W. Earl Brown

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W. Earl Brown
Brown in August 2011
Born
William Earl Brown

(1963-09-07) September 7, 1963 (age 60)
EducationMurray State University (BA)
DePaul University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • screenwriter
  • producer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Years active1991–present
Spouse
Carrie Paschall
(m. 1989)
Children1

William Earl Brown (born September 7, 1963) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Kenny, the cameraman in the film Scream (1996), Warren in the film There's Something About Mary (1998), Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006), and the voice and motion capture of Bill in the video game The Last of Us (2013). He has appeared in films such as Backdraft, The Master, Being John Malkovich, The Sessions, Vanilla Sky, The Lone Ranger, and Bloodworth (which he also wrote and produced), as well as series such as Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, The X-Files, Six Feet Under, Preacher, Bates Motel, True Detective, American Horror Story, Chicago Fire, Psych, and The Mandalorian.

Early life[edit]

Brown was born in Golden Pond, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor's degree from Murray State University before moving to Chicago, where he received an MFA from DePaul University Theatre School in 1989.[1][2]

Career[edit]

After his breakout performance in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's outreach staging of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Brown began working in television and film. He appeared in films such as Backdraft, The Babe, Excessive Force, and Rookie of the Year.[3] In 1993, he moved to Los Angeles and was cast in Wes Craven's New Nightmare. He also had a minor role in Craven's Vampire in Brooklyn, and a bigger one as a news cameraman working for Gale Weathers in Craven's Scream. He played Warren in the 1998 comedy film There's Something About Mary and later took roles in Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, The Alamo, and The Big White.

In 2009, Brown wrote, produced, and appeared in the film Bloodworth. His 2010s film credits include The Master, The Sessions, The Lone Ranger, Brother's Keeper, and Wild. On television, he is best known for his portrayal of Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006). He has also guest starred on Bates Motel, Rectify, Luck, American Horror Story, Justified, Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue, X-Files, The Mentalist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ellen, Seinfeld, True Detective,[4] and others. He also portrayed singer Meat Loaf in VH1's television film Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back. In 2013, he performed the voice and motion capture of Bill in the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us.

Brown also writes and performs with the country music band Sacred Cowboys.

He is set to appear in the upcoming film Shirley, which stars Regina King opposite Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, André Holland, Terrence Howard and newcomer Ethan Jones Romero.[5]

Personal life[edit]

Brown married Carrie Paschall in 1989. They live in Los Angeles and have a daughter, Anna.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Backdraft Paramedic
1992 The Babe Herb Pennock
1993 Rookie of the Year Billy Frick (Bullpen Catcher)
1993 Excessive Force Vinnie DiMarco
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Morgue Attendant
1995 Without Evidence Grace
1995 Vampire in Brooklyn 'Thrasher'
1996 Scream Kenny
1997 Kiss the Girls Locksmith
1998 Deep Impact McCloud
1998 There's Something About Mary Warren Jensen
1999 Being John Malkovich J.M. Inc. Customer
2000 Dancing at the Blue Iguana Bobby
2000 Lost Souls William Kelson
2001 Vanilla Sky Barman
2001 Sugar & Spice Hank 'The Terminator' Rogers
2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Bucky From Kentucky
2003 Dunsmore Ronny Roy Pritcher
2004 Killer Diller Holister
2004 The Last Shot Willie Gratzo
2004 The Alamo David Burnet
2005 The Big White Jimbo
2005 Kids in America 'Boss' McGinn
2010 Bloodworth Brady Bloodworth Also writer and producer
2010 The Last Rites of Ransom Pride Matthew
2012 The Sessions Rod
2012 The Master Fighting Businessman
2013 A Single Shot 'Puffy'
2013 AIC 23 Alan Poole McLard Short film, also co-writer
2013 The Lone Ranger Mustached Ranger
2013 Beneath the Harvest Sky Roger
2013 Knights of Badassdom Randy
2013 Brother's Keeper Turner Monroe
2014 Wild Frank
2014 Draft Day Ralph Mowry
2015 Chasing Ghosts Roger Simons
2015 Black Mass Johnny Martorano
2016 Porcupine Owen Talbott
2016 Spaceman Dick Dennis
2018 Dad Band Jim 'Jimbo' Short film, also writer[6]
2019 The Highwaymen 'Ivy' Methvin
2021 No Man of God Warden Wilkenson
2021 The Unforgivable Mac Whelan
2023 The Dead Don't Hurt Alan Kendall
2024 Shirley George Wallace

