William Sadler (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Sadler
Sadler in 2019
Born	William Thomas Sadler (1950-04-13) April 13, 1950 (age 75) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Education	State University of New York, Geneseo (BA) Cornell University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Marni Joan Bakst ​ ​ (m. 1977; died 2024)​
Children	1

William Thomas Sadler (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor who has starred in many movies and TV shows. You might know him from his roles as Death in the Bill & Ted movies or as Colonel Stuart in Die Hard 2. He also played Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption and Sheriff Jim Valenti in the TV series Roswell.

William Sadler has also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as President Matthew Ellis in Iron Man 3 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He is known for playing different kinds of characters, from serious military leaders to funny figures like Death.

Early Life and Education

William Sadler was born in Buffalo, New York. Even when he was young, he loved to perform for people. In high school at Orchard Park High School, he became known as "Banjo Bill Sadler." He would play the banjo, sing, and tell jokes.

After high school, he went to SUNY Geneseo. Then, he studied for two years at Cornell University. There, he earned a special degree in acting. He also learned a lot about speech and different accents. He even became a certified speech teacher.

Acting Career Highlights

William Sadler's acting journey began in New York City. He performed in over 75 plays over twelve years. One of his most famous stage roles was Sgt. Toomey in the Broadway play Biloxi Blues in 1985. He acted alongside Matthew Broderick in this play.

Famous Movie Roles

Sadler is well-known for several big movie parts. In the 1990 action film Die Hard 2, he played the villain, Colonel Stuart. He also played Heywood in the 1994 prison drama The Shawshank Redemption.

One of his most memorable roles is Death in the 1991 comedy Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. He was so good that he won an award for it! He even played Death again in the 2020 sequel, Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Did you know that when he first tried out for Die Hard 2, they told him he was too young? With help from a makeup artist, he tried again looking like a 70-year-old and got the part! In Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, his real-life wife and young daughter even appeared in the movie as themselves.

Television Appearances

On TV, Sadler was a regular on the series Roswell as Sheriff Jim Valenti. He also appeared in Wonderfalls as Darrin Tyler.

He has made guest appearances on many popular shows. These include CSI, Numb3rs, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He had a recurring role as Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Sadler also played Lieutenant Colonel Lewis 'Chesty' Puller in the miniseries The Pacific. From 2010 to 2020, he played John McGarrett in the TV show Hawaii Five-0.

Other Notable Works

In 2013, Sadler played President Matthew Ellis in the superhero movie Iron Man 3. He reprised this role in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the web series WHIH Newsfront.

He also voiced the robot Victor in the 2010 video game, Fallout: New Vegas. In 2024, he is set to appear in 'Salem's Lot, a movie based on a book by Stephen King.

Personal Life

William Sadler married Marni Joan Bakst on May 6, 1978. They had one daughter named Sadler Colley Bakst, who was born in 1986.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Video games

See also

In Spanish: William Sadler (actor) para niños