Tim Robbins

His fame is so fresh that he's not even listed in the 1992-93 edition of "Who's Who in Entertainment."But in the past few weeks, Tim Robbins has been called "the man of the moment" by Newsweek and "the man of the hour" by the New York Times.The man is mesmerizing movie audiences as the creepy, charming Griffin Mill in "The Player." At Cannes last month, he was named best actor for his subtle, assured performance as a murderous studio executive.More startling was the way he surprised and dazzled critics at Cannes with "Bob Roberts," the first feature film he has written and directed.

Sen. Joe Biden to appear on 'The Tonight Show' Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden is set to join Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, Obama-Biden spokesman David Wade tells CNN. This will be Biden's first late-night talk show appearance since being named to the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket. His son Beau was on the show Sept. 16. Sen. Biden, who was recently parodied on Saturday Night Live after his debate against Gov. Sarah Palin, will appear on the talk show Oct. 16. Lisa Marie Presley gives birth to twins Lisa Marie Presley is a mom again.

What a big boy is Tim.You knew he was tall from "Bull Durham," when he played the long, tall, dumb-yet-gifted pitcher Nuke Laloosh, nicknamed "Meat" by Kevin Costner, who had a major league fastball and made it to the big time, but lost the girl.But he's more than tall, he's giant, a good 6 foot 4, in rag-pickers blue jeans and hipster's tight-brimmed fedora, come to New York to explain his new film "Jacob's Ladder," which he and he alone must carry, there being no Susan Sarandon or Kevin Costner around.

Making the good guy seem human is easy. Making the bad guy seem human is a lot harder. Especially when the bad guy is an interrogator for the white-dominated government during the days of apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s. It's not the kind of role one might envision for famously liberal actor Tim Robbins, who was an outspoken critic of apartheid during the same era. But then that was part of the challenge presented by the film Catch a Fire, in which Robbins' character pushes an innocent black man (Derek Luke)

Tim Robbins is one of those actors who doesn't always play it safe. He could have written his own ticket after doing ''Bull Durham,'' but he chose to divide his time between the stage and movies, choosing the latter with care. He stars in ''Jacob's Ladder,'' which opens Friday.''I try to keep my eye on what's important,'' he said. ''I want to do a variety of things, challenging things, rather than make quick money. After 'Bull Durham,' I could have worked steadily, done movies back to back and made a lot of money, but I would rather pace myself.

Tim Robbins begs to differ. Embedded, his play about war in the Middle East that has attracted sold-out audiences to the Public Theater in New York City, has been criticized as "preaching to the converted." The recent Oscar- winner's comment: an emphatic "No way!" "For one thing, I'm not sure who the choir is," says Robbins, his lanky frame folded into a cushy sofa in his Chelsea office, which is decorated with movie posters, including ones for the sources of the two Academy Awards in his household.

Making the good guy seem human is easy. Making the bad guy seem human is a lot harder. Especially when the bad guy is an interrogator for the white-dominated government during the days of apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s. It's not the kind of role one might envision for famously liberal actor Tim Robbins, who was an outspoken critic of apartheid during the same era. But then that was part of the challenge presented by the film Catch a Fire, in which Robbins' character pushes an innocent black man (Derek Luke)

Critic's Pick--A cheated-on husband (Tim Robbins, above) turns the tables on a would-be carjacker in Nothing to Lose (7:15 p.m.-9 p.m., Starz).

Robbins is angry that free speech works both ways Isn't it amazing that Tim Robbins complains about restriction of his free speech ("`A chill wind,'" Opinion Commentary, April 20)? Here's a man who for years has vocally and with evident impunity supported every anti-American cause, program, dictator or thug to appear on the world stage. Suddenly people actually listened to what he's been saying -- and they don't like it. Mr. Robbins is not really whining about restrictions on his speech, but rather that those who disagree with the Tim Robbins/Susan Sarandon viewpoint are free to voice that disagreement and act upon it. The president of baseball's Hall of Fame opted to disinvite Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon from this year's induction ceremony because he felt they would be disruptive -- as Michael Moore was at the Oscars.

`Mission to Mars' Starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Don Cheadle Directed by Brian De Palma Released by Touchstone Rated PG (Language) Running time 120 minutes Sun score: Ever since Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" left 1968 audiences scratching their heads wondering what they'd just seen, directors have been straining to make another "2001." Only this time make it understandable. It's time they stopped trying and gave up. Don't they realize that half the fun of Kubrick's brilliantly obtuse film was debating its meaning with your friends?

