Unlike many other actors, Tommy Lee Jones took his time before stepping into the motion picture industry. He attended Harvard College in Massachusetts, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Following his graduation from school, Jones moved to New York to start pursuing a career in acting. He started on Broadway in 1969 in A Patriot For Me. Despite having no formal training in acting, his performances were very successful, and he quickly moved on to film roles.

Tommy Lee Jones made his film debut in 1970 with a role in Love Story. While he still lived in New York, he continued to perform in several more popular plays, including Fortune and Men’s Eyes, Four on a Garden, Blue Boys, and Ulysses in Nighttown. During this time, he also made an appearance in a soap opera called One Life To Live, playing Dr. Mark Toland from 1971 to 1979. This soap opera is still being produced today. Following this role, Jones decided to move to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles provided Tommy Lee Jones with many different acting opportunities. He mainly took television roles in the beginning, appearing in two television movies: Smash-Up on Interstate 5 in a supporting role and The Amazing Howard Hughes in the lead role. He also appeared in episodes of television series, including Baretta, Family, and Charlie’s Angels. His success on television only increased his fame as an actor, and he got the opportunity to star alongside Sally Field in the cinema film Back Roads, a comedy. This film helped to show that Tommy Lee Jones had diversity as an actor.

The 1980’s were filled with movie roles for Jones, both on television and on the big screen. His name was quickly becoming well-known in the motion picture industry as a diverse actor who could handle both starring roles as well as supporting roles in different movie genres. During this decade, he is most remembered for starring in the movies; Nate and Hayes, The River Rat, Black Moon Rising, and The Package. He also appeared in the television movie The Executioner’s Song, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special for his role as Gary Mark Gilmore.

In 1995, Tommy Lee Jones moved away from just acting to direct a film for television called The Good Old Boys. He also helped to write the script for the movie and he starred in it as well. The television movie won three awards. Two years after this movie, Jones got one of his most well-known roles playing Agent K in the hit science-fiction comedy Men in Black. He would return to the role in 2002 for Men in Black II, and he is currently filming Men in Black III, due to be released in 2012.

Jones is still very active in the motion picture industry as an actor and a directed. He directed and co-starred in another television movie with Samuel L. Jackson entitled The Sunset Limited. He also has a role in the upcoming film Captain America: The First Avenger, due to be released in July 2011.