William Denison McKinney(September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an Americancharacter actor.He played thesadisticmountain maninJohn Boorman's 1972 filmDeliveranceand appeared in sevenClint Eastwoodfilms, most notably as Captain Terrill, the commander pursuing the last rebels to "hold out" against surrendering to the Union forces inThe Outlaw Josey Wales.
Bill McKinney | |
|---|---|
 McKinney inEvery Which Way but Loose | |
| Born | William Denison McKinney September 12, 1931 |
| Died | December 1, 2011(aged 80) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–2011 |
| Spouse(s) | Norma Shannon, Janelle Booth, Donna Lamana, Felicity McKinney |
| Children | 2[1] |
Early life
editWilliam Denison McKinney was born September 12, 1931, inChattanooga, Tennessee.He had an unsettled life as a child, moving 12 times. At the age of 19, he joined theNavyduring theKorean War.He served two years on a mine sweeper in Korean waters, and was stationed atPort HuenemeinVentura County, California.After being discharged in 1954, he settled inCalifornia,attending acting school at thePasadena Playhousein 1957. His classmates includedDustin HoffmanandMako Iwamatsu.During this time, McKinney became anarboristto earn money, a job which he would hold until the mid-1970s.[2]
Career
editAfter the Pasadena Playhouse, McKinney moved on toLee Strasberg'sActors Studio,making his movie debut in exploitation picShe Freak(1967). For 10 years he was a teacher at Cave Spring Middle School. He made his television debut in 1968 on an episode ofThe Monkeesand attracted attention as Lobo inAlias Smith and Jones.The filmDeliverance(1972) proved to be his breakthrough, playing the backwoods mountain man who violently rapesNed Beatty's character.[1]
McKinney's other films in the early 1970s included appearances inJunior Bonner(1972),[3]The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean(1972) andThe Parallax View(1974).[4]
It was withClint Eastwoodthat McKinney would become most associated, becoming part of Eastwood's stock company after they worked together inMichael Cimino'sThunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974).[3][5]
He appeared inThe Outlaw Josey Wales(1976) under Eastwood's direction.[3]He appeared in six more Eastwood films, includingThe Gauntlet(1977),Every Which Way but Loose(1978),Any Which Way You Can(1980) andPink Cadillac(1989).[4]
Other memorable roles include Jay Cobb, who is done in byJohn Waynein Wayne's final filmThe Shootist(1976). He also appeared in such later films asFirst Blood(1982),Back to the Future Part III(1990) andThe Green Mile(1999). He appeared in the television filmThe Execution of Private Slovik(1974) and guest-starred on such television shows asSara,The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,Starsky & Hutch,The A-Team,Hunter,Murder, She Wrote,Columbo: Swan SongandIn The Heat of The Night.[4]
McKinney took up singing in the late 1990s, eventually releasing an album of standards andcountry and westernsongs appropriately titledLove Songs from Antri,reflecting Don Job's pronunciation of the infamous town featured inDeliverance.One of his songs featured in the filmUndertow,directed by David Gordon Green.[5]He voicedJonah Hexin an episode ofBatman: The Animated Seriescalled "Showdown". He appeared in a cameo in2001 Maniacs(2005) and had a role in the Robin Hood–inspired horror filmSherwood Horror(2010).[6][7]
Death
editOn December 1, 2011, McKinney died fromesophageal cancerat his home inSan Fernando, California.He was 80. McKinney's death was announced on his Facebook page on the same day. The announcement read:[8][9][10]
Today our dear Bill McKinney passed away at Valley Presbyterian Hospice. An avid smoker for 25 years of his younger life, he died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 80 and still strong enough to have filmed a Dorito's commercial 2 weeks prior to his passing, and he continued to work on his biography with his writing partner. Hopefully 2012 will bring a publisher for the wild ride his life was. He is survived by son Clinton, along with several ex-wives. R.I.P. Bill sept.12 1931 – dec. 1 2011 [sic].
