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Actor Bill Pullman made his big screen debut in the Danny DeVito-Bette Midler comedy Ruthless People in 1986 and followed that with lead roles in Spaceballs and The Serpent and the Rainbow. But his career started on the stage, when he found himself at an audition for The Bald Soprano when he was a student at
In 1981, Pullman decided to take a shot at professional acting, and moved to New York City, where he began to perform on the stage. One of his more notable appearances was as "Wesley" in The Curse of the Starving Class. In 1985, Pullman was appearing on stage in Los Angeles and decided to audition for a part in a movie. He won the role of "Earl -- the stupidest person on earth" in Ruthless People. He became known as a "leading-man" type actor, but one who had a good sense of comic timing. He went on to roles in The Accidental Tourist, Cold Feet, Sibling Rivalry, Brain Dead, A League of Their Own, and Crazy in Love.
In the 1990's, Pullman made Somersby, Sleepless in Seattle, and Malice. His former student, director John Dahl, cast him in a role in The Last Seduction, which drew acclaim. He finally got the role where he got the girl in While You Were Sleeping. He went on to play the President of the United States in the blockbuster Independence Day, "Jack Wells" in Lake Placid, "Lakewood" in Lucky Numbers, and "Jason Slocumb" in Igby Goes Down. Pullman made his film directing debut in The Virginian, in which he also played the title role. He's completed several other films since, including Rick, Dear Wendy, The Orphan King and Bottle Shock.
Bill Pullman was born on December 17, 1953, in Hornell, NY. He married Tamara Hurwitz, whom he had met when they were both performing in college productions, and they have three children. A recent stint on Broadway found him starring in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who is Sylvia?, for which he was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor. His production company is called Big Town Productions.
Last updated: December 14, 2008.
