Bill Pullman

Born:December 17, 1953

Place of Birth:Hornell, New York, USA

Known For:Acting

Biography

William Pullman, known to many as Bill Pullman, is a versatile American actor who has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Born on December 17, 1953, Pullman's journey to stardom is as intriguing as the characters he portrays on screen. With a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater under his belt, Pullman initially ventured into academia as an adjunct professor at Montana State University. However, the allure of the silver screen beckoned, and he decided to pursue a career in acting, a decision that would shape his legacy in Hollywood.

Pullman burst onto the film scene with his debut in the comedy "Ruthless People" in 1986, showcasing his natural talent and charisma. His career continued to soar as he captivated audiences with memorable performances in iconic films such as "Spaceballs" (1987), "The Accidental Tourist" (1988), and "Independence Day" (1996), where he portrayed the heroic President Thomas J. Whitmore. Pullman's ability to seamlessly transition between genres, from romantic comedies like "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "While You Were Sleeping" (1995) to thrillers like "Lost Highway" (1997) and creature features like "Casper" (1995) and "Lake Placid" (1999), solidified his reputation as a versatile actor.

While Pullman's filmography is impressive, his contributions to television are equally noteworthy. Throughout the 2000s, he graced the small screen with his presence, taking on roles in TV films and miniseries. Notable among his television credits are his roles in "Torchwood" (2011), "1600 Penn" (2012–13), and "The Sinner" (2017–2021), where he showcased his range and depth as an actor. Pullman's magnetic presence and nuanced performances have endeared him to audiences across generations, making him a beloved figure in both film and television.

In 2021, Pullman continued to captivate viewers with his compelling portrayal in the miniseries "Halston," further solidifying his status as a seasoned actor with a knack for bringing complex characters to life. His ability to immerse himself in diverse roles and breathe authenticity into every character he embodies sets him apart as a true artist in the entertainment industry. Pullman's dedication to his craft and his unwavering commitment to storytelling have earned him a well-deserved place among Hollywood's elite.

Off-screen, Pullman is known for his humility, wit, and passion for the arts. His genuine demeanor and down-to-earth personality have endeared him to colleagues and fans alike, cementing his reputation as not just a talented actor, but also a respected and beloved figure in the entertainment world. As he continues to grace screens both big and small with his presence, Bill Pullman remains a beacon of talent and integrity, leaving an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape for years to come.

Images

Filmography

Acting

The Equalizer

Brian Plummer

2014

McCall believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri, a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can’t stand idly by – he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

Independence Day

President Thomas J. Whitmore

1996

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

The Equalizer 2

Brian Plummer

2018

Robert McCall, who serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, embarks on a relentless, globe-trotting quest for vengeance when his former partner is murdered.

Spaceballs

Lone Starr

1987

When the nefarious Dark Helmet hatches a plan to snatch Princess Vespa and steal her planet's air, space-bum-for-hire Lone Starr and his clueless sidekick fly to the rescue. Along the way, they meet Yogurt, who puts Lone Starr wise to the power of "The Schwartz." Can he master it in time to save the day?

Scary Movie 4

Henry Hale

2006

Cindy finds out the house she lives in is haunted by a little boy and goes on a quest to find out who killed him and why. Also, Alien "Tr-iPods" are invading the world and she has to uncover the secret in order to stop them.

Dark Waters

Harry Dietzler

2019

A tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.

Casper

Dr. James Harvey

1995

Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.

Independence Day: Resurgence

President Whitmore

2016

We always knew they were coming back. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.

Lost Highway

Fred Madison

1997

A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

The Grudge

Peter Kirk

2004

An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.

While You Were Sleeping

Jack Callaghan

1995

A transit worker pulls commuter Peter off railway tracks after he's mugged, but—while he's in a coma—his family mistakenly thinks she's Peter's fiancée, and she doesn't correct them. Things get more complicated when she falls for his brother, who's not quite sure that she's who she claims to be.

Sleepless in Seattle

Walter

1993

After the death of his mother, a young boy calls a radio station in an attempt to set his father up on a date. Talking about his father’s loneliness soon leads to a meeting with a young female journalist, who has flown to Seattle to write a story about the boy and his father.

