{{short description|American actor (born 1956)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Rex Linn | image = Rex Linn by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Linn in 2022 | birth_name = Rex Maynard Linn | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|11|13|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Spearman, Texas, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1986–present | spouse = | partner = Reba McEntire<br> (2020–present) }}
'''Rex Maynard Linn''' (born November 13, 1956)<ref name=":0" /> is an American actor. He is best known domestically for playing the role of Sgt. Frank Tripp in the CBS drama ''CSI: Miami'' and more recently for playing Kevin Wachtell in the television series ''Better Call Saul''. Internationally he is best known for playing Richard Travers in the 1993 action thriller film ''Cliffhanger''.
==Early life and education== Linn was born on November 13, 1956, in Spearman, Texas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/35/Rex-Linn.html |title=Rex Linn Biography (1956-) |website=Film Reference |access-date=January 26, 2026}}</ref> He lived in Spearman, Texas up until August 1969 when his parents relocated the family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his father practiced law. There he attended Heritage Hall School and later Casady School, an independent school affiliated with the Episcopal Church, and was employed part-time at the Oklahoma City Zoo. In November 1975, after seeing Jack Nicholson in ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'', Linn announced he was an actor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Triplett |first=Gene |date=January 17, 2003 |title=Ropin' dreams Rex Linn living actor's dream, playing a cowboy |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2003/01/17/ropin-dreamsbrrex-linn-living-actors-dream-playing-a-cowboy/62062425007/ |work=The Oklahoman |access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref>
In his high school production of ''Fiddler on the Roof'', after Linn demolished a set during a number, his drama coach ordered him off the set and advised him to direct his energy to some other field of endeavor, ending Linn's high school acting career. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1980.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.okstate.edu/index.php/press-releases/627-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet |title=The Luckiest Guy On The Planet |access-date=December 15, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720024020/http://news.okstate.edu/index.php/press-releases/627-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |date=11 July 2009|last=Hickey|first=Lorene Roberson}}</ref>
==Career== {{refimprove|section|date=October 2025}} After graduation, Linn worked his way up to vice president of energy lending for the Lakeshore Bank, remaining with it until July 5, 1982, when the bank went insolvent. Linn was able to persuade a talent agent to take a chance on him and represent him in the Oklahoma market. At the same time, he accepted a job with an oil company, overseeing field operations in western Oklahoma, all the while auditioning for film and TV commercial parts. After shooting some commercials, he started landing small roles in various projects. During this time, he was given the opportunity to act in his first film, ''Dark Before Dawn'', which was being produced by his best friend, Edward K. Gaylord II.
In 1989, he was cast in his first substantial role, as serial killer Floyd Epps, in ''Night Game'', starring Roy Scheider. Following this film, and a part as the sheriff in a 1990 episode of ''The Young Riders'' (titled "Hard Time"), he decided it was time to head west. He began with small roles in theatrical films such as ''My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys'' (1991), ''Thunderheart'' (1992), ''Sniper'' (1993), and ''Cliffhanger'' (1993), and guest shots on TV series including ''Northern Exposure'', ''Raven'', and ''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.''. Since ''Cliffhanger'', he has appeared in more than 35 films, with that number growing annually. Linn's most recent movie credit is in the political thriller, ''An Acceptable Loss'' (2018), where he starred alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.
On June 29, 1994, Linn was honored with a star on Carpenter's Square Theatre Walk of Fame in Oklahoma City. In 1994, he played a detective in ''Clear and Present Danger''. He was a celebrity co-host of the Oklahoma Film Society Real to Reel 2005: "Classic Monster Mash". He has narrated three audio books, ''One Ranger'' (2005), ''A Man Called Cash'' (2005), and ''Missing Persons'' (2006), as well as a documentary for the Oklahoma University InvestEd program, ''Anatomy of Fraud – Catching a Con in Pottawatomie County in 2004''. A similar documentary, ''Anatomy of a Fraud: Catching a Con in Logan County'', also to be narrated by Linn, was described as being "in production" in 2005.
