William Duell

Biography

William Duell was an American actor and singer who studied at Green Mountain Junior College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Yale and worked as a character player on stage and screen. He was born in Corinth, New York, in 1923. His best-known stage part was Congressional custodian Andrew McNair in the Broadway musical 1776, which he played through the whole run without an understudy and repeated in the film 1776 (1972); he returned for the show's 1997 Broadway revival, taking over the role of Caesar Rodney. He played Jim Sefelt in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Johnny the Shoe Shine Guy in the crime comedy series Police Squad! Short and odd-looking, he was called a character actor with a Shakespearean background who took many minor parts in plays, films and television. His last work was a cameo in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

88years old at death

Born August 30, 1923Corinth
Died December 22, 2011Manhattan
Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
Also credited as Darwin William Duell

Movie Career

Films: 5
Career span: 27 years1972 to 1999

Every film, newest first

1999The Out-of-TownersIMDb rating 5.5
1996PalookavilleIMDb rating 6.5
1988Funny FarmIMDb rating 6.2
1975One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestIMDb rating 8.6
19721776IMDb rating 7.6

Genres

Did you know?!

A first
Duell's final acting job was a cameo appearance in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a film released in 2003.
Beyond film
In 2010, Duell took part in a staged reading of Stephen Sondheim's Evening Primrose. The reading was performed on one night only.

William Duell movies on Netflix

The Out-of-Towners1999IMDb rating 5.5as Lost Baggage Clerk
Palookaville1996IMDb rating 6.5as Money Truck Guard
Funny Farm1988IMDb rating 6.2as Old Character
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975IMDb rating 8.6as Sefelt
17761972IMDb rating 7.6as Andrew McNair

Worked with

William Duell shares two films with Nesbitt Blaisdell, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Nesbitt Blaisdell

Christopher Lloyd

Brad Dourif

Danny DeVito

John Cleese

Mike Starr

Milos FormanDirector, 1 film

George Roy HillDirector, 1 film

Sam WeismanDirector, 1 film

Films together

Nesbitt Blaisdell2 films together, 1988 to 1996
Nesbitt Blaisdell's page
- Palookaville1996IMDb rating 6.5Duell as Money Truck GuardBlaisdell as Old Fritz
- Funny Farm1988IMDb rating 6.2Duell as Old CharacterBlaisdell as Hank
Christopher Lloyd1 film together, 1975
Christopher Lloyd's page
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975IMDb rating 8.6Duell as SefeltLloyd as Max Taber
Brad Dourif1 film together, 1975
Brad Dourif's page
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975IMDb rating 8.6Duell as SefeltDourif as Billy Bibbit
Danny DeVito1 film together, 1975
Danny DeVito's page
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975IMDb rating 8.6Duell as SefeltDeVito as Martini
John Cleese1 film together, 1999
John Cleese's page
- The Out-of-Towners1999IMDb rating 5.5Duell as Lost Baggage ClerkCleese as Mr. Mersault
Mike Starr1 film together, 1988
Mike Starr's page
- Funny Farm1988IMDb rating 6.2Duell as Old CharacterStarr as Crocker
Milos FormanDirector, 1 film, 1975
All films by Milos Forman
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975IMDb rating 8.6Duell as Sefelt
George Roy HillDirector, 1 film, 1988
All films by George Roy Hill
- Funny Farm1988IMDb rating 6.2Duell as Old Character
Sam WeismanDirector, 1 film, 1999
All films by Sam Weisman
- The Out-of-Towners1999IMDb rating 5.5Duell as Lost Baggage Clerk

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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