William Fawcett Thompson (September 8, 1894 – January 25, 1974) was an American character actor who appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Because there were other actors named William Thompson he used his first and middle name when seeking acting roles. He was best known for playing Pete Wilkey in the television series '' Fury'' which ran from 1955 to 1960.

Early life

Fawcett's father was a Methodist minister, and after Fawcett attended

Hamline University Hamline University is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1854, Hamline is known for its emphasis on experiential learning, service, and social justice. The university is named after Bishop Leonidas Lent Hamline o ...

he became licensed to preach in 1916. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he joined the United States Army, serving as an ambulance driver. The French government honored him with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

for his care of the wounded. After his military service, Fawcett became a teacher of English and literature at the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and, after earning a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree in

Elizabethan drama English Renaissance theatre, also known as Renaissance English theatre and Elizabethan theatre, refers to the theatre of England between 1558 and 1642. This is the style of the plays of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson ...

from the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

, he became a professor of theatre arts at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

. In 1925 he married Helene Krag.

Acting career

At the age of 52, Fawcett obtained his first film role in the 1946 Eddie Dean movie Stars Over Texas. He was soon finding steady work acting in movie serials, including

Adventures of Sir Galahad ''Adventures of Sir Galahad'' is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one o ...

(1949), ''Batman and Robin'' (1949), and

Cody of the Pony Express ''Cody of the Pony Express'' is a 1950 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. It starred Jock Mahoney, Dickie Moore, Peggy Stewart and William Fawcett. Plot The plot centers on a young Cody joining forces with the Li ...

(1950) Many of Fawcett's film roles were in B movies, such as 1953's

The Neanderthal Man ''The Neanderthal Man'' is a 78-minute, 1953 American black-and-white science fiction film produced independently by Aubrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen, as Global Productions Inc., from their own original screenplay. It starred Robert Shayne, Ri ...

but he also had small roles in major movies. He played Cubby Crouch in the 1955 George Montgomery film

Seminole Uprising '' Seminole Uprising'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Earl Bellamy and starring George Montgomery based on the 1952 novel ''Bugle's Wake'' by Curt Brandon.''The Comancheros''. Fawcett had roles in seven episodes of

The Roy Rogers Show ''The Roy Rogers Show'' is an American western television series starring Roy Rogers. 100 episodes were broadcast on NBC for six seasons between December 30, 1951 and June 9, 1957. The episodes were set in the prevailing times (1950s) in the st ...

, five episodes of ''The Lone Ranger, as well as episodes of ''

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orph ...

'' and other westerns. In 1955, Fawcett was cast in the role of Pete Wilkey, the raspy-voiced combination housekeeper and ranch hand on the western television series '' Fury''. During the series' opening sequence, the narrator states that Fawcett's character, Pete, cut his teeth on a branding iron. In the first episode, "Joey Finds a Friend", Pete says the captured wild stallion was filled with fire and fury, thus giving the horse his name. Fawcett appeared in all 116 episodes of ''Fury'', which was broadcast Saturday mornings on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

from 1955 through 1960. Fawcett also had a starring role in Gene Barry's TV Western ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

''; appeared in a 1961 episode of ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'' titled " Poker Face" starring Jack Kelly; as the town Sheriff in "Six Feet of Gold" (1960 - S2E20) and in ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' as "Turner" in the 1963 S9E8's "Carter Caper", and as "Packy" in the 1959 S5E8 episode "Box of Rocks".

Death and burial

Fawcett died of cardiovascular disease at 79 years of age on January 25, 1974 in Sherman Oaks, California. He is buried at Roselawn Cemetery, in Roseville, Minnesota. His grave has a World War I veteran’s marker.Scott Wilson, ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d Ed.'', page 236, McFarland, Inc., 2016
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fawcett, William American male film actors American male television actors 1894 births 1974 deaths Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors