William Denison McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor. He played the sadistic mountain man in John Boorman's 1972 film Deliverance and appeared in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Captain Terrill, the commander pursuing the last rebels to "hold out" against surrendering to the Union forces in The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Early life William Denison McKinney was born September 12, 1931, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had an unsettled life as a child, moving 12 times. At the age of 19, he joined the Navy during the Korean War. He served two years on a mine sweeper in Korean waters, and was stationed at Port Hueneme in Ventura County, California. After being discharged in 1954, he settled in California, attending acting school at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1957. His classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Mako Iwamatsu. During this time, McKinney became an arborist to earn money, a job which he would hold until the mid-1970s.
Career After the Pasadena Playhouse, McKinney moved on to Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio, making his movie debut in exploitation pic She Freak (1967). For 10 years he was a teacher at Cave Spring Middle School. He made his television debut in 1968 on an episode of The Monkees and attracted attention as Lobo in Alias Smith and Jones. The film Deliverance (1972) proved to be his breakthrough, playing the backwoods mountain man who violently rapes Ned Beatty's character.
McKinney's other films in the early 1970s included appearances in Junior Bonner (1972), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) and The Parallax View (1974).
It was with Clint Eastwood that McKinney would become most associated, becoming part of Eastwood's stock company after they worked together in Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974).
He appeared in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) under Eastwood's direction. He appeared in six more Eastwood films, including The Gauntlet (1977), Every Which Way but Loose (1978), Any Which Way You Can (1980) and Pink Cadillac (1989).
Other memorable roles include Jay Cobb, who is done in by John Wayne in Wayne's final film The Shootist (1976). He also appeared in such later films as First Blood (1982), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and The Green Mile (1999). He appeared in the television film The Execution of Private Slovik (1974) and guest-starred on such television shows as Sara, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Starsky & Hutch, The A-Team, Hunter, Murder, She Wrote, Columbo: Swan Song and In The Heat of The Night.
McKinney took up singing in the late 1990s, eventually releasing an album of standards and country and western songs appropriately titled Love Songs from Antri, reflecting Don Job's pronunciation of the infamous town featured in Deliverance. One of his songs featured in the film Undertow, directed by David Gordon Green. He voiced Jonah Hex in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called "Showdown". He appeared in a cameo in 2001 Maniacs (2005) and had a role in the Robin Hood–inspired horror film Sherwood Horror (2010).
Death On December 1, 2011, McKinney died from esophageal cancer at his home in San Fernando, California. He was 80. McKinney's death was announced on his Facebook page on the same day. The announcement read: Today our dear Bill McKinney passed away at Valley Presbyterian Hospice. An avid smoker for 25 years of his younger life, he died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 80 and still strong enough to have filmed a Dorito's commercial 2 weeks prior to his passing, and he continued to work on his biography with his writing partner. Hopefully 2012 will bring a publisher for the wild ride his life was. He is survived by son Clinton, along with several ex-wives. R.I.P. Bill sept.12 1931 – dec. 1 2011 .
