William Hootkins
Known for Acting · 113 credits
- Born
- 1948-07-05
- Died
- 2005-10-23
- Place of birth
- Dallas, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- Bill Hootkins · William Michael Hootkins
Biography
William Michael Hootkins was born on July 5, 1948, in Dallas, Texas. He moved to London, England in the early '70s and lived there up until 2002. Hootkins was an actor at Theatre Intime while attending Princeton University where he learned how to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and attended St. Marks, where he was in the same theater group as Tommy Lee Jones. The imposingly bulky and heavyset Hootkins first began acting in films and TV shows alike in the mid '70s. His more noteworthy parts include the first of the Rebel fighter pilots to get killed while attacking the Death Star in "Star Wars", scientist Topol's bumbling oaf assistant in "Flash Gordon", Major Eaton, sent by the US government in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", one of Rod Steiger's demented sons in "American Gothic", a corrupt police lieutenant in "Batman", a disgusting sleazy voyeur in "Hardware", a coarse South African police chief in "Dust Devil", the mysterious and duplicitous Mr. X in "Hear My Song", a haughty corporate executive in "Death Machine", Santa Claus in "Like Father, Like Santa", and an opera-singing vampire in "The Breed". Moreover, Hootkins had small parts in two "Pink Panther" pictures: he's a taxi driver in both "The Trail of the Pink Panther" and "Curse of the Pink Panther".
Among the TV shows he did guest spots on are "Yanks Go Home", "Agony", "Play for Today", "Tales of the Unexpected", "The Life and Times of David Lloyd George", "Brett Maverick", "Cagney and Lacey", "Taxi", "Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense", "Poirot", "Chancer", "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles", "The Tomorrow People", "The West Wing", and "Absolute Power". Hootkins received many accolades for his outstanding performance as Sir Alfred Hitchcock in Terry Johnson's hit play "Hitchcock Blonde". In addition to his substantial film and TV credits, Hootkins was also a popular and prolific voice artist who recorded dozens of plays for BBC Radio Drama; he supplied the voices for such iconic individuals as Orson Welles, J. Edgar Hoover, and Winston Churchill. William Hootkins died of pancreatic cancer on October 23, 2005. IMDb Mini Biography
Known For
TV Shows (28)
Agatha Christie's Poirot
1989
as FBI Agent Burt
NOVA
1974
as Voice of Methuselah
The West Wing
1999
as U.S. Translator
BBC Play of the Month
1965
as Little Bilham
Taxi
1978
as Liquor Authority Agent
Tales of the Unexpected
1979
as Peter Bligh / Harry Chester
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Bergerac
1981
as Eugene Field / Karl Goldman
Remington Steele
1982
as Chester Harcourt
Playhouse
1974
as Mr. Bowles
Blackadder
1983
as Monk
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
1994
as Loch Ness Monster (voice)
Justice League
2001
as Commander (voice)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
1992
as Diaghilev
Van der Valk
1972
as Frank Garvin
The New Statesman
1987
as Willoughby Guzzler
American Playhouse
1982
as Phil Cooper
Iron Man
1994
as Crimson Dynamo (voice)
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
1984
as Lou Delmart
Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime
1983
as Hamilton Betts
Laurence Olivier Presents
1976
as Postman
Lytton's Diary
1985
as Sam Wexler
Philip Marlowe, Private Eye
1983
as Frank Dorr
Extreme Machines
1997
as Narrator
Yanks Go Home
1976
The Lost Boys
1978
as Charles Frohman
Clouds of Glory
1978
as Reverend Dewey
American Gangster
2000
as Narrator
Movies (85)
Star Wars
1977
as Red Six (Porkins)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981
as Major Eaton
Batman
1989
as Eckhardt
A River Runs Through It
1992
as Murphy
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
1987
as Harry Howler
Flash Gordon
1980
as Munson
Valentino
1977
as Fatty
The NeverEnding Story III
1994
as Bark Troll / Falkor (voice)
Death Machine
1995
as John Carpenter
The Island of Dr. Moreau
1996
as Kiril
White Nights
1985
as Chuck Malarek
Hardware
1990
as Lincoln Wineberg Jr.
