Quentin Tarantino had a page in his script for Reservoir Dogs (1992) where he dedicated the movie to some of his inspirations. Timothy Carey was at the very top. He also auditioned for the role of Joe Cabot, but Tarantino didn't think that he was right for the role.
Director Francis Ford Coppola wanted to cast him in both The Godfather (1972) and The Conversation (1974). Carey turned down the former and walked off the set of the latter.
Father of Romeo Carey.
Has a uniquely twisted screen presence that many great directors tried, and often failed, to harness. He was the only man Elia Kazan ever physically attacked on the set. Marlon Brando cast him in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) and ended up, in desperation and frustration, stabbing him with a pen. When John Cassavetes came to his house for the first time, Carey made him wear a bulky, padded suit and then turned his attack dog loose on him. Despite this odd happening, Cassevetes later declared that Carey had the "brilliance of Eisenstein."
Performed a spoken word introduction for Brooklyn garage punk band The A-Bones' 1993 cover recording of the theme to The World's Greatest Sinner (1962), which was released as a 45 on the Australian Giant Claw label.