Selected filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1967She FreakSteve St. John1968FirecreekBearded GunfighterUncreditedThe Road HustlersHays1970Angel UnchainedShotgun1972DeliveranceMountain ManJunior BonnerRed TerwiligerKansas City BomberBuddy TaylorUncreditedThe Life and Times of Judge Roy BeanFermel Parlee1973Cleopatra JonesPurdyThe OutfitBuck Cherney1974Thunderbolt and LightfootCrazy DriverThe Parallax ViewParallax AssassinFor Pete's SakeRockyUncredited1975Breakheart PassReverend Peabody1976The Outlaw Josey WalesCaptain TerrillCannonballCade RedmanThe ShootistCobb1977ValentinoPolicemanThe GauntletConstable1978Every Which Way but LooseDallas1979When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?Tommy Clark1980CarnyMarvin DillBronco BillyLefty LeBowAny Which Way You CanDallas1981St. HelensKilpatrick1982TexPop McCormickFirst BloodDave Kern1983Heart Like a WheelDon Garlits1984Against All OddsHead Coach1985Final JusticeChief Wilson1987Under the GunMiller1988War PartyMayor1989Kinjite: Forbidden SubjectsFather BurkePink CadillacColtersville Bartender1990Back to the Future Part IIIEngineer1994City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's GoldMatt1998Where's Marlowe?Uncle Bill1999The Green MileJack Van Hay2001True Legends of the WestMayor2003Asylum of the DamnedGas Station AttendantThe CommissionRoy TrulyLooney Tunes: Back in ActionAcme Vice President2004UndertowGrandfather20052001 ManiacsChef2006The GarageBernieThe Devil Wears SpursBarkeeper2007TakeBenjamin GregorLucky YouSatellite CashierGhost TownVictor Burnett2008Pride and GloryCop2009FuelJake2010How Do You KnowMaitre d'2011The Custom MarySilent Boss
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1968The MonkeesJanitorEpisode: "Some Like It Lukewarm"1970I Dream of JeannieCrewman #1Episode: "The Solid Gold Jeannie"The Bold Ones: The New DoctorsApartment CrasherEpisode: "This Will Really Kill You"McCloudReubenEpisode: "The Concrete Corral"1971-1972Alias Smith and JonesLobo Briggs4 episodes1973IronsideAugie MorrisEpisode: "All About Andrea"1974MannixDerek LewisEpisode: "A Rage to Kill"ColumboLuke BasketEpisode: "Swan Song"Get Christie Love!ColemanEpisode: "Bullet from the Grave"KodiakAbelEpisode: "Capture"The Strange and Deadly OccurrenceThe Man—1975The ManhunterSmileyEpisode: "Day of Execution"Strange New World BadgerTelevision filmBarettaTreach/Tobias2 episodesBronk HankEpisode: "Wheels of Death"The Family HolvakSheriff Shanks3 episodes1976SaraTom SellersEpisode: "Half Breed"1978Starsky & HutchJohnny BagleyEpisode: "The Trap"1979The Runaways Frank BedsoleEpisode: "They'll Never Forgive Me"Young MaverickSmokey TrumbullEpisode: "Hearts O' Gold"1979-1981B. J. and the BearVarious4 episodes1980Palmerstown, U.S.A.Episode: "The Black Travelers"Galactica 1980BarrettEpisode: "Space Croppers"1981-1985The Fall GuyVarious3 episodes1981The Misadventures of Sheriff LoboErnie KelbowEpisode: "Bang, Bang...You're Dead"Bret MaverickRamsey BassEpisode: "The Lazy Ace"1982Knight Rider CopEpisode: "Knight of the Phoenix"Father MurphyJoseph RedstoneEpisode: "Stopover in a One-Horse Town"1983-1985The A-TeamClint/Rokyo2 episodes1983The Yellow RoseBuck1984The MasterSheriff KyleEpisode: "Max"LegmenBilly RayEpisode: "I Shall Be Re-Released"Cover Up Sgt. OliverEpisode: "Golden Opportunity"1985Riptide SheriffEpisode: "Fuzzy Vision"1986Murder, She WroteCharlie DemseyEpisode: "Powder Keg"1987Falcon CrestMr. WarnerEpisode: "Lovers and Friends"Ohara Jake GordonEpisode: "Silver in the Hills"Houston KnightsSgt. Dale Lipscomb3 episodes1990Yellowthread StreetHicksEpisode: "Key Murders"The China Lake MurdersCaptain FinneyTelevision filmHunterHarlan PinderEpisode: "Deadly Encounters"1991In the Heat of the NightAshe CroweEpisode: "Obsession"1992BaywatchDrew/Major Nicholas Slade2 episodes1993The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesMackEpisode: "Young Indiana Jones and the Scandal of 1920"Love, Cheat & StealKolchakTelevision filmThe New WKRP in Cincinnati1995PointmanHoseyEpisode: "A Polecat Runs Through It"Batman: The Animated SeriesJonah Hex (voice)Episode: "Showdown" A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.Walker, Texas RangerSheriff BridgesEpisode: "Point After"1996The Lazarus ManEpisode: "The Wallpaper Prison"2000The Magnificent SevenLiver-Eating JonesEpisode: "Serpents"
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