He currently is reported to be living in Sherman Oaks, California, with his dogs, Jack and Choctaw.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beale |first=Lauren |date=November 2, 2010 |title=Rex Linn buys four-bedroom Sherman Oaks house |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-02-la-hm-hotprop-rex-linn-20101101-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref> Linn is a University of Texas Longhorns fan, even taking the day off from his ''CSI: Miami'' work to attend the 2005 Rose Bowl game when his beloved team played and won the 2005 national championship against the University of Southern California.<ref>{{cite news |last=Soldan |first=Penny |date=December 20, 2005 |title=TV Everything's coming up roses for Rex Linn |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2005/12/20/tvbreverythings-coming-up-roses-for-rex-linn/61909798007/ |work=The Oklahoman|access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://texassports.com/news/2009/7/11/071109aaa_243.aspx |title=Rex Linn: Cooking up a show |date=July 11, 2009 |publisher=University of Texas |access-date=March 31, 2018}}</ref>
He is a former chairman of the Oklahoma City chapter of Ducks Unlimited.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ducks Unlimited Raising Funds |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1985/11/17/ducks-unlimited-raising-funds/62745290007/ |work=The Oklahoman |date=November 17, 1985 |access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref> In 1986, he won the state duck-calling competition, and came fourth in the national competition.<ref>{{cite news |last=LeWand |first=Nicole |date=March 11, 1988 |title=Former Banker Finds An Acting Bonanza With Western Movie |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1988/03/11/former-banker-finds-an-acting-bonanza-with-western-movie/62659202007/ |work=The Oklahoman |access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref>
Linn is an active supporter of children's charities and the arts. On May 12, 2007, he was a celebrity award presenter at the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COPS award ceremony in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usmarshals.gov/safesurrender/news/050307.htm |title=U.S. Marshal Award Winner of Top Cops Award |date=May 3, 2007 |publisher=United States Marshals Service |access-date=March 31, 2018 |archive-date=May 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514062452/https://www.usmarshals.gov/safesurrender/news/050307.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He had recurring roles in several TV series such as Sgt. Frank Tripp on ''CSI: Miami'', a role for which he was tricked into reading during the first season and which he held, as a series regular,<ref>{{cite news|last=Soldan|first=Penny|date=December 27, 2004|title=Meeting leads to recurring role for actor|work=The Oklahoman|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/article/2878962/meeting-leads-to-recurring-role-for-actor|access-date=May 16, 2022}}</ref> until the end of the series. He had a minor role in the webisode series ''The Walking Dead: Torn Apart'' playing as Mike Palmer, a father hiding in a neighborhood in Georgia during a zombie apocalypse. It aired on AMC.com on October 3, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 3, 2011|title=Video Extra - The Walking Dead - Torn Apart Webisodes|url=http://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead/video-extras/torn-apart-webisodes|access-date=October 3, 2011|publisher=AMC}}</ref> From 2017 to 2024, he's played Principal Tom Peterson on ''Young Sheldon'' on CBS. In 2024, he began a recurring role in the situation comedy ''Happy's Place'' as Emmett, the love interest of the lead character played by his real-life fiancee Reba McEntire. In the spring of 2026, NBC announced that the show would be renewed for a third season.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |title=‘St. Denis Medical’ And ‘Happy’s Place’ Renewed For Third Seasons At NBC |url=https://deadline.com/2026/02/st-denis-medical-happys-place-season-3-renewals-1236706472/ |website=Deadline |date=February 2, 2026}}</ref>
