Early Life
William Thomas Sadler was born on April 13, 1950, in Buffalo, New York. He is the son of William and Jane Sadler. He graduated from Orchard Park High School in Orchard Park, New York, then attended the State University of New York College in Genesco, New York, and the private Ivy-league Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, from which he earned a Master’s Degree in acting with a minor in speech communications.
TV and Film Career
William Sadler’s acting career spans over four decades and encompasses a wide range of film and television roles. He’s known for portraying authoritative figures and villains. Sadler’s early career included appearances in films like “Die Hard 2” (1987) and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989). He gained further recognition in the 1990s with roles in “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) and “A League of Their Own” (1992). William continued to portray memorable characters throughout the 2000s and 2010s, including parts in “Iron Man 3” (2013) and “The Blacklist” (2013-2020). More recently, he’s had roles in series like “Ray Donovan” (2013-2016) and “Succession” (2018-2023).
Stage
Sadler portrayed Julius Caesar in the adaption of William Shakespeare’s play on Broadway. In 1985, he originated the role of Sergeant Toomey in the Broadway production of Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues” which starred American actor Matthew Broderick.
Video Games
William voiced roles in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game “Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy” in 2008 and the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 video game “Fallout: New Vegas” in 2010.
Web
Sadler played President Matthew Ellis in two episodes of the 2016 digital series “WHIH Newsfront” and Bob in four episodes of the 2017 dramatic web series “Day 5.”
Festivals
In 2015, William was a guest at the Texas Frightmare Weekend, a media event celebrating the horror genre held each year in Dallas, Texas.
Accolades
In 1991, Sadler won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey.”
Personal Life
William married Marni Bakst in 1977.
