CineScope
Bill Thurman picture

Bill Thurman

Acting
Known For

74 Years Old

Character actor Bill Thurman was born on November 4, 1920 in Texas. A large, rugged, stocky man with a hard, lined, puffy face, a deep, twangy, amicable voice, a strong, bulky build and a charmingly low-key and down-to-earth unaffected natural screen presence, Thurman often portrayed police officers and assorted scruffy redneck types in a huge number of entertainingly cheap'n'cheesy Southern-fried fright flicks and delightfully down'n'dirty drive-in fare made throughout the 60s and 70s. Bill frequently acted in features for legendary Grade Z low-budget independent filmmaker Larry Buchanan; said movies include "The Eye Creatures," "High Yellow," "Zontar the Thing from Venus," "Mars Needs Women," "Curse of the Swamp Creature," "In the Year 2889," the especially atrocious "It's Alive!," and "A Bullet for Pretty Boy." Moreover, Thurman had bit parts in two Steven Spielberg films: he's a hillbilly hunter in "The Sugerland Express" and an air traffic controller in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Bill's other memorable roles include the abusive Coach Popper in Peter Bogdanovich's magnificent "The Last Picture Show," a doomed hitchhiker in "Keep My Grave Open," a corrupt sheriff in the Claudia Jennings exploitation classic "'Gatorbait," a mean small town deputy in "Ride in A Pink Car," a more amiable sheriff in the fantastic Bigfoot winner "Creature from Black Lake," Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith's father in "Slumber Party '57," a priest in "The Evictors," and the boozy, dissolute Reverend Bill McWiley in the enjoyably crummy "Mountaintop Motel Massacre." Bill Thurman died in Dallas, Texas on April 13, 1995. - IMDb Mini Biography By: woodyanders

Born

Texas, USA on 4th November 1920

Died

13th April 1995

All Credits

Dallas Image
Dallas
Phil Bradley
The Long Hot Summer Image
The Long Hot Summer
Houstin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Image
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Air Traffic
Silverado Image
Silverado
Carter
The Last Picture Show Image
The Last Picture Show
Coach Popper
The Sugarland Express Image
The Sugarland Express
Hunter
Tom Horn Image
Tom Horn
Ora Haley
Night Fright Image
Night Fright
Deputy Ben Whitfield
Curse of the Swamp Creature Image
Curse of the Swamp Creature
Driscoll West / The Swamp Creature
Where the Red Fern Grows Image
Where the Red Fern Grows
Sam Bellington
Hawken's Breed Image
Hawken's Breed
Jeb Kline
'Gator Bait Image
'Gator Bait
Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas
Raggedy Man Image
Raggedy Man
Sheriff
Mountaintop Motel Massacre Image
Mountaintop Motel Massacre
Reverend Bill McWiley
It's Alive Image
It's Alive
Greely / Monster
In the Year 2889 Image
In the Year 2889
Tim Henderson
Alamo Bay Image
Alamo Bay
Sheriff
The Evictors Image
The Evictors
Preacher Higgins
Mars Needs Women Image
Mars Needs Women
Drunk on Pier
Creature from Black Lake Image
Creature from Black Lake
Sheriff Billy Carter
The Beasts Are on the Streets Image
The Beasts Are on the Streets
Carl Evans
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald Image
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald
Charge of the Model T's Image
Charge of the Model T's
Sgt. Bond
In Broad Daylight Image
In Broad Daylight
Virgil Teague
Zontar: The Thing from Venus Image
Zontar: The Thing from Venus
Sheriff Brad Crenshaw
Skyward Image
Skyward
Pilot #1
Painted Hero Image
Painted Hero
Old Man Bolen
A Bullet for Pretty Boy Image
A Bullet for Pretty Boy
Huddy
Slumber Party '57 Image
Slumber Party '57
Mr. Willis
The Eye Creatures Image
The Eye Creatures
Sergeant
Fair Play Image
Fair Play
Jed Bartrum
Hot Blooded Woman Image
Hot Blooded Woman
Railroad Tough
Encounter with the Unknown Image
Encounter with the Unknown
Second Man
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald Image
The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald
Witness
The Sky Trap Image
The Sky Trap
Sheriff
The Black Cat Image
The Black Cat
Bartender
Keep My Grave Open Image
Keep My Grave Open
Hitchhiker
The Long Summer of George Adams Image
The Long Summer of George Adams
Floyd
Stormin' Home Image
Stormin' Home
Bailiff
Innocent Prey Image
Innocent Prey
Jim Gardner
Ride in a Pink Car Image
Ride in a Pink Car
Barlow
The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde Image
The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde
Policeman (uncredited)
Spiked Heels and Black Nylons Image
Spiked Heels and Black Nylons
Abel
No Image
Sam
Hip Hot and 21 Image
Hip Hot and 21
Lt. Lang
Hell Raiders Image
Hell Raiders
Tex
The Florida Connection Image
The Florida Connection
Deke
High Yellow Image
High Yellow
Major Bates