==Personal life== Linn has been dating country singer and actress Reba McEntire since late 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chung |first1=Gabrielle |title=Reba McEntire Says She and Boyfriend Rex Linn Caught COVID Despite Being Vaccinated: 'Stay Safe' |url=https://people.com/health/reba-mcentire-boyfriend-rex-linn-caught-covid-despite-being-vaccinated/ |website=People Magazine |access-date=November 1, 2021 |date=August 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Freedman |first1=Adriana |title=Reba McEntire Fans Congratulate Her on Personal News With Rex Linn |url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a63544424/reba-mcentire-boyfriend-rex-linn-anniversary-instagram/ |work=Good Housekeeping |date=January 26, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=All About Reba McEntire and Rex Linn's Darling Relationship |url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/reba-mcentire-rex-linn-relationship-timeline |work=NBC Insider Official Site |date=October 17, 2024|last=Kimont}}</ref> They first met on the set of the Kenny Rogers vehicle ''The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw'' (1991) and reconnected almost 30 years later when McEntire guest-starred as June on ''Young Sheldon''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vulture.com/2023/10/wwhl-reba-mcentire-young-sheldon.html | title=Reba McEntire Owes Her Relationship to Young Sheldon | date=October 11, 2023 |website=Vulture|last=Squires|first=Bethy}}</ref> They became engaged in December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connell |first=Madeleine |date=October 22, 2025 |title=Reba McEntire Reveals Why She And Rex Linn Kept Their Engagement A Secret For Almost A Year |url=https://countrynow.com/reba-mcentire-reveals-why-she-and-rex-linn-kept-their-engagement-a-secret-for-almost-a-year/ |access-date=October 25, 2025 |website=Country Now |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1989 | ''Night Game'' | Epps | |- | 1992 | ''Thunderheart'' | FBI Agent #1 | |- |rowspan=2|1993 | ''Sniper'' | Colonel Weymuth | Uncredited |- | ''Cliffhanger'' | Richard Travers | |- |rowspan=4|1994 | ''Iron Will'' | Joe McPherson | |- | ''Wyatt Earp'' | Frank McLaury | |- | ''Clear and Present Danger'' | Washington Detective | |- | ''Drop Zone'' | Bobby | |- | 1995 | ''Cutthroat Island'' | Mr. Blair | |- |rowspan=3|1996 | ''Tin Cup'' | Dewey | |- | ''The Long Kiss Goodnight'' | Man in Bed | |- | ''Ghosts of Mississippi'' | Martin Scott | |- |rowspan=2|1997 | ''Breakdown'' | Sheriff Boyd | |- | ''The Postman'' | Mercer | |- | rowspan=2|1998 | ''The Odd Couple II'' | Jay Jay | |- | ''Rush Hour'' | Agent Dan Whitney | |- |rowspan=2|1999 | ''Blast from the Past'' | Dave | |- | ''Instinct'' | Guard Alan | |- | 2001 | ''Ghosts of Mars'' | Yared | |- | 2002 | ''The Salton Sea'' | Detective Bookman | |- |rowspan=2|2003 | ''The Hunted'' | Powell | |- | ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' | Coach Bricker | |- | 2004 | ''After the Sunset'' | Agent Kowalski | |- |rowspan=2|2005 | ''The Zodiac'' | Jim Martinez | |- | ''American Gun'' | Earl | |- |rowspan=2|2006 | ''Two Tickets to Paradise'' | Karl | |- | ''Abominable'' | Farmer Hoss | |- | 2008 | ''Appaloosa'' | Sheriff Clyde Stringer | |- |rowspan=2|2012 | ''Atlas Shrugged: Part II'' | Kip Chalmer | |- | ''Django Unchained'' | Tennessee Henry | |- | 2013 | ''Devil's Knot'' | Chief Inspector Gitchell | |- |rowspan=2|2014 | ''Zombeavers'' | Smyth | |- | ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' | Sheriff / Narrator | |- |rowspan=2|2018 | ''Under the Silver Lake'' | Manager | |- | ''An Acceptable Loss'' | The President | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1987 | ''Unsolved Mysteries'' | Terry Conner | 1 episode |- | 1988 | ''Bonanza: The Next