Muse Watson (born July 20, 1948) is an
American stage and screen actor. He became known for his roles as Ben Willis, the primary antagonist in the ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer
''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...
'' franchise,
Charles Westmoreland on the
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
television series ''
Prison Break
''Prison Break'' is an American serial drama television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows ( Dominic Purcell) and Michael Scofield ( Wentworth Miller); Burrows has been sentenc ...
'' and
Mike Franks in
CBS television series ''
NCIS''.
Early life
Watson was born on July 20, 1948, in
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River of the South, Red River in almost the ex ...
. He attended
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...
on a music
stipend
A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...
for two years before transferring to
Berea College
Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. Berea College charges no tuition; every adm ...
in
Berea, Kentucky
Berea is a home rule-class city in Madison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to Berea College, a private liberal arts college. The population ...
, where he performed for the first time on stage as Petruchio in a production of
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...
''. During and after his years at Berea, he worked in outdoor dramas, dinner theaters, and small repertory groups.
Career
His theater credits include acting as Hamlet in ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...
'', Stanley in ''
A Streetcar Named Desire
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...
'', Pale in ''
Burn This'', and Cervantes in ''
Man of La Mancha
''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cerva ...
.'' He also directed a production of ''
Ain't Misbehavin'''.
In 1989, with a new transition to film, Watson began pursuing feature film roles. By 2005, he had appeared in 43 feature films such as ''
Sommersby'', ''
Something to Talk About'', ''
Assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
Assassin may also refer to:
Origin of term
* Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins
Animals and insects
* Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviid ...
'', ''
Dead Birds'', ''
Rosewood
Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues.
True rosewoods
All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...
'', ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer
''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...
'', ''
From Dusk Till Dawn 2'', ''
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'', ''
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', and ''
Songcatcher''. As of 2005, seven of the films he has appeared in, combined, have grossed over $850 million.
His television credits include eight made-for-television movies including ''Blind Vengeance'' and ''Justice in a Small Town''; and the television series, ''
American Gothic
''American Gothic'' is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the ''American Gothic'' House in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of people efancied shoul ...
'', ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" bookend segments filmed in Wilmington, Nort ...
'', ''
Cold Case
A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...
'', ''
Matlock'', ''
The Lazarus Man'', ''
JAG'', ''
Walker, Texas Ranger
''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the T ...
'', ''
Criminal Minds
''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
'', and ''
Prison Break
''Prison Break'' is an American serial drama television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows ( Dominic Purcell) and Michael Scofield ( Wentworth Miller); Burrows has been sentenc ...
''. He appeared on episodes of ''
Ghost Whisperer
''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010.
The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate wit ...
'' ("Delia's First Ghost", April 2007), which reunited him with his
I Know What You Did Last Summer
''I Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Jim Gillespie, written by Kevin Williamson, and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. It is loosely based on ...
co-star
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series '' Kids ...
, and ''
CSI'' ("Who and What", November 2007). Watson also guest starred in an episode of ''
The Mentalist
''The Mentalist'' is an American drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, the show f ...
'' ("Carnelian, Inc.", March 2009), and in the
''Castle'' episode "Punked" (October 2010). Since 2006, he has appeared as a recurring cast member on ''
NCIS'' as Agent
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series ''NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal ...
's mentor and former superior
Mike Franks.
Watson also gave a performance with
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series '' Kids ...
as a special guest on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'' (1998), parodying his role in ''I Know What You Did Last Summer''. He also joined the production company Shorris Film with
Christopher Showerman
Christopher Clare Showerman (born June 24, 1971) is an American actor, best known for his role as George in '' George of the Jungle 2'' (2003).
Early life
Showerman was born in Jackson, Michigan on June 24, 1971. He was raised in Stockbridge, M ...
and
Clint Morris
Clint Morris is an Australian entertainment writer, publicist and producer. He is the CEO of publicity and publishing firm October Coast, a partner in October Coast Entertainment and a partner in the production company Shorris Film, with produc ...
—their first film is the Western ''Between the Sand and the Sky''. In 2010, Watson filmed ''
A Christmas Snow'', in which he played a character named Sam.
Watson is an advocate for people with autism, and has taken an active role in educating people about autism. He is the honorary chairman of Stars for Autism, a nonprofit organization incorporated in Battlefield, Missouri. He is featured in the video promotion for that organization, www.Stars4Autism.com.
He wrote the foreword to a book for parents and teachers, entitled ''Stars in Her Eyes, Navigating the Maze of Childhood Autism'', by Dr. Linda Barboa and Elizabeth Obrey.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_Info-Blast
[Autism Info-Blast]
External links
*
*
*
* Stars in Her Eyes: Navigating the Maze of Childhood Autism, 2014, L.Barboa and E. Obrey, Tate Publishing.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Muse
1948 births
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
People from Alexandria, Louisiana
Louisiana Tech University alumni
Berea College alumni
Male actors from Louisiana
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Living people