Bill Pullman
Pullman at the Tribeca Film Festival
Born	December 17, 1953 (1953-12-17) (age 53) Hornell, New York

William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American film and television actor.

Biography

Early life

Pullman was born in Hornell, New York to James Pullman, a physician, and Johanna (Blaas), a nurse. His paternal heritage is Irish and English, while his maternal grandparents were immigrants from Holland.[1] After moving to suburban Chicago for only a year and a half (Where he graduated Glenbard West High School), he attended the State University of New York at Delhi and the State University of New York at Oneonta in the 1970s. He eventually received his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Pullman taught theater at SUNY Delhi and Montana State University. When he was 28, he moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

Career

During the 1980s, he primarily worked with theatre companies around New York and Los Angeles, California. His first prominent movie role was in the film Ruthless People (which starred Danny DeVito and Bette Midler). Other notable films included the lead in Spaceballs (1987), The Serpent and the Rainbow (opposite Zakes Mokae), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Independence Day (1996), and Lost Highway (1997). Pullman continues to act in both theatre and in movies, independent and big budget. His more recent films have been The Grudge and Scary Movie 4 (the latter ironically heavily spoofing "The Grudge" though Pullman's part spoofed The Village.)

From February 2001 until February 2002, Pullman starred, with Mercedes Ruehl, in Edward Albee's play The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? on Broadway. The play won several awards: 2002 Tony Award[2] for Best Play; 2002 Drama Desk Award Outstanding New Play; 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Pullman was nominated, but did not win, the 2002 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play. He will co-star with Val Kilmer in the new Lewis and Clark movie. Next fall, Pullman can be seen in Edward Albee's play Peter and Jerry, at Off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre.

Pullman is also a Jury Member for the on going Filmaka amateur short film contest.

Personal life

Pullman is married to dancer Tamara Hurwitz, and has three children, Daughter Maisa (born 1988), and sons Jack (born 1989), and Louis (born 1993). He lost his sense of smell in college after an injury left him in a coma for two days. Pullman co-owns a cattle ranch with his brother in Montana.[3]

American cultural critic Greil Marcus used Pullman as a major piece of his argument in the book "The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice". In the chapter entitled "American Berserk: Bill Pullman's Face", Marcus argued that many different aspects of American culture could be clearly seen in Pullman's facial expressions in various films.

Filmography

• Surveillance (2008)
• Your Name Here (2007)
• You Kill Me (2007)
• Alien Autopsy (2006)
• Open Water 2 (2006) - That Guy in the Boat
• Scary Movie 4 (2006) - Henry Hale
• Revelations (2005) TV Series - Richard Massey
• Dear Wendy (2005) - Officer Krugsby
• The Grudge (2004) - Peter Kirk
• Tiger Cruise (2004) (TV) - Cmdr. Dolan
• Rick (2003) - Rick
• 29 Palms (2002) - The Ticket Clerk
• Igby Goes Down (2002) - Jason Slocumb
• Ignition (2001) - Conor Gallagher
• A Man Is Mostly Water (2001) - Parking Fascist
• Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live (2000) (TV) - Co-Host
• Lucky Numbers (2000) - Det. Pat Lakewood
• Titan A.E. (2000) (voice) - Capt. Joseph Korso
• The Guilty (2000) - Callum Crane
• The Virginian (2000) (TV) - The Virginian
• History Is Made at Night (1999) - Harry Howe/Ernie Halliday
• Brokedown Palace (1999) - 'Yankee' Hank Green
• Lake Placid (1999) - Jack Wells
• Zero Effect (1998) - Daryl Zero
• Merry Christmas, George Bailey (1997) (TV) - George Bailey
• The End of Violence (1997) - Mike Max
• Lost Highway (1997) - Fred Madison
• Mistrial (1996) (TV) - Steve Donohue
• Independence Day (1996) - President Thomas J. Whitmore
• Mr. Wrong (1996) - Whitman Crawford
• Casper (1995) - Dr. James Harvey
• While You Were Sleeping (1995) - Jack Callaghan
• The Last Seduction (1994) - Clay Gregory
• Wyatt Earp (1994) - Ed Masterson
• The Favor (1994) - Peter
• Mr. Jones (1993) (uncredited) - Construction Site Foreman
• Malice (1993) - Andy Safian
• Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - Walter
• Sommersby (1993) - Orin Meecham
• Nervous Ticks (1992) - York Daley
• Singles (1992) - Doctor Jamison
• Crazy in Love (1992) (TV) - Nick Symonds
• A League of Their Own (1992) - Bob Hinson
• Newsies (1992) - Bryan Denton
• Liebestraum (1991) - Paul Kessler
• Bright Angel (1991) - Bob
• Going Under (1990) - Capt. Biff Banner
• Sibling Rivalry (1990) - Nicholas Meany
• Brain Dead (1990) - Dr. Rex Martin
• Cold Feet (1989) - Buck Latham
• Home Fires Burning (1989) (TV) - Lieutenant Henry Tibbetts
• The Accidental Tourist (1988) - Julian
• Rocket Gibraltar (1988) - Crow Black
• The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) - Dennis Alan
• Spaceballs (1987) - Lone Starr
• Ruthless People (1986) - Earl Mott

References

External links

• Bill Pullman at the Internet Movie Database
• Bill Pullman's Fan Page
• Bill Pullman's Yahoo Group
• Bill Pullman Forum