William Kerwin

An American actor and filmmaker, William Kerwin became known for his character work in Herschell Gordon Lewis's movies. Born in San Diego in 1927, he had already earned stage and screen credits when Lewis noticed him in the promotional short Carving Magic. Living Venus marked his first feature for Lewis, and he later appeared in Blood Feast (1963), one of the director's best known works. He also worked behind the camera as an assistant director and makeup technician, and took jobs as gaffer, key grip and prop man. He helped create the gory practical effects that defined Lewis's work. Whether he worked with Lewis or other directors, Kerwin was tied to exploitation cinema, especially nudist and splatter films. He often acted under pseudonyms, including Thomas Wood, so he could take non-union productions.