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Will Patton

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Will Patton
Patton in Blood On Her Name (2019)
Born
William Rankin Patton

(1954-06-14) June 14, 1954 (age 70)
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present

William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor and audiobook narrator. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series Falling Skies. He also appeared in the films Remember the Titans, Armageddon, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Punisher, and Minari. He appeared opposite Kevin Costner in two films: No Way Out (1987) and The Postman (1997), as well as having a guest role in seasons 3 and 4 of Costner's Paramount Network series Yellowstone. He won two Obie Awards for best actor in Sam Shepard's play Fool for Love and the Public Theater production of What Did He See?

Early life

Patton was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest of three children. His father is Bill Patton, a playwright and acting/directing instructor who was a Lutheran minister and served as a chaplain at Duke University.[1][2][3] Patton was raised on a farm, where his parents ran a foster home for wayward teenagers.[1]

Career

Patton won two Obie Awards for best actor for his performances in Sam Shepard's play Fool for Love and the Public Theater production of What Did He See? He portrayed the evil antagonist in Desperately Seeking Susan, and had a significant role in No Way Out, his first major film. He was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of General Bethlehem in The Postman. He portrayed coach Bill Yoast in Remember the Titans, and FBI agent Melvin Purvis in the 1991 made-for-television film Dillinger, before an acclaimed supporting actor performance in Armageddon. Patton provided the voice for the audio version of The Assault on Reason by Al Gore, as well as the role of Alan Wilson on the TV show 24. He recorded the audio version for 22 books written by best-selling mystery writer James Lee Burke. Patton plays the character of Sam Conroy in the film American Violet.

From 2011 to 2015, he starred as Colonel Weaver in the TNT sci-fi television series Falling Skies, executive-produced by Steven Spielberg.

In 2018, Patton portrayed Officer Frank Hawkins in the horror reboot of Halloween, and reprised his role its two sequels Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022).

In 2019, Patton portrayed Avery Sunderland in the DC Universe TV series, Swamp Thing.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Variety Mark
King Blank Bar Customer
Silkwood Joe
1985 The Beniker Gang Forest Ranger
Desperately Seeking Susan Wayne Nolan
After Hours Horst
1986 Chinese Boxes Lang Marsh
Belizaire the Cajun Matthew Perry
1987 No Way Out Scott Pritchard
1988 Wildfire Mike
Stars and Bars Duane Gage
1989 Signs of Life Mr. Coughlin
1990 Everybody Wins Jerry
A Shock to the System Lieutenant Laker
Bright Angel Woody Uncredited
1991 The Rapture Deputy Foster
Cold Heaven Father Niles
1992 In the Soup 'Skippy'
1993 The Paint Job Wesley
Midnight Edition Jack Travers
Romeo Is Bleeding Martie
1994 Tollbooth Dash Pepper
Natural Causes Michael Murphy
Judicial Consent Alan Warwick
The Client Sergeant Hardy
The Puppet Masters Dr. Graves
1995 Copycat Inspector Nicoletti
1996 Plain Pleasures
The Spitfire Grill Nahum Goddard
Fled Detective Matthew 'Gib' Gibson
1997 Inventing the Abbotts Lloyd Abbott
Hounddogg
This World, Then the Fireworks Lieutenant Morgan
The Postman General Bethlehem Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1998 OK Garage Sean
Armageddon Charles 'Chick' Chapple
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Preacher
1999 Breakfast of Champions 'Moe' The Truck Driver
Entrapment Hector Cruz
Jesus' Son John Smith
2000 Gone in 60 Seconds Atley Jackson
Trixie W. 'Red' Rafferty
Remember the Titans Coach Bill Yoast
2002 The Mothman Prophecies Gordon Smallwood
2004 The Punisher Quentin Glass
2006 Road House 2 Nate Tanner
2007 Code Name: The Cleaner Riley
A Mighty Heart DSS Special Agent Randall Bennett
The List Michael Harriston
Dog Days of Summer Eli Cottonmouth
2008 Wendy and Lucy The Mechanic
American Violet Sam Conroy
Lucky Days J.C.
2009 Barbarian Princess Sanford B. Dole
Looking at Animals Raymond
The Canyon Henry
The Fourth Kind Sheriff August
Waking Madison Madison's Father
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Old Man Dobyne
2010 Brooklyn's Finest Lieutenant Bill Hobarts
Meek's Cutoff Solomon Tetherow
Knucklehead Vic Sullivan
2012 The Girl Tommy
Abigail Harm The Visitor / Narrator
2014 The November Man Perry Weinstein
2016 American Honey Backseat Cowboy
2017 The Scent of Rain and Lightning Senior
Megan Leavey Jim
2018 Boarding School Dr. Sherman
An Actor Prepares Wisdom
Halloween Deputy Frank Hawkins
2019 Blood on Her Name Richard Tiller
Hammer Stephen Davis
Radioflash Frank
2020 Minari Paul Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2021 The Devil Below Schuttmann
The Forever Purge Caleb Tucker
Halloween Kills Deputy Frank Hawkins
2022 Halloween Ends
TBA Horizon Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Kent State Peter Television film
1982 CBS Library Ben Moody Episode: "Robbers, Rooftops and Witches"
1982–1983 Ryan's Hope 'Ox' Knowles Contract role
1984–1985 Search for Tomorrow Kentucky Bluebird 26 episodes
1985 The Equalizer Officer Nick Braxton Episode: "Lady Cop"
1987 A Gathering of Old Men Lou Dimes Television film
1990 Nasty Boys Raymond Batiste Episode: "Flesh and Blood"
1991 Dillinger FBI Agent Melvin Purvis Television film
Deadly Desire Giles Menteer Television film
1992 Lincoln and the War Within Ward Lamon Television film
In the Deep Woods Eric Gaines Television film
A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story Frank Maxwell Television film
1993 Taking the Heat Hadley Television film
1995–1997 VR.5 Dr. Frank Morgan 5 episodes
1997 The Protector Jeff Unknown episodes
2001–2003 The Agency Jackson Haisley 44 episodes
2004 Family Sins Philip Rothman Television film
The Last Ride Aaron Purnell Television film
2005 Into the West James Fletcher Episode: "Wheel to the Stars"
2006–2007 Numbers Lieutenant Gary Walker 4 episodes
2009 24 Alan Wilson 5 episodes
American Experience John Wilkes Booth (voice) Episodes: "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Craig Haliday Episode: "Unshockable"
2011–2015 Falling Skies Captain Dan Weaver 52 episodes
2016 The Good Wife Mike Tascioni 4 episodes
2017 Shots Fired Sheriff Daniel Platt 10 episodes
2019 Swamp Thing Avery Sunderland[4] 10 episodes
2020–present Yellowstone Garrett Randall Season 3, episode 9
2022-present Outer Range Wayne Tillerson

