William Forsythe (actor)

Last updated

William Forsythe
Forsythe.jpg
Forsythe in 2007
Born (1955-06-07) June 7, 1955 (age 69)
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present
Spouse
Teresa Stevens
(m. 2024)
Children3

William Forsythe (born June 7, 1955) [1] is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of tough-guy, criminal characters, and has starred in films such as American Me (1992), Raising Arizona (1987), Dick Tracy (1990), Gotti (1996), The Rock (1996), and The Devil's Rejects (2005). He has also played recurring characters in television series such as Boardwalk Empire (2010) and Justified (2010).

Contents

Forsythe was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the indie film The Waterdance .

Early life

William Forsythe was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and grew up in its Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood. [2] [3] He is of partial Italian descent. [4]

Career

Forsythe started out in minor film roles and guest appearances in high-rated TV shows including CHiPs (1977), Hill Street Blues (1981) and T. J. Hooker (1982). He appeared in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), co-starred with John Goodman in Raising Arizona (1987) and as a renegade soldier in Extreme Prejudice .

Forsythe also portrayed comic book villain "Flattop" in Dick Tracy (1990), co-starred with Steven Seagal in Out for Justice (1991) and appeared with former National Football League player Brian Bosworth in the biker action film Stone Cold (1991). He portrayed Al Capone in the short-lived '90s revival of the classic '60s TV crime show The Untouchables (1993), and also starred in The Waterdance (1992) and the film noir Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). Forsythe portrayed real-life mobster "Sammy The Bull" Gravano in Gotti (1996) and supported another ex-NFL player's foray into film acting when L.A. Raider Howie Long debuted in Firestorm (1998).

Forsythe portrayed serial killer John Wayne Gacy in Dear Mr. Gacy , a film adaptation of The Last Victim , the memoirs of Jason Moss, a college student who corresponded with Gacy during his last year on death row. The film was released in 2010. [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 Coach Audience Member
Long ShotBilly
1981 King of the Mountain Big Tom
Smokey Bites the Dust Kenny
The Miracle of Kathy Miller MarkTV movie
1983 The Man Who Wasn't There Pug Face Crusher
1984 Once Upon a Time in America Phil 'Cockeye' Stein
Cloak & Dagger Morris
1985Command 5HawkTV movie
The Lightship Gene
Savage DawnPigiron
1987 Raising Arizona Evelle
Extreme Prejudice Sergeant Buck Atwater
Weeds Burt The Booster
1988 Baja Oklahoma Tommy Earl BrownerTV movie
Patty Hearst Teko
1989 Dead Bang Arthur Kressler
Torrents of Spring Prince Ippolito Polozov
SonsMikey
1990 Dick Tracy Flattop
1991 Career Opportunities Custodian
Out for Justice Richie Madano
Stone Cold 'Ice' Hensley
1992 The Waterdance Bloss
American Me J.D.
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag Billy Beaudeen
Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story Terry HarperTV movie
1993 Relentless 3 Walter HildermanVideo
A Kiss to Die ForDetective Mike StollerTV movie
1994 Direct Hit HatchVideo
1995 Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead Franchise
Beyond Desire Ray Patterson
Virtuosity William Cochran
Palookaville Sid Dunleavy
The Immortals Tim James
Thriller ZoneMarcus DeerfieldVideo
1996 The Substitute Holland
For Which He StandsJohnny Rochetti
Stories from the EdgeTV movie
The Rock FBI Agent Ernest Paxton
Gotti Sammy Gravano TV movie
Rule of ThreeMitch
1997 First Time Felon SorleyTV movie
Big City Blues Hudson
1998 Firestorm Randall Alexander Shaye
The PassCharles Duprey
Ambushed Mike Organski
SoundmanFrank Rosenfeld
Hell's Kitchen Lou
Dollar for the Dead DooleyTV movie
1999 Row Your Boat Gil Meadows
The Last MarshalDeClerc
Four Days Milt
Blue Streak Detective Hardcastle
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo Detective Chuck Fowler
18 Shades of DustTommy Cucci
Paradise LostMike Stark
2000Luck of the DrawMax Fenton
CivilityAndrew LeBretian
G-Men from Hell Dean Crept
2001CamouflageAlton Owens
Blue Hill Avenue Detective Torrance
SharkmanTom Reed
OutlawTed Castle
2002 Coastlines Fred Vance
Hard Cash Bo Young
City by the Sea Spyder
2003 The Technical Writer Joe
The Librarians Simon
2004The Last LetterMr. Griffith
2005 Larva Jacob LongTV movie
The L.A. Riot Spectacular George Holliday
Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy Tom ReedTV movie
The Devil's Rejects Sheriff John Quincy Wydell
2006 Freedomland Detective Boyle
Jam Ted
Prone to ViolenceNarrationTV movie
2007 88 Minutes FBI Agent Frank Parks
Southern Gothic Pitt
Hack! Willy
Halloween Ronnie White
Final Approach Silas JansenTV movie
2008 Stiletto Alex
iMurders Professor Uberoth [6]
2009 The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone Massimo
Happy in the ValleyStewart
2010 Dear Mr. Gacy John Gacy
The RigJim Fleming
To Hell with YouSmithShort
2011L.A., I Hate YouUncle Rip
Born to Ride Jack Steele
Slip & FallJerry
Inkubus Ret. Detective Gil Diamante
Loosies Captain Tom Edwards
JesseVince the Godfather
2012 Infected Dr. Ed Dennehey
2013 Road to Juarez Doug Hermann
The Ghost Club: Spirits Never DieStanley
2014Tom Holland's Twisted TalesMr. Smith
Hidden in the Woods Uncle Costello
2015Echoes of WarRandolph McCluskey
Laugh Killer LaughFrank Stone
The NetworkerCharles Mangano
2016 The Midnight Man Fairbanks
The Bronx Bull Jake LaMotta
The HollowJohn 'Big John' Dawson
The Unlikely'sJet Black
2017Check PointThe Sheriff
2019 Cold Pursuit Brock 'Wingman' Coxman
Vault Buddy Providence
Awake Roger Bower
Run with the Hunted Augustus
2020 Roe v. Wade Potter Stewart
I Am Fear Marco
A Perfect PlanGrayson
2021 Ida Red Lawrence Twilley
God's Not Dead: We the People Robert Benson
2023OpenCaptain Edgar J. Steadman
2024 9 Windows Detective Tim Boyle

