Bill Thurman

Biography

Bill Thurman was an American actor on film and television. He was born in Texas in 1920. Starting in the early 1960s, he worked steadily in B movies and independent films until he died in 1995, frequently playing sheriffs or redneck types. He specialized in regional pictures made for distribution only in the Southern States. The low-budget director Larry Buchanan cast him in several films, including In the Year 2889. He also appeared in two films by Steven Spielberg. In Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971) he played Coach Popper, the husband of Cloris Leachman's character. He acted in popular television shows such as Dallas and Centennial. Later he was Reverend McWiley in the horror film Mountaintop Motel Massacre (1983).

74years old at death

Born November 4, 1920Texas
Died April 13, 1995Dallas
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21

Movie Career

Films: 16
Career span: 21 years1967 to 1988

Genres

Drama56%, 9 films
Horror50%, 8 films
Sci-Fi25%, 4 films
Crime19%, 3 films
Thriller19%, 3 films

First and latest

Bill Thurman movies on Netflix

It Takes Two1988IMDb rating 5.4as Bus Driver
Alamo Bay1985IMDb rating 6.1as Sheriff
Silverado1985IMDb rating 7.2as Carter
Mountaintop Motel Massacre1983IMDb rating 4.6as Reverend Bill McWiley
Raggedy Man1981IMDb rating 6.8as Sheriff
Tom Horn1980IMDb rating 6.8as Ora Haley
Creature from Black Lake1976IMDb rating 5.1as Sheriff Billy Carter
'Gator Bait1974IMDb rating 5.4as Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas
The Sugarland Express1974IMDb rating 6.7as Hunter
Where the Red Fern Grows1974IMDb rating 6.9as Sam Bellington
Encounter with the Unknown1972IMDb rating 4.7as Second Man
The Last Picture Show1971IMDb rating 8.0as Coach Popper
In the Year 28891969IMDb rating 2.9as Tim Henderson(Billy Thurman)
Curse of the Swamp Creature1968IMDb rating 2.6as Driscoll West…
The Eye Creatures1967IMDb rating 2.4as Sergeant
Zontar: The Thing from Venus1967IMDb rating 3.2as Police Chief Brad Crenshaw

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

The Last Picture Show1971 Dramaas Coach Popper
IMDb rating 8.058K votes
Mountaintop Motel Massacre1983 Horror, Thrilleras Reverend Bill McWiley
IMDb rating 4.62.1K votes
'Gator Bait1974as Sheriff Joe Bob Thomas
IMDb rating 5.41.7K votes
The Sugarland Express1974as Hunter
IMDb rating 6.723K votes
Creature from Black Lake1976as Sheriff Billy Carter
IMDb rating 5.12.0K votes
Where the Red Fern Grows1974as Sam Bellington
IMDb rating 6.94.2K votes
Silverado1985as Carter
IMDb rating 7.255K votes
Alamo Bay1985as Sheriff
IMDb rating 6.11.5K votes

Most often with

Larry Buchanan directed four of these films. Three actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

James N. Harrell

Jessie Lee Fulton

Tony Huston

Ben Johnson

John Agar

Mickey JonesLarry BuchananDirector, 4 films

Films together

James N. Harrell3 films together, 1972 to 1981
James N. Harrell's page
- Raggedy Man1981IMDb rating 6.8Thurman as SheriffHarrell as Ticket Taker
- The Sugarland Express1974IMDb rating 6.7Thurman as HunterHarrell as Mark Fenno
- Encounter with the Unknown1972IMDb rating 4.7Thurman as Second ManHarrell as Brother Taylor(Jim Harrell)
Jessie Lee Fulton3 films together, 1971 to 1981
Jessie Lee Fulton's page
- Raggedy Man1981IMDb rating 6.8Thurman as SheriffFulton as Miss Pud
- The Sugarland Express1974IMDb rating 6.7Thurman as HunterFulton as Mrs. Nocker
- The Last Picture Show1971IMDb rating 8.0Thurman as Coach PopperFulton as Miss Mosey
Tony Huston3 films together, 1967 to 1968
Tony Huston's page
- Curse of the Swamp Creature1968IMDb rating 2.6Thurman as Driscoll West…Huston as Tom(Tony Houston)
- The Eye Creatures1967IMDb rating 2.4Thurman as SergeantHuston as Culver's Sergeant(Tony Houston)
- Zontar: The Thing from Venus1967IMDb rating 3.2Thurman as Police Chief Brad CrenshawHuston as Keith Ritchie(Anthony Houston)
Ben Johnson2 films together, 1971 to 1974
Ben Johnson's page
- The Sugarland Express1974IMDb rating 6.7Thurman as HunterJohnson as Captain Harlan Tanner
- The Last Picture Show1971IMDb rating 8.0Thurman as Coach PopperJohnson as Sam the Lion
John Agar2 films together, 1967 to 1968
John Agar's page
- Curse of the Swamp Creature1968IMDb rating 2.6Thurman as Driscoll West…Agar as Barry Rogers
- Zontar: The Thing from Venus1967IMDb rating 3.2Thurman as Police Chief Brad CrenshawAgar as Dr. Curt Taylor
Mickey Jones2 films together, 1980 to 1988
Mickey Jones's page
- It Takes Two1988IMDb rating 5.4Thurman as Bus DriverJones as Bucholtz
- Tom Horn1980IMDb rating 6.8Thurman as Ora HaleyJones as Brown's Hole Rustler
Larry BuchananDirector, 4 films, 1967 to 1969
All films by Larry Buchanan
- In the Year 28891969IMDb rating 2.9Thurman as Tim Henderson(Billy Thurman)
- Curse of the Swamp Creature1968IMDb rating 2.6Thurman as Driscoll West…
- The Eye Creatures1967IMDb rating 2.4Thurman as Sergeant
- Zontar: The Thing from Venus1967IMDb rating 3.2Thurman as Police Chief Brad Crenshaw
Also two films together9 more actors
- Annabelle WeenickEncounter with the Unknown (1972) and Curse of the Swamp Creature (1968)
- Neil FletcherIn the Year 2889 (1969) and Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
- Gary BrocketteEncounter with the Unknown (1972) and The Last Picture Show (1971)
- Jeff AlexanderCurse of the Swamp Creature (1968) and Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
- Jonathan LedfordThe Eye Creatures (1967) and Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
- Charles McLineCurse of the Swamp Creature (1968) and The Eye Creatures (1967)
- George EdgleyThe Eye Creatures (1967) and Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
- Shirley McLineCurse of the Swamp Creature (1968) and The Eye Creatures (1967)
- Warren HammackThe Eye Creatures (1967) and Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.