Tom Ripley
Thomas Ripley is the name of a literary character, and also the name of an English architect.
== Character by Patricia Highsmith == Thomas Ripley is the infamous protagonist of the Ripliad by Patricia Highsmith, and hence protagonist in several films spawned from the novels. He has been played by Matt Damon, John Malkovich, Dennis Hopper , Barry Pepper and Alain Delon.
Brought up in Boston by his emotionally abusive aunt, he left at 18 for New York. A sociopath, Ripley lived for years off of his "talents"--forgery, impersonation and lying--until he was paid to go to Italy by the rich father of an old aquaintance, Dickie Greenleaf, to convince him to return to the family business. Ripley eventually murdered Greenleaf and assumed his identity after the young playboy spurned his friendship and covert bisexual attraction, and used it to travel in luxury. After murdering Greenleaf's suspicious friend, Freddie Miles, Ripley forged Greenleaf's will, leaving himself the other man's inheritance, and returned to New York. He was involved in many criminal enterprises after that, including art forgery and murder, but only resorted to the latter "when necessary." Initially living in Italy, he had several abodes before settling down at his chateau, Belle Ombre, on the outskirts of Villeperce, France, with an unsuspecting, rich trophy wife, Heloise. His last reported murder, committed around 1990, was of a neighbor who had threatened to reveal his criminal past.
British Architect
Thomas Ripley (ca 1683 - February 10, 1758), was born in Yorkshire. An ex-carpenter, he rose by degrees to become an architect in the royal Office of Works, where he was influenced by the Palladian style, but never lost his provincial manner, which earned the private derision of Sir John Vanbrugh and the public scorn of Alexander Pope. He worked on the site of Houghton Hall for Sir Robert Walpole, but to the designs of the Palladian architects Colen Campbell and William Kent. In 1721 he succeeded Grinling Gibbons as "Master Carpenter," and in 1726 he succeeded Vanbrugh as "Comptroller of the King's Works", largely to the influence of Walpole.
Works
- Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, 1723-1726
- Wolterton Hall, Norfolk, 1727-1741;