William Fichtner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Fichtner
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Fichtner in 2018
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William Edward Fichtner
November 27, 1956 Mitchel Air Force Base, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Farmingdale State College (AS) SUNY Brockport (BS) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
William Edward Fichtner (born November 27, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for playing many different types of characters in movies and TV shows. William Fichtner has appeared in popular films like Armageddon and The Dark Knight.
He also played important roles in TV series such as Prison Break and Mom. Besides acting, he has lent his voice to characters in video games.
Contents
Early Life and Education
William Fichtner was born on Mitchel Air Force Base in New York. He grew up in a town called Cheektowaga, near Buffalo. His family has German roots.
High School and College
William finished Maryvale High School in 1974. He then studied criminal justice at Farmingdale State College, earning a degree in 1976. Later, he went to the College at Brockport, State University of New York and got another degree in criminal justice in 1978.
After college, he decided to study acting. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In 2008, Farmingdale State College gave him an honorary doctorate degree. He said that an admissions counselor there helped him decide to become an actor.
Acting Career Highlights
William Fichtner began his acting journey in 1987 on the TV show As the World Turns. Since then, he has appeared in many movies and TV series. He is often called a "character actor" because he plays many different kinds of roles.
Famous Film Roles
Fichtner has been in several big movies. He played a key role in Contact and was in the action-packed film Armageddon. He also appeared in Black Hawk Down and The Perfect Storm.
In 2004, he was part of the cast of Crash, which won an award for Best Acting Ensemble. He also had a memorable role as a bank manager in The Dark Knight. Later, he played Eric Sacks in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2014.
Notable TV Appearances
On television, William Fichtner starred as Sheriff Tom Underlay in the sci-fi series Invasion from 2005 to 2006. After that, he became well-known for playing FBI Agent Alexander Mahone in the popular show Prison Break.
From 2015 to 2021, he was a main cast member on the CBS sitcom Mom. He played Adam Janikowski on the show. He has also had roles in The West Wing and Entourage.
Video Game Voice Acting
William Fichtner has also used his voice for characters in video games. He voiced Ken Rosenberg in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He also voiced Master Sergeant Sandman in the 2011 game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Personal Interests
William Fichtner is a big fan of the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills. He even appeared in a commercial for them. He also narrated a documentary called Four Falls of Buffalo, which was about the team's four trips to the Super Bowl in the early 1990s.
He is good friends with actors Kim Coates and Eric Bana, who he worked with on the movie Black Hawk Down.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Quiz Show | Stage Manager | ||
| 1995 | Virtuosity | William Wallace | ||
| Reckless | Rachel's Father | |||
| Strange Days | Officer Dwayne Engelman | |||
| Heat | Roger Van Zant | |||
| The Underneath | Tommy Dundee | |||
| 1996 | Albino Alligator | Law | ||
| 1997 | Contact | Kent Clarke | ||
| Switchback | Chief Jack McGinnis | |||
| 1998 | Armageddon | Colonel Willie Sharp | ||
| 1999 | Go | Burke Halverson | ||
| The Settlement | Jerry | |||
| 2000 | The Perfect Storm | David "Sully" Sullivan | ||
| Drowning Mona | Phil Dearly | |||
| Passion of Mind | Aaron Reilly | |||
| Endsville | Prince Victor | |||
| 2001 | Pearl Harbor | Mr. Walker | ||
| Black Hawk Down | Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson | Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast | ||
| What's the Worst That Could Happen? | Detective Alex Tardio | |||
| 2002 | Julie Walking Home | Henry | ||
| Equilibrium | Jurgen | |||
| 2004 | Crash | Jake Flanagan | Hollywood Film Festival Ensemble of the Year Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
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| 2005 | Nine Lives | Andrew | Nominated—Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast | |
| The Chumscrubber | Dr. Bill Stifle | |||
| The Amateurs | Otis | |||
| The Longest Yard | Captain Brian Knauer | |||
