Will Oldham
Biography
Will Oldham, born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1970, is a singer-songwriter and actor. He first recorded and performed under different versions of the Palace name between 1993 and 1997, then started using Bonnie Prince Billy for most of his work in 1998. His albums, including I See a Darkness (1999), have earned places on greatest albums lists, and his sound has been compared to folk, country, punk and indie rock. As an actor, he made his film debut as a teenage preacher in John Sayles's Matewan (1987) and later had the part of Baby Jessica's father in the film Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure (1989). He starred as Kurt in Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy (2006), had a small part in her Wendy and Lucy (2008), and had minor roles in Junebug (2005). He appeared as Prognosticator in A Ghost Story (2017) and also narrated documentaries and voiced a character in the video game Kentucky Route Zero (2013).
56years old
Turns 57 on January 15in 94 days
- Born Louisville
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Joseph Will Oldham (birth name)Also credited as Bonnie Prince Billy
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 37 years1987 to 2024
First and latest
Share
Did you know?!
First role
Oldham played the teen preacher in John Sayles's Matewan (1987), a dramatization of a 1920s Appalachian mining community and the Battle of Matewan. After that, he moved to Hollywood to pursue acting.
About the name
Oldham chose the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy because it has many references, including the sound of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the name Nat King Cole, and his memory that Billy the Kid was William Bonney.
Early training
While he was a student, Oldham started making music. It was first a project for Jeff Todd Titon, an ethnomusicologist at Brown University.
Getting ready for a role
Oldham appeared in Jackass 3D in 2010 as a gorilla trainer. He wrote a theme song for filmmaker Lance Bangs as part of the deal to take that role, styled like a Saturday-morning cartoon show.
Beyond film
In the 2013 video game Kentucky Route Zero, Oldham did voice work and served as inspiration for the character named Will.
Will Oldham movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Kelly Reichardt directed two of these films. Three actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Lucy's page
Lucy the Dog's page
Tanya Smith2 films together, 2006 to 2008
Tanya Smith's page
All films by Kelly Reichardt
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.