Selected filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | She Freak | Steve St. John | |
| 1968 | Firecreek | Bearded Gunfighter | Uncredited |
| 1968 | The Road Hustlers | Hays | |
| 1970 | Angel Unchained | Shotgun | |
| 1972 | Deliverance | Mountain Man | |
| 1972 | Junior Bonner | Red Terwiliger | |
| 1972 | Kansas City Bomber | Buddy Taylor | Uncredited |
| 1972 | The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean | Fermel Parlee | |
| 1973 | Cleopatra Jones | Purdy | |
| 1973 | The Outfit | Buck Cherney | |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Crazy Driver | |
| 1974 | The Parallax View | Parallax Assassin | |
| 1974 | For Pete's Sake | Rocky | Uncredited |
| 1975 | Breakheart Pass | Reverend Peabody | |
| 1976 | The Outlaw Josey Wales | Captain Terrill | |
| 1976 | Cannonball | Cade Redman | |
| 1976 | The Shootist | Cobb | |
| 1977 | Valentino | Policeman | |
| 1977 | The Gauntlet | Constable | |
| 1978 | Every Which Way but Loose | Dallas | |
| 1979 | When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? | Tommy Clark | |
| 1980 | Carny | Marvin Dill | |
| 1980 | Bronco Billy | Lefty LeBow | |
| 1980 | Any Which Way You Can | Dallas | |
| 1981 | St. Helens | Kilpatrick | |
| 1982 | Tex | Pop McCormick | |
| 1982 | First Blood | Dave Kern | |
| 1983 | Heart Like a Wheel | Don Garlits | |
| 1984 | Against All Odds | Head Coach | |
| 1985 | Final Justice | Chief Wilson | |
| 1987 | Under the Gun | Miller | |
| 1988 | War Party | Mayor | |
| 1989 | Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects | Father Burke | |
| 1989 | Pink Cadillac | Coltersville Bartender | |
| 1990 | Back to the Future Part III | Engineer | |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Matt | |
| 1998 | Where's Marlowe? | Uncle Bill | |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | Jack Van Hay | |
| 2001 | True Legends of the West | Mayor | |
| 2003 | Asylum of the Damned | Gas Station Attendant | |
| 2003 | The Commission | Roy Truly | |
| 2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Acme Vice President | |
| 2004 | Undertow | Grandfather | |
| 2005 | 2001 Maniacs | Chef | |
| 2006 | The Garage | Bernie | |
| 2006 | The Devil Wears Spurs | Barkeeper | |
| 2007 | Take | Benjamin Gregor | |
| 2007 | Lucky You | Satellite Cashier | |
| 2007 | Ghost Town | Victor Burnett | |
| 2008 | Pride and Glory | Cop | |
| 2009 | Fuel | Jake | |
| 2010 | How Do You Know | Maitre d' | |
| 2011 | The Custom Mary | Silent Boss |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Alias Smith and Jones | Lobo Riggs | Episode: "The Biggest Game in the West" |
| 1993 | Love, Cheat & Steal | Kolchak | Television film |
| 1995 | Batman: The Animated Series | Jonah Hex(voice) | Episode: "Showdown"[11] |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Sheriff Bridges | Episode: "Point After" |
References
edit- ^abSlotnik, Daniel E. (December 5, 2011)."Bill Kinney, Actor in 'Deliverance,' Dies at 80".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 4,2015.
- ^Rosebrook, Jeb; Rosebrook, Stuart (2019)."Act One".Junior Bonner: The Making of a Classic with Steve McQueen and Sam Peckinpah in the Summer of 1971.Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media.ISBN978-1-62933-289-5.
- ^abc"Bill McKinney Filmography".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.2015. Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2015.RetrievedMarch 6,2015.
- ^abcCammila Collar (2015)."Bill McKinney".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2015.RetrievedMarch 6,2015.
- ^abWiegand, Chris (December 8, 2011)."Bill McKinney obituary".The Guardian.RetrievedMay 31,2014.
- ^"Sherwood Horror Adds a Legendary Character Actor".Dread Central.February 2, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon December 2, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 3,2010.
- ^"Sherwood Horror Finds Deliverance Baddie".Shock Till You Drop.February 2, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon August 14, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 3,2010.
- ^O'Connell, Michael (December 2, 2011)."Bill McKinney, 'Deliverance' Mountain Man, Dies at 80".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedDecember 2,2011.
- ^Grossberg, Josh (December 2, 2011)."Bill McKinney, Deliverance's Mountain Man and Eastwood Sidekick, Dead at 80".E! News UK.RetrievedDecember 2,2011.
- ^"Bill McKinney".Facebook.December 1, 2011.RetrievedDecember 1,2011.
- ^"Bill McKinney (visual voices guide)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedSeptember 12,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.