William Hootkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Hootkins
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Hootkins in 2002
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| Born |
William Michael Hootkins
July 5, 1948 |
| Died | October 23, 2005 (aged 57) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Burial place | Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, North Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–2005 |
| Spouse(s) |
Polly Hootkins
(m. 1973–2005)Carolyn Robb
(m. 2005) |
William Michael "Hoot" Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor. He was well-known for playing important supporting roles in big Hollywood movies. Some of his most famous films include Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Batman.
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William Hootkins' Early Life
William Hootkins was born in Dallas, Texas. He went to St. Mark's School of Texas from first grade all the way through high school.
When he was 15, Hootkins was interviewed by the FBI. This was part of their investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Hootkins was asked about his Russian teacher, Ruth Paine. The wife of the assassin, Marina Oswald, had been living with Paine.
At school, William Hootkins also discovered his love for acting. He joined the same drama group as Tommy Lee Jones, who was a year older. Hootkins later joked that since Jones got all the main parts, he decided to focus on supporting roles.
Hootkins went to Princeton University. He first studied astrophysics, which is the science of stars and space. Later, he changed his studies to oriental studies. Here, he became very good at speaking Mandarin Chinese. This skill helped him later when he played an interpreter in an episode of the TV show The West Wing.
He was also a key member of the Theatre Intime, a student theater group. His performance in Orson Welles' play Moby Dick—Rehearsed was especially memorable. Following a suggestion from his friend John Lithgow, Hootkins moved to London in the early 1970s. He trained to be an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He lived in London until 2002, when he moved to Los Angeles.
Acting Career Highlights
Stage Performances
In England, Hootkins found work in both theater and movies. His biggest success on stage was playing Alfred Hitchcock in Terry Johnson's 2003 play Hitchcock Blonde. This play was first shown at the Royal Court Theatre and then in London's West End.
His role was so popular that producers planned to take the show to Broadway. However, these plans were canceled after Hootkins was diagnosed with cancer.
Film and Television Roles
William Hootkins appeared in many movies and TV shows. His role as Jek Tono Porkins in Star Wars made him a favorite at fan events.
He also had important parts in other films. These include Hardware (1990) and Like Father, Like Santa, where he played Santa Claus. In Hear My Song (1991), he played a mysterious character known as Mr. X.
Hootkins played Fatty Arbuckle in the 1977 film Valentino. He was also Hans Zarkov's assistant in the 1980 movie Flash Gordon. You might also remember him from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tim Burton's Batman, where he played Lt. Eckhardt.
On television, he played Charles Frohman in The Lost Boys (1978). He was also Colonel Cobb in the remake of The Tomorrow People. In the 2002 remake of The Magnificent Ambersons, he played Uncle George.
Before he passed away, Hootkins was planning to write a movie script about Fatty Arbuckle's life after 1921. He had even met Arbuckle's last wife, Addie McPhail.
Voice Acting Work
Hootkins was also a talented voice actor. He recorded many plays for BBC Radio Drama. In these plays, he voiced characters like J. Edgar Hoover, Orson Welles, and Winston Churchill.
For audiobooks, he read stories by authors such as Jack London and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He also performed a complete reading of Herman Melville's famous book Moby-Dick. This reading for Naxos Records Audiobooks lasted almost 25 hours!
In video games, he voiced Dingodile in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. He was also Maximillian Roivas in the popular game Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. In the stop-motion film The Miracle Maker, he voiced Lucifer. He also played Bobby Mallory in BBC Radio4's radio plays based on Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski detective novels. Additionally, he voiced Lex Luthor in Radio 4's The Adventures of Superman radio series.
Later Life and Passing
William Hootkins died from pancreatic cancer on October 23, 2005. He was 57 years old and passed away in Santa Monica, California. His burial place is at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
Images for kids
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Hootkins in 2002
See also
In Spanish: William Hootkins para niños