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Dr. Wexler | Voice; Uncredited | ||
| 2006 | Ultraviolet | Garth | ||
| 2007 | Blades of Glory | Darren MacElroy | ||
| First Snow | Ed | |||
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | Bank Manager | ||
| 2010 | Forehead Tittaes | Boss | Funny or Die sketch | |
| Date Night | District Attorney Frank Crenshaw | |||
| 2011 | The Big Bang | Detective Poley | ||
| Drive Angry | The Accountant | Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Actor | ||
| 2012 | Wrong | Master Chang | ||
| St. Sebastian | Jurgens | Unreleased | ||
| 2013 | Phantom | Alex Kozlov | ||
| The Lone Ranger | Butch Cavendish | |||
| Elysium | John Carlyle | |||
| 2014 | The Homesman | Vester Belknap | ||
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Eric Sacks | |||
| 2016 | Independence Day: Resurgence | General Joshua T. Adams | ||
| American Wrestler: The Wizard | Coach Plyler | |||
| 2017 | Hot Summer Nights | Shep | ||
| The Neighbor | Mike Prentis | Also producer | ||
| Krystal | Dr. Lyle Farley | |||
| 2018 | 12 Strong | Colonel John Mulholland | ||
| Traffik | Carl Waynewright | |||
| O.G. | Danvers | |||
| Armed | Richard | |||
| Cold Brook | Ted Markham | Also director and co-writer | ||
| All the Devil's Men | Mike Brennan | |||
| 2019 | Josie & Jack | Joseph Raeburn | ||
| Finding Steve McQueen | Enzo Rotella | |||
| 2021 | The Space Between | Donny Rumson | ||
| The Birthday Cake | Uncle Ricardo | |||
| 2023 | Hypnotic | Lev Dellrayne | ||
| 2024 | French Girl | Peter Kinski | ||
| 2025 | The Embers and the Stars | TBA | ||
| TBA | That's Amore! | TBA | Post-production | |
| The Gettysburg Address | John G. Nicolay | Voice; Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–1994 | As the World Turns | Rod Landry | 79 episodes | |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Boros | 2 episodes | |
| Baywatch | Howard Ganza | Episode: "Rookie School" | ||
| 1994–1995 | Grace Under Fire | Ryan Sparks | 8 episodes | |
| 1995 | A Father for Charlie | Sheriff | Television film | |
| 2002 | MDs | Bruce Kellerman | 10 episodes | |
| 2004 | The West Wing | Christopher Mulready | Episode: "The Supremes" | |
| 2005 | Empire Falls | Jimmy Minty | 2 episodes | |
| American Dad! | Harland | Voice; Episode: "Homeland Insecurity" | ||
| 2005–2006 | Invasion | Sheriff Tom Underlay | 22 episodes Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television |
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| 2006–2009 | Prison Break | Alexander Mahone | 59 episodes | |
| 2009–2011 | Entourage | Phil Yagoda | 13 episodes | |
| 2010 | Night and Day | Dan Hollister | Pilot | |
| 2012 | Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden | Mr. Guidry | Television film | |
| 2013–2014 | Crossing Lines | Carl Hickman | 22 episodes | |
| 2015–2016 | Empire | Jameson Henthrop | 4 episodes | |
| 2016–2021 | Mom | Adam Janikowski | Recurring (season 3), Main cast (seasons 4–8); 84 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series |
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| 2016 | Shooter | Rathford O'Brien | Episode: "Killing Zone" | |
| 2017 | Porsche: Decades of Disruption | Narrator | Voice; Documentary | |
| Top Gear America | Himself | Host; 8 episodes | ||
| 2019 | Veep | Felix Wade | Episode: "Discovery Weekend" | |
| 2020 | Corporate | Brett | Episode: "... You Money" | |
| 2022 | Joe vs. Carole | Rick Kirkham | 2 episodes | |
| 2023 | The Company You Keep | Leo Nicoletti | Main role; 10 episodes | |
| 2025 | The Talamasca | Jasper | Main role | |
| TBA | Beef | TBA |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Ken Rosenberg | Credited as William Fichtner | |
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Credited as Bill Fichtner | ||
| 2008 | Turok | Logan | ||
| 2011 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | Master Sergeant Sandman | ||
| 2012 | Infex | The Administrator | ||
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | Butch Cavendish | ||
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | The Shredder | Nintendo 3DS version |
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 32nd Saturn Awards | Best Actor on Television | Invasion | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Buffalo Niagara Film Festival | Walk of Fame Trail of the Stars | Won | ||
| 2012 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Drive Angry | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival | Best Actor | The Neighbor | Won | |
| 2021 | 26th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Mom | Nominated | |
See also
In Spanish: William Fichtner para niños
