Born in Los Angeles, California to Eddie Tamblyn (Eddie Tamblyn on IMDB), Tamblyn's first movie appearance was in 1948 in The Boy With Green Hair. In addition, he portrayed the young Saul in Cecil B. DeMille's version of Samson and Delilah, a 1949 film at Paramount.

In 1954 his break-out role was as one of the singing and dancing brothers, Gideon, in the film musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers for which his abilities as a champion gymnast and acrobat were well suited.

Other musical roles included the title role in Tom Thumb, as one of the sailors in the 1955 film version of Hit the Deck,He also played the youngest brother in the Musical " Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and his best known role in the 1961 Best Picture West Side Story, where he played Riff, the leader of the Jets.

He appeared in the movie Peyton Place in 1957, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1962 he appeared in the cinerama movie How the West Was Won. In 1963 he appeared in The Long Ships. In 1966, he starred in the Japanese kaiju film War of the Gargantuas.

More recently he has appeared in television series such as Nash Bridges, Twin Peaks (in which he played an eccentric psychiatrist), and the Babylon 5 episode A Distant Star in which he played 'Captain Jack Maynard'.

His daughter is Amber Tamblyn with whom he has appeared in "Rebellious" and "Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard"; she had the starring role in the CBS television series Joan of Arcadia. Tamblyn appeared opposite his daughter in several episodes of the series, in which he played the role of the "Dog Walker God". His brother, Larry Tamblyn, was the drummer with 1960s band The Standells.

Year

Award

Result

Category/Recipient

Academy Award

Nominated

Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Peyton Place (1957)

Golden Globe Award

Won

Most Promising Newcomer - Male Shared with Ray Danton

Golden Laurel Award

Nominated

Top Male Musical Performance for Tom Thumb (1958)