Bill Bailey (born September 2, 1938) is an American actor and author, primarily providing supporting roles in film and television throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He appeared in Superman (1978), Superman II (1980), and Haunted Honeymoon (1986), as well as a number of British television programs including Yes, Prime Minister (1987), Jeeves and Wooster (1992), and Agatha Christie's Poirot (1993).[1] He has also narrated an abridged version of Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick.
Bill Bailey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 2, 1938 North Carolina, US |
| Occupation(s) | Author, actor |
| Website | redbillbailey |
A number of Internet databases have misattributed his work to the British comedian Bill Bailey.[citation needed]
Life and career
edit
Clutching a shot of whisky and one of his beloved pipes.
Bailey was born in a small rural town in North Carolina and attended Sanford Central High School.[2] He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1960 with a degree in philosophy, spent some time in the US Army, and then as prison guard in Canada. He married a Texan heiress, and moved to Houston, Texas where he managed a ranch and took part in motorbike scrambling and sports car rallying. He worked as a bouncer, and later organized the first white collar union in the US meat-packing industry.[2] Soon after taking up acting he moved to London in 1968 and within a year of his arrival he became the first full-frontal male nude on the British stage at the Almost Free Theatre, London.[3][4] He has acted in film, television and on London's West End stage.[2]
He is the author of seven published books, most notably Taping Whores (2004).
Bibliography
edit- Split Infinities, 2000, ISBN 1587210924
- Rolling Thunder, 2001, ISBN 0759644403
- Comedians of Violence, 2003, ISBN 1410734412
- Taping Whores, 2004, ISBN 1418418153.
- Times Two, 2004, ISBN 1414021496
- Is Alice?, 2009, ISBN 1847478980
- The Ghost Society, 2009, ISBN 9781849910842 [1]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Doomwatch | Reporter | TV series (1 episode: "Flight Into Yesterday") |
| 1971 | Brett | Barman | TV series (1 episode: "The Hollow Men") |
| 1973 | The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Drunk | TV series (1 episode: "Five Hundred Carats") |
| 1974 | The Groove Tube | Suc Muc Dik | |
| 1976 | The New Avengers | Cary | TV series (1 episode: "Three Handed Game") |
| 1978 | Superman | 2nd Senator | (Missile Control) |
| 1980 | Superman II | J.J. | |
| 1981 | Outland | Hill | |
| 1982 | Emery Presents: Legacy of Murder | Cameraman | TV series (1 episode: "Bang, Bang You're Dead") |
| 1983 | Philip Marlowe, Private Eye | Hugo Candless | TV series (1 episode: "Nevada Gas") |
| 1984 | Master of the Game | Tim O'Neill | TV mini-series |
| 1984 | Tales of the Unexpected | Bob | TV series (1 episode: "Have a Nice Death") |
| 1985 | The Last Place on Earth | Prison Warder | TV mini-series (1 episode: "Rejoice") |
| 1985 | Water | Hollister | |
| 1985 | Lace II | Chief of Police | TV film |
| 1986 | If Tomorrow Comes | Priest | TV mini-series |
| 1986 | The American Way | General Motors | aka Riders of the Storm |
| 1986 | Haunted Honeymoon | The Host | |
| 1986 | Sky Bandits | Sheriff | |
| 1987 | Ishtar | General Westlake | |
| 1987 | Heat and Sunlight | Barney | |
| 1987 | Howards' Way | Karl Hanson | TV series |
| 1987 | Yes, Prime Minister | US Vice-president | TV series (1 episode: "A Diplomatic Incident") |
| 1989 | The Nightmare Years | Knick Knickerbocker | TV mini-series documentary |
| 1989 | Around the World in 80 Days | Captain Phillips | TV mini-series (3 episodes) |
| 1989 | Tygo Road | Spinnij | TV mini-series (5 episodes) |
| 1989 | Coded Hostile | Military | TV film |
| 1989 | Murder Story | Billy van Wyck / Keelman | |
| 1989 | Frederick Forsyth Presents | Frank Terpil | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1991 | Drop the Dead Donkey | Earl | TV series (1 episode: "The Evangelist") |
| 1992 | Notorious | Judge | TV film |
| 1992 | Jeeves and Wooster | Alexander Worple | TV series (1 episode: "Cyril and the Broadway Musical") |
| 1992 | Immaculate Conception | American Consul | |
| 1993 | Agatha Christie: Poirot | Felix Bleibner | TV series (1 episode: "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb") |
| 1993 | Death Train | G.N.N. Newscaster | TV film |
| 1993 | Dominion: Tank Police | Skeleton (voice) | Video |
| 1994 | The Day Today | Judge | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1995 | Balto | Butcher | Voice |
| 1997 | Brass Eye | Fr. Pierre Runek and an Eyewitness | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1997 | April Fool's Day | Sand delivery man | TV film |
| 1999 | Eureka Street | John Evans | TV mini-series (1 episode) |
| 2001 | Just Visiting | Thibault's Father | |
| 2002 | Micawber | Willis Gates II | TV series (1 episode: "Micawber Meets the Americans"), (final appearance) |
Theatre appearances
edit| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Player Piano | Kroner | Almost Free | |
| 1971 | Threepenny Opera | Walt | Prince of Wales Theatre/Piccadilly Theatre | With Vanessa Redgrave and Barbara Windsor |
| 1972 | Bakke's Night of Fame | Cell Guard | Shaw Theatre | |
| 1973/74 | The Front Page | Schwartz | National Theatre | |
| 1974 | Wind in the branches of the Sassafras | Watermill | ||
| 1974 | Guys and Dolls | Big Jule | Birmingham Rep | |
| 1974 | Grand Manoeuvres | Général Picon | National Theatre | |
| 1974 | The Freeway | National Theatre | ||
| 1974/75 | Robin Hood | Little John | Birmingham Rep | |
| 1975 | Al Capone | Capone | Watermill | |
| 1975 | Sea Change | Traverse Theatre | ||
| 1980 | Happy Birthday Wanda | Ryan | Bush Theatre | |
| 1980 | Geography of a Horse Dreamer | Father | Royal Court Theatre | with Bob Hoskins |
| 1982 | Daughter's of Men | Hampstead Theatre | With Frances de la Tour | |
| 1981 | Private Dick | Shamey | Newcastle Playhouse | |
| 1986 | Insignificance | Senator | Theatre Royal, Plymouth | |
| 1990 | Bus Stop | Will Masters | Watford Palace Theatre/Lyric Theatre, London | With Jerry Hall |
| 1987 | After the Fall | Chairman | National Theatre | |
| 1993 | The Rose Tattoo | Salesman | Peter Hall Company /Playhouse Theatre | |
| 1994 | Conversations with My Father | Scarborough Theatre/The Old Vic | ||
| 1998 | The Madras House | Edinburgh Lyceum & Lyric Theatre, London | ||
| 1999 | Small Craft Warnings | The Pleasance, Edinburgh |
References
edit- ^ Bill Bailey at IMDb
- ^ Life magazine, 23.12.68
- ^ Newsweek 8.9.68