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 CHiPs ThrasherEpisode: "Battle of the Bands"
Tales of the Gold Monkey KurtEpisode: "Tales of the Gold Monkey: Part 1 & 2"
1983 Hill Street Blues Richard BradyEpisode: "Moon Over Uranus: Part 1 & 2"
T.J. Hooker Wounded AssailantEpisode: "A Child Is Missing"
Fame SnakeEpisode: "Break Dance"
1985 The Long Hot Summer IsaacEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
1990 Blind Faith Ferlin L'HeureuxEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
1992 Cruel Doubt Police Chief John CroneEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
1993–94 The Untouchables Al Capone Main Cast
1998 Cybill BruceEpisode: "Dream Date"
1999 Dead Man's Gun Harlan RiddleEpisode: "A Just Reward"
2001 Mysterious Ways Luther SkoalsEpisode: "Condemned"
2001–02 UC: Undercover Sonny WalkerMain Cast
2002–03 John Doe DiggerMain Cast
2005 Wild Card Stuart DresdenEpisode: "Zoe's Phony Matrimony"
2007 Masters of Horror BusterEpisode: "We All Scream for Ice Cream"
Las Vegas Uncle LukeRecurring Cast: Season 5
2007–09 Entourage Eddie KapowskiGuest Cast: Season 4 & 6
2010 CSI: Miami Captain Chris SutterEpisode: "L.A."
2011–12 Boardwalk Empire Munya "Manny" Horvitz Recurring Cast: Season 2-3
The Mentalist Steve RigsbyGuest Cast: Season 3 & 5
2012–13 Mob Doctor Constantine AlexanderMain Cast
2013 Twisted Tales Mr. SmithEpisode: "To Hell with You"
2014 Justified MichaelEpisode: "Whistle Past the Graveyard"
2015–17 Hawaii Five-0 Private Investigator Harry BrownGuest Cast: Season 5 & 7
2016 Marvel's Daredevil DuttonEpisode: "Seven Minutes in Heaven"
The Making of the Mob: Chicago HimselfRecurring Guest
2017 Chicago Justice David ZachariahEpisode: "Double Helix"
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Oleg AntakovEpisode: "The Ripper of Riga"
2018 The Man in the High Castle J. Edgar Hoover Recurring Cast: Season 3-4
2019 Magnum P.I. Private Investigator Harry BrownCrossover Cast: Season 2 [7]
2020PrimitiveCaro KannEpisode: "Blind Sighted"
2021GravesendSantini TraffatoRecurring Cast: Season 2

References

  1. "Birthdays". The Modesto Bee . Associated Press. June 7, 2021. p. 2A. Actor William Forsythe is 66.
  2. "William Forsythe". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  3. Dew, John. "Multiple Personality", Los Angeles Times , March 25, 1989. Accessed April 5, 2022. "Forsythe, who grew up in the tough Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, landed his first professional job after high school in the chorus of The Merry Widow at the Harvard Club in New York."
  4. "William Forsythe on punk rock, al Capone, and the worst script ever written". The A.V. Club . August 20, 2013.
  5. "Dear Mr. Gacy Teaser, Clip, and Q&A with William Forsythe". June 26, 2012.
  6. "iMURDERS (DVD Review)". Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
  7. Webb Mitovich, Matt (September 10, 2019). "Hawaii Five-0/Magnum P.I. Crossover Status: 'We've Narrowed Down a Story". TVLine . Retrieved September 10, 2019.