Bill Pullman

Biography

William James Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. Pullman made his film debut in Ruthless People (1986), and starred in Spaceballs (1987), The Accidental Tourist and The Serpent and the Rainbow (both 1988), Newsies (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Independence Day (1996), Lost Highway (1997), and Lake Placid (1999). He also voiced Captain Joseph Korso in Titan A.E. (2000). He has also appeared frequently on television, usually in TV films. Since the 21st century began, Pullman has also acted in miniseries and regular series such as Torchwood (2011), playing starring roles in 1600 Penn (2012–13) and The Sinner (2017–2021). In 2021, he had a recurring role in the miniseries Halston. Pullman also has a long stage-acting career. He has appeared on Broadway several times, including in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? (2002).

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The Graham Norton Show

Saturday Night Live

Steve

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Nature

The Boroughs

The Sinner

All Movies (106)

• Spaceballs: The New One2027 · as Lone Starr
• Everybody Digs Bill Evans2026 · as Harry
• Roland Emmerich - Weltenzerstörer, Weltenerbauer2025 · as Self - actor
• Killing Faith2025 · as Ross
• American Horses2022 · as Narrator (voice)
• Yellowstone2020 · as (voice)
• The High Note2020 · as Max
• Dark Waters: The Cost of Being a Hero2019 · as Self
• Dark Waters2019 · as Harry Dietzler
• The Coldest Game2019 · as Joshua Mansky
• National Theatre Live: All My Sons2019 · as Joe Keller
• Trouble2018 · as Ben
• The Equalizer 22018 · as Brian Plummer
• The Ballad of Lefty Brown2017 · as Lefty Brown
• LBJ2017 · as Ralph Yarborough
• Battle of the Sexes2017 · as Jack Kramer
• A Thousand Junkies2017 · as Bill Pullman
• Walking Out2017 · as Clyde
• The War of 1996: A United World News Special2016 · as President Whitmore
• Brother Nature2016 · as Jerry Turley
• Independence Day: Resurgence2016 · as President Whitmore
• Another Day: The Making of 'Independence Day: Resurgence'2016 · as Self
• American Ultra2015 · as Krueger
• Parables of War2015 · as Self
• The Equalizer2014 · as Brian Plummer
• Cymbeline2014 · as Sicilius Leonatus
• May in the Summer2014 · as Edward
• Red Sky2014 · as John Webster
• The Unbelievers2013 · as Self
• Mel Brooks: Make a Noise2013 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Fruit Hunters2012 · as Narrator (voice)
• Kingdom Come2012 · as Self
• Lola Versus2012 · as Lenny
• Innocent2011 · as Rusty Sabich
• Too Big to Fail2011 · as Jamie Dimon
• Bringing Up Bobby2011 · as Kent
• Rio Sex Comedy2010 · as William
• Peacock2010 · as Edmund French
• The Killer Inside Me2010 · as Billy Boy Walker
• Bottle Shock2008 · as Jim Barrett
• Your Name Here2008 · as William J. Frick
• Surveillance2008 · as Sam Hallaway
• Phoebe in Wonderland2008 · as Peter Lichten
• Nobel Son2007 · as Max Mariner
• You Kill Me2007 · as Dave
• Scary Movie 42006 · as Henry Hale
• Alien Autopsy2006 · as Morgan Banner
• Spaceballs: The Documentary2005 · as Self
• John Candy: Comic Spirit2005 · as Self
• Dear Wendy2005 · as Krugsby
• The Grudge2004 · as Peter Kirk
• Tiger Cruise2004 · as Gary Dolan
• Rick2003 · as Rick O'Lette
• Igby Goes Down2002 · as Jason
• 29 Palms2002 · as The Ticket Clerk
• Ignition2002 · as Conor Gallagher
• Lucky Numbers2000 · as Detective Pat Lakewood
• A Man Is Mostly Water2000 · as Parking Fascist
• Titan A.E.2000 · as Korso (voice)
• The Guilty2000 · as Callum Crane
• Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live2000
• The Virginian2000 · as The Virginian
• Spy Games1999 · as Harry Howe / Ernie Halliday
• Brokedown Palace1999 · as Hank Greene
• Lake Placid1999 · as Jack Wells
• Zero Effect1998 · as Daryl Zero
• Merry Christmas, George Bailey1997 · as George Bailey
• Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch1997 · as Self
• The End of Violence1997 · as Mike
• Lost Highway1997 · as Fred Madison
• Mistrial1996 · as Steve Donohue
• Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion1996 · as Self
• The Making of 'Independence Day'1996 · as Self
• Independence Day1996 · as President Thomas J. Whitmore
• Mr. Wrong1996 · as Whitman Crawford
• Casper1995 · as Dr. James Harvey
• While You Were Sleeping1995 · as Jack Callaghan
• Wyatt Earp1994 · as Ed Masterson
• The Last Seduction1994 · as Clay Gregory
• The Favor1994 · as Peter
• Mr. Jones1993 · as Construction Site Foreman (uncredited)
• Malice1993 · as Andy Sarafian
• Sleepless in Seattle1993 · as Walter
• Sommersby1993 · as Orin Meecham
• Singles1992 · as Dr. Jeffrey Jamison
• Crazy in Love1992 · as Nick Symonds
• A League of Their Own1992 · as Bob Hinson
• Phone1992 · as Duke
• Newsies1992 · as Bryan Denton
• Nervous Ticks1992 · as York Daley
• Liebestraum1991 · as Paul Kessler
• Going Under1991 · as Biff Banner
• Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square1991 · as Self
• Bright Angel1990 · as Bob
• Sibling Rivalry1990 · as Nicholas Meany
• Brain Dead1990 · as Dr. Rex Martin
• Cold Feet1989 · as Buck
• Home Fires Burning1989 · as Lt. Henry Tibbettes
• The Accidental Tourist1988 · as Julian Hedge
• Rocket Gibraltar1988 · as Crow Black
• The Serpent and the Rainbow1988 · as Dennis Alan
• Spaceballs1987 · as Lone Starr
• Ruthless People1986 · as Earl James Mott
• Famous—
• A Bridge Between— · as Bobby Verdun
• The Basics of Philosophy— · as Melvyn Jorrisen

All TV Shows (25)

• The Boroughs2026 · as Jack Willard
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!2026 · as Self - Actor
• Murdaugh Murders: The Movie2023 · as Alex Murdaugh
• This Fool2022 · as Curtis
• Halston2021 · as David Mahoney
• Cursed Films2020 · as Self
• Epic Yellowstone2019 · as Narrator (voice)
• Steve2017 · as Self
• The Sinner2017 · as Harry Ambrose
• 1600 Penn2012 · as President Dale Gilchrist
• Skavlan2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self - Guest
• Torchwood2006 · as Oswald Danes
• Revelations2005 · as Dr. Richard Massey
• Night Visions2001 · as Major Ben Darnell (segment "A View Through the Window")
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Kurt Moss
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn1999 · as Self
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self
• Fallen Angels1993 · as Rich Thurber
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
• Nature1982 · as Narrator (voice)
• Cagney & Lacey1982
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
• The Oscars1953 · as Self - Presenter
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Henry Tibbetts