Bill McKinney
| Bill McKinney | |
|---|---|
McKinney in Every Which Way but Loose
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| Born |
September 12, 1931 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 2011 (aged 80) San Fernando, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–2011 |
| Spouse(s) | Felicity McKinney, divorced. |
| Children | Clinton McKinney |
William Denison McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor whose most famous role was the sadistic mountain man in John Boorman's 1972 film Deliverance. McKinney was also recognizable for his performances in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Captain Terrill, commander pursuing the last rebels to "hold out" against surrendering to the Union forces in The Outlaw Josey Wales.
William Denison McKinney was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had an unsettled life as a child, moving 12 times. Once, when his family moved from Tennessee to Georgia, he was beaten by a gang and thrown into a creek. 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. While on leave, he visited Los Angeles and decided he wanted to become an actor. Upon his discharge in 1954, he settled in California, attending acting school at the famous Pasadena Playhouse in 1957. His classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Mako Iwamatsu. During this time, McKinney supported himself by working as an arborist, trimming and taking down trees. He continued working in this field until the mid-1970s, by which time he was appearing in major films.
After the Pasadena Playhouse he moved onto 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 provided his breakthrough in 1972.
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