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Alex Winter
Alex winter 2013.jpg
Winter in 2013
Born
Occupation
  • Actor
  • filmmaker
Years active 1978–present
Spouse(s)
  • Sonya Dawson
    (m. 1995; div. ?)
  • Ramsey Ann Naito
    (m. 2010)
Children 3

Alexander Ross Winter is an English-American actor and filmmaker. He is famous for playing Bill S. Preston, Esq., in the 1989 movie Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He also starred in its sequels, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). Alex Winter is also known for his role as Marko in the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys. He also helped write, direct, and star in the 1993 movie Freaked. In recent years, he has directed many documentaries.

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Early life and education

Alex Winter was born in London, England. His mother, Gregg Mayer, was a dancer from New York. She started a modern dance company in London. His father, Ross Albert Winter, was from Australia and also danced. His parents later started the Mid American Dance Company in St. Louis.

When Alex was five, his family moved to Missouri. His mother taught dance at Washington University in St. Louis. His parents divorced in 1973.

In 1978, Winter moved to Montclair, New Jersey. He started acting in plays both on and off Broadway in New York City. He enjoyed his time in New Jersey.

After finishing Montclair High School in 1983, Winter went to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. There, he met another filmmaker, Tom Stern. They worked together on several short films.

Career highlights

Acting and directing journey

Alex Winter spent many years acting on Broadway. He had roles in popular shows like The King and I and Peter Pan.

He left NYU film school early and moved to Hollywood. There, he began writing and directing short films and music videos. He also continued acting in movies like The Lost Boys and Rosalie Goes Shopping.

In 1989, Winter became widely known for his role as Bill S. Preston, Esq. He starred alongside Keanu Reeves in the hit comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. He played this role again in the 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

After the success of Bill & Ted, Winter and his friends Tom Stern and Tim Burns created a comedy show for MTV. This show, The Idiot Box, aired in 1991 but only had six episodes. Winter then directed and starred in the 1993 science-fiction comedy Freaked. Even though it received good reviews, the film was not widely released. It has since become a favorite among some fans.

Alex Winter
Winter at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival

Winter returned to directing in 1999 with the movie Fever. This film was shown at many film festivals around the world. Critics praised it for its suspenseful atmosphere.

Later, Winter directed live-action movies based on the popular Cartoon Network series Ben 10. These included Ben 10: Race Against Time (2007) and Ben 10: Alien Swarm (2009). Both movies were very popular and had high ratings.

In 2012, Winter directed the documentary Downloaded. This film was about internet file sharing and the music service Napster. His 2015 documentary, Deep Web, explored topics like bitcoin and the dark web. Both documentaries received good reviews.

In 2013, he acted in the thriller Grand Piano, which starred Elijah Wood.

Winter continued to direct documentaries. In 2018, he released The Panama Papers, about a major financial scandal. He also directed Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain, which explores blockchain technology. In 2020, he released Zappa, a documentary about the musician Frank Zappa. This project was one of the most funded documentaries through Kickstarter.

In 2020, Winter returned as Bill Preston in Bill & Ted Face the Music. This movie was in development for many years. The story is about Bill and Ted needing to write a song to save the world. There have been hints about a possible fourth "Bill & Ted" movie.

Winter's latest documentary, The YouTube Effect, came out in 2023. It explores the impact of YouTube. In 2024, he produced and acted in the horror-comedy Destroy All Neighbors.

Looking ahead, Winter is producing, directing, and acting in a film called Adulthood, set for release in 2025. He is also expected to return to Broadway in 2025, co-starring with Keanu Reeves in the play Waiting For Godot.

Interest in technology

Alex Winter became very interested in the internet and technology. He liked how many people could discuss different topics online. This interest led him to make documentaries like Downloaded and Deep Web. These films explore how the internet has changed things like file sharing and online privacy.

Personal life

Alex Winter was married to Sonya Dawson, and they have a son born in 1998. They later divorced. In 2010, he married Ramsey Ann Naito, and they have two children together.

Winter holds citizenship in both Britain and America.

Filmography

Film roles

Directing
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1985 Squeal of Death Yes Yes Yes Short film
1993 Freaked Yes Yes Yes Co-director and co-writer
1999 Fever Yes Yes No
2007 Ben 10: Race Against Time Yes No Yes
2009 Ben 10: Alien Swarm Yes No No
2012 Downloaded Yes Yes Yes Documentary film about Napster
2015 Deep Web: The Untold Story of Bitcoin and the Silk Road Yes Yes Yes Documentary film
2018 The Panama Papers Yes Yes Yes Documentary film
2020 Zappa Yes Yes Yes Documentary film about Frank Zappa
2023 The YouTube Effect Yes Yes Yes Documentary film
TBA Adulthood Yes No Yes Upcoming film
Acting
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Death Wish 3 Hermosa
1987 The Lost Boys Marko
1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Bill S. Preston, Esq.
1991 Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Bill S. Preston, Esq. / Evil Robot Bill
1993 Freaked Ricky Coogin
2013 Grand Piano Assistant
2015 Smosh: The Movie Uncle Keith
2020 Bill & Ted Face the Music Bill S. Preston, Esq.
2022 Blue's Big City Adventure Cab Driver
2024 Destroy All Neighbors Vlad / Public Defender
2025 Smurfs Hefty Voice role

Television roles

Directing
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1991 The Idiot Box Yes Yes No 6 episodes
2007 Ben 10: Race Against Time Yes No Yes Television film
2009 Ben 10: Alien Swarm Yes No Yes Television film
2011–2013 Supah Ninjas Yes No No 5 episodes
Acting
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures Bill S. Preston, Esq. (voice) 13 episodes
1991 The Idiot Box Various roles 6 episodes
2007 Ben 10: Race Against Time Constantine Jacobs TV movie
2009 Ben 10: Alien Swarm Nanomech (voice) TV movie
2012, 2019 Robot Chicken Bill S. Preston, Esq. (voice) 2 episodes

Music videos directed

Year Song Artist Notes
1989 "Knock Me Down" Red Hot Chili Peppers Co-director
1990 "Who's the Mack?" Ice Cube Co-director
1993 "The Jackal" Ronny Jordan Director
1994 "Milquetoast" Helmet Director

Theatre performances

Year Show Role Notes
1977–1978 The King and I Louis Leonowens Broadway revival
1979–1981 Peter Pan John Darling Broadway revival
2025 Waiting for Godot Vladimir Upcoming Broadway revival

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alex Winter para niños

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