American Ultra

Krueger

2015

Mike is an unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe, is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive.

A League of Their Own

Bob Hinson

1992

As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey. Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan on their way to fame.

Wyatt Earp

Ed Masterson

1994

From Wichita to Dodge City, to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp is taught that nothing matters more than family and the law. Joined by his brothers and Doc Holliday, Earp wages war on the dreaded Clanton and McLaury gangs.

Lake Placid

Jack Wells

1999

When a man is eaten alive by an unknown creature, the local Game Warden teams up with a paleontologist from New York to find the beast. Add to the mix an eccentric philanthropist with a penchant for "Crocs", and here we go! This quiet, remote lake is suddenly the focus of an intense search for a crocodile with a taste for live animals...and people!

Too Big to Fail

Jamie Dimon

2011

An intimate look at the epochal financial crisis of 2008 and the powerful men and women who decided the fate of the world's economy in a matter of a few weeks.

Malice

Andy Sarafian

1993

A tale about a happily married couple who would like to have children. Tracy teaches infants, Andy's a college professor. Things are never the same after she is taken to hospital and operated upon by Jed, a "know all" doctor.

Bottle Shock

Jim Barrett

2008

Paris-based wine expert Steven Spurrier heads to California in search of cheap wine that he can use for a blind taste test in the French capital. Stumbling upon the Napa Valley, the stuck-up Englishman is shocked to discover a winery turning out top-notch chardonnay. Determined to make a name for himself, he sets about getting the booze back to Paris.

Sommersby

Orin Meecham

1993

Set in the South just after the US Civil War, Laurel Sommersby is just managing to work the farm without her husband, believed killed in battle. By all accounts, Jack Sommersby was not a pleasant man, thus when he suddenly returns, Laurel has mixed emotions. It appears that Jack has changed a great deal, leading some people to believe that this is not actually Jack but an imposter. Laurel herself is unsure, but willing to take the man into her home, and perhaps later into her heart.

Battle of the Sexes

Jack Kramer

2017

The true story of the 1973 tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

Singles

Dr. Jeffrey Jamison

1992

A group of young adults in their twenties, who share an apartment in the city of Seattle, ponder on love and face all the challenges of adulthood.

The Serpent and the Rainbow

Dennis Alan

1988

A Harvard anthropologist is sent to Haiti to retrieve a strange powder that is said to have the power to bring human beings back from the dead. In his quest to find the miracle drug, the cynical scientist enters the rarely seen netherworld of walking zombies, blood rites and ancient curses. Based on the true life experiences of Wade Davis and filmed on location in Haiti, it's a frightening excursion into black magic and the supernatural.

Lynch/Oz

Fred Madison (archive footage) (uncredited)

2023

Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work.

The Last Seduction

Clay Gregory

1994

A devious femme fatale steals her husband’s drug money and hides out in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme.

The Killer Inside Me

Billy Boy Walker

2010

Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford is a pillar of the community in his small west Texas town, patient and apparently thoughtful. Some people think he is a little slow and maybe boring, but that is the worst they say about him. But then nobody knows about what Lou calls his "sickness": He is a brilliant, but disturbed sociopathic sadist.

The High Note

Max

2020

Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis, a superstar whose talent, and ego, have reached unbelievable heights. Maggie is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who’s stuck running errands, but still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.

The Accidental Tourist

Julian Hedge

1988

After the death of his son, travel writer Macon Leary seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife is having similar problems. They separate, and Macon meets a strange, outgoing woman who brings him 'back down to earth', but his wife soon thinks their marriage is still worth another try.

Ruthless People

Earl James Mott

1986

Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.

Igby Goes Down

Jason

2002

Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and sarcastic 17-year-old boy, is at war with the stifling world of old money privilege he was born into. With a schizophrenic father, a self-absorbed, distant mother, and a shark-like young Republican big brother, Igby figures there must be a better life out there -- and sets about finding it.

LBJ

Ralph Yarborough

2017

The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House.

Brain Dead

Dr. Rex Martin

1990

In a battle of man versus machine, Martin, a top neurosurgeon who's studying brain malfunctions that cause mental illness, delves deep into his own mind to save himself from a megalomaniacal corporation.