Generation'' | Cease | Television film |- | 1989 | ''Oklahoma Passage'' | Quantrill | Miniseries |- | rowspan=2|1990 | ''The Young Riders'' | Sheriff | 1 episode |- | ''Cop Rock'' | Deputy / Officer Cerruto | 2 episodes |- | rowspan=4|1991 | ''Northern Exposure'' | Martin | rowspan=2|1 episode |- | ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' | Billy |- | ''Guns of Paradise'' | Grant Page | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |- | ''The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw'' | Henry | Television film |- | 1992 | ''FBI: The Untold Stories'' | Christopher Wilder | rowspan=2|1 episode |- | 1994 | ''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'' | Mountain McClain |- | 1996–1997 | ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' | Chuck / Webber | 2 episodes |- | 1997 | ''Nash Bridges'' | Alan Tully | 1 episode |- | 1995–2000 | ''JAG'' | Submarine Skipper, Lt. Mark "Falcon" Sokol | Recurring role |- | 1998 | ''Vengeance Unlimited'' | J.J. | 1 episode |- | rowspan=4|1999 | ''The Jack Bull'' | Shelby Dykes | Television film |- | ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' | Lester Stahl / Sheriff Leland Stahl | 1 episode |- | ''Y2K'' | Nuclear Plant Foreman | Television film |- | ''Snoops'' | Jasper | rowspan=3|1 episode |- |rowspan=2|2000 | ''The Pretender'' |rowspan=2|Agent Ellis Talbot |- | ''Profiler'' |- | 2000–2001 | ''The Fugitive'' | Karl Vasick | Recurring role |- | 2001 | ''Crossfire Trail'' | Luke Taggart | Television film |- | 2002–2012 | ''CSI: Miami'' | Sgt. Frank Tripp | Main role |- | 2007 | ''Saving Grace'' | Wiley | 1 episode |- | 2008 | ''Trial by Fire'' | Chief Bill Berry | Television film |- | 2014 | ''The Lottery'' | General Alan Langdon | Recurring role |- | rowspan=3|2015 | ''State of Affairs'' | Senator Burke | rowspan=2|4 episodes |- | ''The Brink'' | Rear Admiral McBride |- | ''Key & Peele'' | Detective | 1 episode |- | 2015–2016 | ''Nashville'' | Bill Lexington | 3 episodes |- | 2016–2022 | ''Better Call Saul'' | Kevin Wachtell | Recurring role |- | 2016 | ''The Ranch'' | Coach Shaw | 1 episode |- | 2017–2018 | ''Lethal Weapon'' | Nathan Riggs | rowspan=2|Recurring role |- | 2017–2024 | ''Young Sheldon'' | Principal Tom Petersen |- | rowspan=2|2018 | ''Waco'' | Dick DeGuerin | Miniseries |- | ''The Kominsky Method'' | Ed | 1 episode |- | 2019 | ''The L Word: Generation Q'' | Jeff Milner | 2 episodes |- | 2022 | ''Roar'' | Sheriff | 1 episode |- | 2022–2023 | ''Big Sky'' | Buck Barnes | Recurring role |- | 2023 | ''Reba McEntire's The Hammer'' | Bart Crawford | Television film |- | 2024–present | ''Happy's Place'' | Emmett | Main role |- |2026 |''Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvline.com/2092968/lance-barber-returning-georgie-and-mandys-first-marriage-young-sheldon-actors/|title=Lance Barber Returning To Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage — With 4 More Young Sheldon Alums (Exclusive)|work=TVLine.com|accessdate=February 4, 2026|date=4 February 2026|last=Schwartz|first=Ryan}}</ref> |Principal Tom Petersen |Episode: "A New Scoreboard and a Horse's You Know What" |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0513010}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090207090014/http://www.cbs.com/primetime/csi_miami/bio/rex_linn/bio.php Rex Linn Bio at CBS - CSI: Miami] * {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130204185543/http://www.thestarscoop.com/interviews/rex-linn-exclusive-interview/ Interview with TheStarScoop.com, November 2006]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Linn, Rex}} Category:1956 births Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Norwegian descent Category:Casady School alumni Category:Living people Category:Male actors from Texas Category:Male actors from Oklahoma City Category:Oklahoma State University alumni Category:People from Hansford County, Texas Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American people of English descent