William Russ

William Russ is an American actor and television director who started on the New York stage before moving into screen work. Born in Portsmouth, he took his first supporting role in Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977), not released until 2003. In the 1980s he played supporting parts in The Border (1982) and The Right Stuff (1983), and appeared in the television film Crisis at Central High. He guest-starred on Miami Vice as the title character of the 1985 episode Evan and made fourteen appearances on Wiseguy as Roger Lococco. His lead role in Pastime (1990), as a veteran minor league pitcher, earned critical acclaim and a 1992 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead. From 1993 to 2000 he played Alan Matthews on Boy Meets World, directing several episodes of its final seasons, and he appeared in American History X (1998) and on The Young and the Restless. He reprised Alan on Girl Meets World.