Voice work

Audio books

Title Author Year
Mister Impossible Maggie Stiefvater 2021
If It Bleeds Stephen King 2020
Tales of Ordinary Madness Charles Bukowski 2017
Call Down The Hawk Maggie Stiefvater 2019
The Outsider Stephen King 2018
Robicheaux James Lee Burke 2018
The Mist Stephen King 2017
Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann 2017
End of Watch Stephen King 2016
The Raven King Maggie Stiefvater 2016
House of the Rising Sun James Lee Burke 2015
Finders Keepers Stephen King 2015
Blue Lily, Lily Blue Maggie Stiefvater 2014
Mr. Mercedes Stephen King 2014
Doctor Sleep Stephen King 2013
The Dream Thieves Maggie Stiefvater 2013
The Son Philipp Meyer 2013
My Cross to Bear Gregg Allman 2012
The Raven Boys Maggie Stiefvater 2012
Creole Belle James Lee Burke 2012
Deliverance James Dickey 2011
Feast Day of Fools James Lee Burke 2011
The Glass Rainbow James Lee Burke 2010
Alas, Babylon Pat Frank 2010
Light in August William Faulkner 2010
"Chasing Lincoln's Killer" James L. Swanson 2009
Jesus' Son Denis Johnson 2009
Swan Peak James Lee Burke 2008
On the Road Jack Kerouac 2007
The Tin Roof Blowdown James Lee Burke 2007
The Assault on Reason Al Gore 2007
Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3 Annie Proulx 2008
Tree of Smoke Denis Johnson 2007
Last Car to Elysian Fields James Lee Burke 2007
Thirteen Moons Charles Frazier 2006
Pegasus Descending James Lee Burke 2006
Crusader's Cross James Lee Burke 2006
Jolie Blon's Bounce James Lee Burke 2006
"The President Has Been Shot!" James L. Swanson 2006
The Thomas Berryman Number James Patterson 2006
To Have and Have Not Ernest Hemingway 2006
A Dave Robicheaux Audio Collection James Lee Burke 2006
A Stained White Radiance (#5)
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead (#6)
Dixie City Jam (#7)
Burning Angel (#8)
Cadillac Jukebox (#9)
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town Kimberly Willis Holt 2006
Cosmopolis Don DeLillo 2005
In the Moon of Red Ponies James Lee Burke 2004
Cimarron Rose James Lee Burke 2004
White Doves at Morning James Lee Burke 2003
Bitterroot James Lee Burke 2001
Cadillac Jukebox James Lee Burke 2001
Purple Cane Road James Lee Burke 2000
Boone's Lick Larry McMurtry 2000
Burning Angel James Lee Burke 1999
Heaven's Prisoners James Lee Burke 1999
Heartwood James Lee Burke 1999
Primal Fear William Diehl 1999
Dixie City Jam James Lee Burke 1999
A Stained White Radiance James Lee Burke 1998
Sunset Limited James Lee Burke 1998
The Sea-Wolf Jack London 1997
Dead Man's Walk Larry McMurtry 1996
Dirty White Boys Stephen Hunter 1995
The Water Is Wide Pat Conroy 1995
The Fermata Nicholson Baker 1995
Gump and Co. Winston Groom 1995
Gone South Robert R. McCammon 1994
Lila – An Inquiry into Morals Robert M. Pirsig 1991
The Neon Rain James Lee Burke 1987
The Lost Get-Back Boogie James Lee Burke 1986

References

  1. ^ a b Elias, Justine (July 5, 1998). "FILM; Emerging as a Leading Man of Supporting Actors". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Harrington, Douglas MacKaye (May 7, 2010). "Bill Patton Returns To The Hamptons With A New Play". Hamptons.com. Bridgehampton, NY. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  3. ^ "Bill Patton One-Act Play". Harcum College. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 5, 2018). "'Swamp Thing': Will Patton Cast As Avery Sunderland In DC Universe Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 6, 2018.