Critic's Pick--A cheated-on husband (Tim Robbins, above) turns the tables on a would-be carjacker in Nothing to Lose (7:15 p.m.-9 p.m., Starz).

It has been a political season of the most intense order, and rock acts have been dusting off message tunes. One of the songs enjoying revival is Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?" Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Bright Eyes, Audioslave, Tim Robbins (in "Bob Roberts" mode) and, of course, Elvis Costello are among the artists who pointedly have performed the song over the last year. Lowe's song was popularized by Costello in 1979 - a rowdy version that the Dixie Chicks took to piping in for fans as pre-show politicking on their last arena tour.

Tim Robbins begs to differ. Embedded, his play about war in the Middle East that has attracted sold-out audiences to the Public Theater in New York City, has been criticized as "preaching to the converted." The recent Oscar- winner's comment: an emphatic "No way!" "For one thing, I'm not sure who the choir is," says Robbins, his lanky frame folded into a cushy sofa in his Chelsea office, which is decorated with movie posters, including ones for the sources of the two Academy Awards in his household.

Robbins is angry that free speech works both ways Isn't it amazing that Tim Robbins complains about restriction of his free speech ("`A chill wind,'" Opinion Commentary, April 20)? Here's a man who for years has vocally and with evident impunity supported every anti-American cause, program, dictator or thug to appear on the world stage. Suddenly people actually listened to what he's been saying -- and they don't like it. Mr. Robbins is not really whining about restrictions on his speech, but rather that those who disagree with the Tim Robbins/Susan Sarandon viewpoint are free to voice that disagreement and act upon it. The president of baseball's Hall of Fame opted to disinvite Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon from this year's induction ceremony because he felt they would be disruptive -- as Michael Moore was at the Oscars.

Robert Altman's 1992 The Player has only gained in pertinence over the last 10 years. This inside-Hollywood comedy derides the decision-making process that turns most American movies into funhouse rides. And in effect, this is Altman's lightly satirical version of a ride movie - an executive-suite branch of the Universal Tour. It kicks off with a virtuoso moving-camera shot that introduces the bustle of big-studio production and keeps rolling as the antihero, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), commits murder, endures a police investigation and takes us through the steps that can transform even a tough-minded flop into a potential smash hit. It's a pleasurable spin, all right; here Altman directs like a canny engineer.

Paul Rudnick's comedy, "I Hate Hamlet," is a love letter to theater. Sure, it pokes fun at Shakespeare. But the play ultimately demonstrates that the Bard can change your life. That makes it highly apropos for the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, which is giving it a diverting production. The plot is as simple as a situation comedy - a logical comparison since the protagonist is a TV star. With his series canceled, Andrew Rally has returned to New York to try his luck on the stage. The role he's won, however, is more than he bargained for. Andrew has been hired to play Hamlet in Central Park.

Godel's Theorem of 1931 postulates that some principles of mathematics cannot be proven mathematically, but only by external methods of logic. The epistemological significance of this theorem appears to be that some things must be taken on faith.Oh, yeah? Hey, Kurt, I doubt if you'd be so big on faith if you'd seen what's been done to you and your cohorts in physics and higher math in the new low-Q "I.Q.," which opens tomorrow.In fact, the movie seems to offer a new theory of relativity: E (instein)

''Jacob's Ladder'' takes a long time getting to the point, and when it does, there isn't that much to it.Some people are going to be very confused by this film. It does not, as they say, give anyone quarter. You might say it is a work movie.Adrian Lyne (''Fatal Attraction'') directed the film, which plays, at times, like a chapter in the ''Friday the 13th'' series.That should come as no surprise. The silliest thing about ''Fatal Attraction'' was the finish, one in which Glenn Close went down for the count then resurged from that bathtub, as villains do in horror films, to give Michael Douglas a bit more trouble.

`Mission to Mars' Starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins and Don Cheadle Directed by Brian De Palma Released by Touchstone Rated PG (Language) Running time 120 minutes Sun score: Ever since Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" left 1968 audiences scratching their heads wondering what they'd just seen, directors have been straining to make another "2001." Only this time make it understandable. It's time they stopped trying and gave up. Don't they realize that half the fun of Kubrick's brilliantly obtuse film was debating its meaning with your friends?

Godel's Theorem of 1931 postulates that some principles of mathematics cannot be proven mathematically, but only by external methods of logic. The epistemological significance of this theorem appears to be that some things must be taken on faith.Oh, yeah? Hey, Kurt, I doubt if you'd be so big on faith if you'd seen what's been done to you and your cohorts in physics and higher math in the new low-Q "I.Q.," which opens tomorrow.In fact, the movie seems to offer a new theory of relativity: E (instein)