Gerard Anthony Bill (born August 23, 1940) is an American actor, producer, and director. He produced the 1973 movie ''

The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).''Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, page ...

'', for which he shared the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

with Michael Phillips and

Julia Phillips Julia Phillips (née Miller; April 7, 1944 – January 1, 2002) was an American film producer and author. She co-produced with her husband Michael (and others) three prominent films of the 1970s — ''The Sting'', ''Taxi Driver'', and ''Close E ...

. As an actor, Bill had supporting roles in ''

Come Blow Your Horn ''Come Blow Your Horn'' is Neil Simon's first play, which premiered on Broadway in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Simon rewrote the script more than two dozen times over several years, resulting in a hit ...

'' (1963), ''

Shampoo Shampoo () is a hair care product, typically in the form of a viscous liquid, that is used for cleaning hair. Less commonly, shampoo is available in solid bar format. Shampoo is used by applying it to wet hair, massaging the product into the ...

'' (1975), '' Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' (1985), and '' Less than Zero'' (1987). He made his directorial debut with ''

My Bodyguard ''My Bodyguard'' is a 1980 American family comedy drama film directed by Tony Bill (his directorial debut), and written by Alan Ormsby. The film stars Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin (in his first film role), Matt Dillon, Martin Mull, and Ruth ...

'' (1980) and directed movies ''

Six Weeks ''Six Weeks'' is a 1982 American drama film directed by Tony Bill and based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Fred Mustard Stewart. It stars Dudley Moore, Mary Tyler Moore, and Katherine Healy. Plot Charlotte Dreyfus, a wealthy cosmetic ty ...

'' (1982), '' Five Corners'' (1987), ''

Crazy People ''Crazy People'' is a 1990 American black comedy film starring Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah, directed by Tony Bill, and music by Cliff Eidelman. Plot Emory Leeson is an advertising executive who experiences a nervous breakdown. He designs a s ...

'' (1990), ''

Untamed Heart ''Untamed Heart'' is a 1993 American romantic drama film directed by Tony Bill, written by Tom Sierchio, and starring Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. It tells the story of an unlikely romance between a young woman unlucky in love and a shy youn ...

'' (1993), and '' Flyboys'' (2006).

Early life

Bill was born in San Diego, California, and attended

St. Augustine High School The name St. Augustine High School could refer to: In the United States: * St. Augustine Academy (Lakewood, Ohio) * St. Augustine High School (Laredo, Texas) * St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Louisiana * St. Augustine High School (San Di ...

. He majored in English and art at the University of Notre Dame, from which he graduated in 1962.

Career

Bill began his career as an actor in the 1960s, first appearing on screen as

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

's ingenuous younger brother in ''

'' (1963). The same year, he appeared in ''

Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by Mauric ...

'' starring

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

and

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

. Thereafter, he was cast as Chris Herrod in the 1965 episode "An Elephant Is Like a Tree" of the drama series ''

Mr. Novak ''Mr. Novak'' is an American television dramatic series starring James Franciscus in the title role as a high school teacher. The series aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965. It won a Peabody Award in 1963. Synopsis The series follows ...

''. Bill specialized in juveniles and young leads. In the mid-1960s, he made two appearances in the BBC's ''

Play of the Month ''Play of the Month'' is a BBC television anthology series, which ran from 1965 to 1983 featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays (or adaptations) which were usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different wor ...

'' anthology series, he took the lead in ''Lee Oswald Assassin'' and played Biff to

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

's Willy Loman in ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...

'' (both 1966). Often his characters were likeable but none too bright. Other acting credits include ''

Marriage on the Rocks ''Marriage on the Rocks'' is a 1965 comedy film starring Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, and Dean Martin about a businessman's wife who ends up divorced by mistake and then married to his best friend by an even bigger mistake. The film was written by ...

'' (1965), ''

None but the Brave is a 1965 war film directed by Frank Sinatra, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced by Tokyo Eiga, Toho, and Artanis Productions (credited as Sinatra Enterprises), it was the first film international co-production between Japan and t ...

'' (1965), ''

You're a Big Boy Now ''You're a Big Boy Now'' is a 1966 American comedy film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Based on David Benedictus' 1963 novel of the same name, it stars Elizabeth Hartman, Peter Kastner, Geraldine Page, Rip Torn, Karen Black, ...

'' (1966), '' Never a Dull Moment'' (1968), ''

How to Steal the World ''How To Steal the World'' is a 1968 American Action film, action–adventure film, taken from a two-part episode of the TV series ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin ...

