford. It did wonders for Tommy's career, earning him an Oscar and blockbuster roles such as the disfigured villain Two-Face in Batman Forever. But what has happened to his career since then?

OUT OF THIS WORLD

Although Jones had appeared in various high-grossing productions, nothing could have prepared him for the success of his next major film, Men in Black. Starring alongside the ever-popular Will Smith, Jones played Agent K, a member of a secret government force controlling the immigration of aliens. K erases people's memories, takes an involuntary slime shower and disappears down the gullet of an intergalactic cockroach, all in the line of duty. Clearly nothing could prepare an actor for such bizarre scenarios, but Tommy breezed through. All this, and somehow he managed to look cool.

Ironically, it was during the filming of Men in Black that Tommy added more to his reputation for losing his cool. His co-star Will Smith would often do things to make the crew laugh, resulting in several repeated takes. Jones was not amused! Instead of joining in the fun, he was often heard complaining that Smith was 'wasting his time.' Despite the grumpiness, Will Smith and other co-stars tried to speak fondly of the Texan, commenting on his undeniable professionalism and dedication to the job, rather than his sullen, black moods.

Still reeling from the success of Men in Black, Tommy was faced with an important decision. The Fugitive was to have a sequel and director Stuart Baird was keen for Jones to reprise his performance as Samuel Gerard. The worry for Jones, of course, was that the sequel would be inferior and his reputation would suffer by association. As it turned out, the resulting film, U.S. Marshals, saw him star alongside Wesley Snipes and the strong characters, high-octane action and excellent cast saw to it that the film, though not as successful as its predecessor, was a long way from being a flop. Then Jones returned to comedy with the spectacular, witty film for kids of all ages, Small Soldiers - an adventure involving an evil toymaker and two rival gangs of toys. He lent his voice to the leader of the renegade group, Major Chip Hazard, a classic villain, even if he was only six inches high.

Today, with the blockbuster DVD release of Men in Black II, Tommy Lee Jones is still a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. His next film, The Hunted, in which he will track an assassin through forests and rough terrain, looks like a return to the Fugitive-type roles for which he is best known. Rumours abound that he has recently signed up for a cheerleading comedy, Cheer Up, which will certainly be one to keep an eye out for. Tommy Lee Jones - one of our greatest character actors and villains - is now a comedy genius to boot.

Movie magazine