Bill Bolender

Last updated
Bill Bolender
Born (1940-11-14) November 14, 1940 (age 84)
Chicago
Years active1986–present

Bill Bolender is an American character actor and artist, mainly known for small appearances in RoboCop 2 , JFK , Reality Bites , The Shawshank Redemption , Nixon and Dante's Peak .

Contents

His guest starring appearances include roles in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. ; Walker, Texas Ranger ; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (as an Albino alien in the episode "Blood Oath"); NYPD Blue ; Alias ; Deadwood ; and in the Desperate Housewives episode "No One Is Alone". He also had a recurring role as Captain Ross in JAG .

Career

Bolender played a small but important role in The Shawshank Redemption as Elmo Blatch, the violent convict who Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) discovers may actually be to blame for the murders of which he was convicted. [1]

Bolender has continued to work as an actor over the past few decades, appearing in the 2018 Nicolas Cage thriller Looking Glass , and in the recurring role of Dean in the Prime Video crime series Bosch (sharing credits with Shawshank co-star Mark Rolston). He appeared in a 2015 episode of the MTV series Faking It and was also a guest-star on an episode of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender as Sha-Mo. [1] [2]

Personal life

Bolender is also a visual artist, having trained at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the San Francisco School of Fine Arts. [3] Samples of his work can be seen on his website, and on his Instagram. [1]

Filmography

Motion picture credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 D.O.A. Nick Lang Sr.
1988 Paramedics Dying Man
1988 It Takes Two Judd Rogers
1988Il nido del ragnoChancellor Hubbard
1989Ninth LifeRay
1990 Black Snow Grimes
1990 RoboCop 2 Cabbie
1991 JFK Prisoner Powell
1992 Bonnie & Clyde: The True Story Farmer Jones
1994 Reality Bites Truck Driver
1994 Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II Pvt. Richards
1994 The Shawshank Redemption Elmo Blatch
1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Stevie's Dad
1995 Midnight Man Randy
1995 Wild Bill Bartender at Way Station
1995 Nixon Bethesda Doctor
1996 Infinity Isadore Rabi
1997 Dante's Peak Sheriff Turner
1998The CommissionerArthur Groom
1998OverdriveJim Bryant
1999 The Settlement Shamansky
2003Rose's (aka Confessions of a Florist)Mr. Matinez
2018 Looking Glass Ben

Television credits

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Dallas: The Early Years 4th PlayerTV movie, Uncredited
1987 Uncle Tom's Cabin TraderTV movie
1987 The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains RayfordTV movie
1988Pancho BarnesCol. RandTV movie
1989Dream DateBillie RayTV movie
1990ChallengerHorace LamberthTV movie
1991In Broad DaylightFrank SnowTV movie
1991Final VerdictJim DavinTV movie
1992 Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life Twister TaylorTV movie
1992Trial: The Price of PassionTV movie
1993 Jack Reed: Badge of Honor Stan HowellTV movie
1993Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey OswaldGeorge de MohrenschildtTV movie
1994Star Trek: Deep Space NineThe Albino1 episode
1995Suspect DeviceHankTV movie
1995–1998 JAG Captain 'Skipper' Ross5 episodes
1996Smoke JumpersCranshawTV movie
1996 Crime of the Century English-speaking PastorTV movie
1997 Quicksilver Highway ScooterTV movie
1997A Thousand Men and a BabyGen. Maxwell TaylorTV movie
1998Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac JackLennyTV movie
1999 Hefner: Unauthorized Glenn HefnerTV movie
2000 The West Wing Man #11 episode
2001 That's Life Customer1 episode
2002 First Monday Mr. Harley1 episode
2003–2004 Alias Oleg Madrczyk2 episodes
2004 Deadwood Artie Simpson1 episode
2005 CSI: Miami Ralph Windham1 episode
2005 Surface Old Man1 episode
2006 Desperate Housewives Property Manager1 episode
2006 Avatar: The Last Airbender Sha-Mo1 episode
2007–2008 ER Hank Riley2 episodes
2009 Cold Case Mike 'Monkey' Mack '091 episode
2010 Pair of Kings 1 episode
2011 Greek Televangelist1 episode
2015 Faking It 1 episode
2016–2017 Bosch Dean2 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stevenson, Rick (2023-01-28). "Where Is The Cast Of The Shawshank Redemption Today?". Looper. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  2. ↑ "Bill Bolender (visual voices guide) - Behind the Voice Actors". behindthevoiceactors.com. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  3. ↑ Heimberg, Martha (February 2, 2020). "TheaterJones | Q&A: Bill Bolender | Ochre House Theater". Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved 2024-02-18.


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