Bill Pullman - Biography

Last Editor: sstreet3				Bill Pullman Biography -   Name : Bill Pullman Birth date : December 17, 1954 Birth place : Hornell, New York, USA Birth Name : William Pullman Height : 5'9 Education : University of Massachusetts at Amherst in Amherst, MA (majored in directing; M.F.A.) Nationality : American Profession : actor, producer

Bill Pullman Trivia -

He used the memory of a decayed tooth which was pulled from his mouth in order to come up with a terrified expression when speaking with the alien invaders in INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996). In TITAN A.E. (2000), a captain sacrifices himself to destroy an alien mothership. This also happens in INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996), also starring Pullman. When promoting INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) in South America, some people actually thought he was the President of the United States. His brother teaches English at Ithaca High School in Ithaca, NY. While teaching at the Montana State University one of his students was director John Dahl - Subsequently Dahl gave him a role in his film Last THE SEDUCTION (1994) Has a Master of Arts in theater studies. Currently co-owns a ranch in Montana with his brother. Lost his sense of smell after a head injury and two day coma. Has six brothers and sisters. Although he's established in Hollywood, Bill still hasn't forgotten about his love of construction. I love a good hardware store, he says. Evidently so -- Bill built the California home in which he and his family currently reside. His idea of a good time is heading up to the Montana ranch that he co-owns with his brother, where among other things, they enjoy driving cattle and baling hay. Owns over 30 pairs of shoes, ranging from his workman's boots from WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING to his dad's shoes that he wears to auditions for good luck. In his backyard, Bill grows exotic fruit trees from around the world, such as cherimoyas and jujubes. Always keeps hot sauce in the refrigerator. Western Heritage Awards: Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film, THE VIRGINIAN (2001)

Bill Pullman Detailed Biography -

William Pullman was born on December 17, 1953 in Hornell, New York, USA. His father James was a physician and his mother Johanna (Blaas) a nurse. He is the youngest boy in a family of 4 boys and 3 girls. The Pullman family lived in a red brick Victorian house on Main Street in Hornell, New York. Summers were spent in the country at a tree farm nearby that the Pullmans bought the year Bill was born. Bill often worked for the local dairy farmers. In high school he was on the football, wrestling, and track teams as well as playing the trombone in the band. When he started college at SUNY-Delhi, Pullman planned to major in building construction in part because he loved the barns in the countryside of western New York. One night he ended up at auditions for "The Bald Soprano", and an interest in theater was awakened. Later, at the suggestion of one of his professors he became a theater major with the intention of working as a teacher. He graduated from SUNY Oneonta with a degree in Theater Arts. At University of Massachusetts, Amherst, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree with a major in Directing in 1979. Pullman planned to concentrate on directing, but his adviser urged him to continue acting. While studying in Amherst, he met Tamara Hurwitz when both were performing in a university production. After graduation, he was offered a teaching position at Montana State University, Bozeman. He accepted the job in part because he had come to love Montana while doing summer theater there with a group called "Shakespeare in the Parks". He played both romantic leads and comic parts in this company. While teaching at Montana State, he became chairman of the Theater department. Director John Dahl ( The Last Seduction, Red Rock West) was one of Pullman's students. Pullman's connection to Montana continues to this day: he built a log cabin for his family on the cattle ranch he co-owns there with his physician brother. In 1981 Pullman decided to take a shot at professional acting. He moved to New York's East Village and between auditions was a proof-reader, liquor store clerk, and bank teller. His New York appearances include a critically acclaimed performance as Wesley in "The Curse of the Starving Class" with Kathy Bates. During the 80s, Pullman also did some regional theater with a group at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. His work included directing a production of "The Comedy of Errors". In 1985 he was offered a part in "Nanataiwai" for a 3-month run in Los Angeles. While there, he decided to go on a few film auditions as a lark because the money was good. Pullman arrived at his first movie audition on a bike. He was reading for the part of the serial killer in Ruthless People. He had just played a Russian tank commander on stage and his hair was dyed blond. Pullman won the role of Earl, "the stupidest person on earth". The blond dye job was incorporated into the part. Ruthless People(1986) was Pullman's film debut. It was followed closely by Spaceballs for Mel Brooks who chose Pullman to play Lone Star because he wanted "a leading man with comic timing". During the shooting of Spaceballs, Bill Pullman took a day off to marry Tamara Hurwitz. In his early films, Pullman is most often the handsome guy with an edge: The Serpent and the Rainbow, The Accidental Tourist (Academy Award nomination, Best Picture, 1988), and Rocket Gibraltar. In the theater, Pullman had a reputation for doing serious drama, but Hollywood soon discovered his knack for comedy and that talent along with his acting range allowed him to play the nerdy guy in comedies like Cold Feet, Sibling Rivalry and Nervous Ticks and the geeky academic in Brain Dead. He also continued to do excellent supporting work in dramas like: Home Fires Burning, Liebestraum, A League of Their Own, and Crazy in Love. While making movies, Pullman continued working in the theater in Los Angeles. Much of his work was done with the Los Angeles Theater Company. His credits include: "Barabbas", "All My Sons", "Demon Wine", and "Control Freaks".