The Cement Garden
1993
as Commander Hunt (voice)
Sphinx
1981
as Don, Tour Guide
Water
1985
as Ben
Town & Country
2001
as Barney
Dear Wendy
2005
as Marshall Walker
Funny Bones
1995
as Al
American Gothic
1987
as Teddy
The Tempest
1982
as Caliban
Curse of the Pink Panther
1983
as Taxi Driver
The Miracle Maker
2000
as Lucifer (voice)
Black Carrion
1984
as Lou Delmart
The Princess and the Goblin
1991
as Curdie's Father (voice)
Trail of the Pink Panther
1982
as Taxi Driver
Hanover Street
1979
as Beef
This World, Then the Fireworks
1997
as Jake Krutz
Zina
1985
as Walter Adams
Haunted Honeymoon
1986
as Reporter
Dust Devil
1992
as Capt. Cornelius Beyman
Biggles
1986
as Chuck
The Lady Vanishes
1979
as Party Guest
Bad Timing
1980
as Col. Taylor
Twilight's Last Gleaming
1977
as Sgt. Fitzpatrick
The Magnificent Ambersons
2002
as Uncle George
The Pope Must Die
1991
as Cardinal Verucci
Hear My Song
1991
as Mr. X
Hussy
1980
as 1st. Punter
Blessed
2004
as Detective Lauderdale
The Omega Code
1999
as Sir Percival Lloyd
The Breed
2001
as Fusco
Colour Me Kubrick
2005
as Frank Rich
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades
2000
as Sergei Diaghilev
Age of Treason
1993
as Senator Garrus
Virgin Mary
1995
as judge Marulic
U.S. Marshals: Waco & Rhinehart
1987
as August T. Mirch
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
1987
as Myron Spellman
The Paradise Run
1976
as Party Guest
A State of Emergency
1986
as Earl Linton
The Life and Times of David Lloyd George
1981
as Winston Churchill
The Billion Dollar Bubble
1978
as Lloyd Edens
Dreamchild
1985
as 1st Radio Actor
Hamilton Mattress
2002
as Senor Balustrade (voice)
Come Back, Little Sheba
1977
as Postman
The Lost Boys
1978
as Charles Frohman
Something to Believe In
1998
as Car Dealer
Predators of the Wild: Lion
1992
as Narrator
Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest
1997
as The Man
Rabbit Pie Day
1980
as Kolossov
Mars: Pioneering the Planet
2003
Animated Epics: Moby Dick
2000
as Starbucks (voice)
The Milky Life
1993
as Julian Reilly
Predators of the Wild: Bats
1991
as Narrator
Before Water Lilies
1981
as Mel
Big Zapper
1973
as Kono's Henchman
Predators of the Wild: Cheetah and Leopard
1992
as Narrator
Charlie Muffin
1979
as U.S. Embassy Photographer
Like Father, Like Santa
1998
as Santa Claus
The Ambassadors
1977
as Little Bilham
Monkeys
1989
as James Hoffman
Predators of the Wild: Snake
1993
as Narrator
Survivor Science: The Dead Man Walking
1999
as Narrator (voice)
Predators of the Wild: Grizzly Bear
1992
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Shark
1992
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: African Survival
1994
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Tiger
1993
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Hunters and Hunted
1992
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Wolf
1993
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Giant Tarantula
1993
as Narrator
Gummed Labels
1992
Time Life Animal Oddities: The Meanest Animal Alive
1995
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Killer Whale
1992
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Crocodiles and Alligators
1994
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Polar Bear
1993
as Narrator
Predators of the Wild: Hawk
1993
as Narrator
About William Hootkins
William Michael Hootkins was born on July 5, 1948, in Dallas, Texas. He moved to London, England in the early '70s and lived there up until 2002. Hootkins was an actor at Theatre Intime while attending Princeton University where he learned how to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. He also trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and attended St. Marks, where he was in the same theater group as Tommy Lee Jones. The imposingly bulky and heavyset Hootkins first began acting in films and TV shows alike in the mid '70s. His… With 113 credits spanning from 1965 to 2005, William Hootkins has appeared in 85 films and 28 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Hootkins movies, William Hootkins filmography, or the latest projects starring William Hootkins can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Hootkins Movies
- Star Wars (1977) — as Red Six (Porkins)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) — as Major Eaton
- Batman (1989) — as Eckhardt
- A River Runs Through It (1992) — as Murphy
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) — as Harry Howler
Where to Watch William Hootkins Films
Most William Hootkins movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Hootkins, check our movies catalogue and browse page.