Bill Pullman is a respected American actor, creative writer, producer, and community leader. Pullman was born William James Pullman on December 17, 1953, in Hornell, New York. Aside from his tremendous work as an actor, Pullman has committed himself to the development of his community. He actively supports local societies and charities by contributing to their development.
As an actor, Pullman has twice played the role of the President of the United States. His first performance was in the 1996 Independence Day movie, reprising the role in its 2016 sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence. He also played President on NBC’s sitcom 1600 Penn. For more about the actor, here are 8 things you didn’t know about Independence Day‘s Bill Pullman.
1. The Movies Bill Pullman Is Remembered From
Movie audiences of the late 80s will remember Bill Pullman from his role in the black comedy Ruthless People (1986). The movie starred Danny DeVito and Bette Midler. Pullman played the lover of Danny DeVito’s character’s mistress, Earl Mott. The movie was a box office success, earning $71.6 million on a $9–13 million budget.
However, playing President Thomas J. Whitmore has had more impact on his career than ever before. Independence Day (1996) was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing movie in 1996. It also starred Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, and Vivica A. Fox. With a production budget of $75 million, Independence Day earned $817.4 million at the Box Office. In more recent times, Pullman is known for playing President Dale Gilchrist in 1600 Penn, appearing in 13 episodes from 2012 to 2013.
2. Bill Pullman’s Life Before Becoming An Actor
After Bill Pullman graduated High School, he attended the State University of New York (SUNY) in Delhi. He had planned to study building construction. Later, he transferred to the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta to study Theater, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA). After graduating, he attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and obtained his MFA in Theater/Directing.
After his program, he taught Theater at SUNY Delhi and was also an adjunct professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. At the university, one of Pullman’s students was director John Dahl. Dahl, along with other of Pullman’s students, convinced Pullman to consider a professional career in acting.
3. How Bill Pullman Got Started In Film & Television
As a professor of Theater, Pullman’s network connection allowed him to work with theater companies within the Los Angeles and New York area. In 1986, Pullman landed his first role in film as Earl Mott in Ruthless People, as well as the role of Dr. Giordano in an episode of Cagney & Lacey. Ever since then, Pullman has appeared in at least one production every year in film or television.
4. Other Movies Bill Pullman Was In
While playing the President of the United States may have given him the needed career boost, Bill Pullman has also appeared in several other roles on the big screen. Pullman played Buck Latham in Cold Feet (1989), Biff Banner in Going Under (1991), and Ed Masterson in Wyatt Earp (1994). He also appeared in his former student, director John Dahl’s The Last Seduction. Pullman was in Scary Movie 4 (2006) as Henry Hale, The Equalizer (2014) and The Equalizer 2 (2018) as Brian Plummer, and as Senator Ralph Yarborough in the political drama film LBJ (2016).
5. Bill Pullman Isn’t The Only Actor In The Family
Bill Pullman has been married to modern dancer Tamara Hurwitz since 1987. The marriage has produced three children, Maesa, Jack, and Lewis. Lewis, the last of his three children, has followed in Pullman’s steps as an actor. Lewis is known for his role as Luke in the slasher film The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) and as Miles Miller in Bad Times at the El Royale. His most recent appearance was as Lieutenant Robert Floyd in the 2022 Top Gun: Maverick.
Pullman’s other children also have careers in the film industry. Maesa is a singer and songwriter with works as a film music composer. She has also appeared in minor roles on television. Pullman’s middle child Jack has worked as an art assistant, special effects, and film music department.
6. The Nominations & Awards Bill Pullman Has Received
Bill Pullman has received accolades for his work as a stage and screen actor. Notably, his first nomination as a screen actor was for his performance on Independence Day at the Online Film & Television Association. Pullman has received nominations at the Saturn Awards, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and SAG Awards.
7. Other TV Shows Bill Pullman Was In
Pullman has appeared in several productions for television, especially TV movies. His first TV movie was the 1989 Home Fires Burning, where he played Henry Tibbets. Since then, he has appeared in eight other TV movies. Pullman appeared on 6 episodes of Revelations (2005) as Richard Massey. His first main cast role was playing Detective Harry Ambrose in USA Network’s TV series The Sinner. Pullman’s last work on television was in 2021 as David J. Mahoney in 3 episodes of the biographical drama Halston.
8. Bill Pullman Has Directed And Produced Works In Film And Television
Pullman is credited as the director of two works on television. Pullman made his directorial debut in 2000 with the TV movie The Virginian. The next year, he directed a single episode of Night Visions. The Virginian was also Bill Pullman‘s first work as a producer.
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