'' (1968), ''

Ice Station Zebra ''Ice Station Zebra'' is a 1968 American espionage thriller film directed by John Sturges and starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown. The screenplay is by Alistair MacLean, Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink, ...

'' (1968), ''

Castle Keep ''Castle Keep'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama war film combining surrealism with tragic realism. It was directed by Sydney Pollack and starred Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Bruce Dern, and Peter Falk. The film app ...

'' (1969), ''

Flap Flap may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Flap'' (film), a 1970 American film * Flap, a boss character in the arcade game ''Gaiapolis'' * Flap, a minor character in the film '' Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'' Biology and he ...

'' (1970), ''

'' (1975), ''

Are You in the House Alone? ''Are You in the House Alone?'' is a 1978 American made-for-television horror film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Kathleen Beller, Blythe Danner, and Dennis Quaid. The film is based on the 1976 novel of the same name written by Richar ...

'' (1978), '' Heart Beat'' (1980), ''

The Little Dragons ''The Little Dragons'' (also known as ''Karate Kids U.S.A.'' or simply ''Karate Kids'') is a 1980 American action adventure film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. The film ...

'' (1980), ''

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

'', '' Pee-wee's Big Adventure'' (1985), and '' Less than Zero'' (1987). Bill continued to act in television movies, miniseries, and guest spots, though with decreasing frequency as he segued into directing. In 1965, Bill guest-starred in "An Echo of Bugles," the opening episode of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...

's Western series '' The Loner,'' playing a hot-headed bully who taunts a Confederate veteran and challenges series star Lloyd Bridges to a duel. He appeared in the 1966 episode "Chaff in the Wind" of the western '' The Virginian'' and the 1966 episode "The Oath" of the western ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

''. He was cast in the 1967 episode "The Predators" of ''The Road West'']. He also starred in a 1968 episode of ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

'' titled "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair, Parts 1 and 2." He was featured on an ABC movie titled ''

Haunts of the Very Rich ''Haunts of the Very Rich'' is a 1972 made-for-TV thriller, broadcast as an ''ABC Movie of the Week''. Plot A group of rich tourists and business people fly to a mysterious tropical resort, the Portals of Eden, hosted by Seacrist. There, they s ...

'' (1972), appeared in the 1977 miniseries '' Washington: Behind Closed Doors'', and the drama anthology series as the narrator ''

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? ''What Really Happened to the Class of '65?'' is a 1976 non-fiction book by Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky. The authors were members of the senior class at Palisades High School in affluent suburban Los Angeles, California, which had been ...

''. In 1980, Bill directed his first film ''

''. He went on to direct ''

'' (1982), '' Five Corners'' (1987), ''

'' (1990), ''

A Home of Our Own ''A Home of Our Own'' is a 1993 American comedy drama film directed by Tony Bill, starring Kathy Bates and Edward Furlong. It is the story of a mother and her six children trying to establish a home in the small fictional town of Hankston, Ida ...

'' (1993), ''

'' (1993), and '' Flyboys'' (2006), which Bill claims was one of the early features shot entirely with digital cameras. For television, Bill directed Truman Capote's '' One Christmas'' (1994), ''

Harlan County War The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal industry skirmishes, executions, bombings and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky, during the 1930s. The incidents involved coal miners ...

'' (2000), and ''Pictures of Hollis Woods'' (2007). In 2009, Bill published the book ''Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Film Set''. The book traces the etymology of the language of the movie set and is filled out with stories from Bill's career in film. From 1984 to 2000, he co-owned with

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

the

72 Market Street Oyster Bar and Grill 72 Market Street Oyster Bar and Grill was a popular Venice, California restaurant founded in 1983 and launched by Tony Bill and Dudley Moore. The small restaurant was a celebrity hot spot which received attention for its food as well as an in hous ...

, a restaurant in Venice, California.

Personal life

Bill married Toni Gray in December 1962.Bob Thomas, "An Overnight Success' Actually Fits Tony Bill" ''The Evening Independent'' (June 12, 1963), p.11 They had a son, Peter Bill, born 1964 and a daughter, Francesca. Currently, he is married to his second wife, the former Helen Buck Bartlett, his producer/partner in Barnstorm Films in Venice. The couple have two daughters, Madeline and Daphne.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bill, Tony 1940 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Film producers from California American male television actors American television directors Living people Skydance Media people Male actors from San Diego University of Notre Dame alumni Film directors from California Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award