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Angel Street Patrolman Unknown episode
1993 The Untouchables Jack Zuta 2 episodes
1993 The Woman Who Loved Elvis Pete Television film
1993 Bakersfield P.D. Hood Episode: "The Ex-Partner"
1994 Seinfeld Al Episode: "The Stand In"
1994 Murder, She Wrote Guard Episode: "Murder of the Month Club"
1994 Lily in Winter Sheriff Boyd Television film
1995 Ellen Customer #3 Episode: "Gladiators"
1995 The Single Guy The Cabbie Episode: "Neighbors"
1995 Nowhere Man Roy Episode: "It's Not Such a Wonderful Life"
1996 Project ALF Ernie Television film
1996 A Season in Purgatory Fatty Malloy Television film
1996 Caroline in the City Floyd Gerber Episode: "Caroline and the Therapist"
1996 The Cherokee Kid Calloway Television film
1997 Diagnosis: Murder Dusty Wilton Episode: "Murder, Country Style"
1997 Smart Guy Sonny Episode: "The Dating Game"
1997 Bella Mafia Fredrico Luciano Television film
1998 Profiler Raymond Boudreaux Episode: "The Sum of Her Parts"
1999 Martial Law Larry Gambozza Episode: "Big Trouble"
2000 Chicago Hope Harry Cram Episode: "Cold Hearts"
2000 NYPD Blue Bruce Rhodes Episode: "Welcome to New York"
2000 Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back Meat Loaf Television film
2000 Angel Menlo Episode: "The Shroud of Rahmon"
2001 CSI Roger Peet Episode: "Justice Is Served"
2001 Charmed Shadow / Warlock Episode: "Pre-Witched"
2001 Dead Last Victor Korsky Episode: "The Problem with Corruption"
2001 WANTED COMIX Drew Lujan Episode: "Frank and Beans"
2001 Wolf Lake Bruce Cates Episode: "Excitable Boy"
2002 Philly Billy Temple Episode: "Brotherly Love"
2002 The X-Files Robert M. Fassl Episode: "Underneath"
2002 Six Feet Under Pete Episode: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
2002 Push, Nevada Shadrach 5 episodes
2003 NYPD Blue Terry Parkhurst Episode: "22 Skidoo"
2004 Cold Case Victor Lake Episode: "Maternal Instincts"
2005 CSI: Miami Jesse Kramer Episode: "Whacked"
2004–06 Deadwood Dan Dority 36 episodes; also wrote one episode
2006 Standoff Doug Frohmer Episode: "Man of Steele"
2007 Numbers Abner Stone Episode: "Nine Wives"
2007 Psych Dwayne Tancana Episode: "Bounty Hunters!"
2007 The Minister of Divine 'Buzz' Unsold pilot
2008 The Mentalist Rulon Farnes Episode: "Redwood"
2009 Hawthorne Mr. Deegan Episode: "Trust Me"
2009 CSI 'Slick' Episode: "Appendicitement"
2010 Justified Cal Wallace Episode: "Blowback"
2010 Miami Medical Jesse Episode: "Medicine Man"
2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Phil Critter Episode: "Smoldering Children"
2011 Burn Notice Zechariah Episode: "Besieged"
2011 Breakout Kings Cliff Krauss Episode: "Paid in Full"
2012 Luck Mulligan 2 episodes
2012 Blue Eyed Butcher Thomas Dean Television film
2012 Perception Frank Prentice Episode: "Faces"
2012 Major Crimes Jim Martino Episode: "Before and After"
2013 The Sixth Gun General Oliander Hume Unsold pilot
2013 Bates Motel Keith Summers Episode: "First You Dream, Then You Die"
2013 Rectify The Stranger Episode: "Drip, Drip"
2013 Rogue Charlie 5 episodes
2013 Longmire R.J. Watts Episode: "The Road to Hell"
2014 Ground Floor 'Digger' Tomkins Episode: "Dynamic Duo"
2014 Grey's Anatomy Herb Cramer Episode: "Throwing It All Away"
2014 Chicago Fire Dave Bloom 3 episodes
2015 American Crime Tom Carlin 10 episodes
2015 True Detective Detective Teague Dixon 5 episodes
2015 Documentary Now! Mitch Dragando Episode: "Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee, Part 1"
2015 Wicked City Captain Dan Wilkinson 4 episodes
2016 Archer Head Biker (voice) Episode: "The Handoff"
2016–17 Preacher Hugo Root 11 episodes
2017 Training Day Chief Wade Episode: "Wages of Sin"
2017 I'm Dying Up Here Teddy 7 episodes
2017–18 Superstition The Dredge 3 episodes
2019 Deadwood: The Movie Dan Dority Television film
2019 Reprisal Witt 7 episodes
2020 Hoops (voice) Episode: "The Scout"
2020 The Mandalorian Taanti Episode: "Chapter 9: The Marshal"
2022 The Book of Boba Fett 2 episodes
2022 Hacks Michael 2 episodes
2022 Five Days at Memorial Ewing Cook 7 episodes
2023 Paul T. Goldman Royce Rocco 4 episodes
2023 Hello Tomorrow! Big Fred 6 episodes
2023 The Ghost and Molly McGee Lord Doom (voice) 2 episodes

Video games[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2013 The Last of Us Bill Voice and motion capture

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Department of Theatre". Murray State University. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  2. ^ "From DePaul to "Deadwood": The Scene Stealing Characters of W. Earl Brown". DePaul Advancement News. May 30, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Sean O'Neal (January 6, 2011). "W. Earl Brown". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  4. ^ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (June 6, 2015). "Here's a Description of the True Detective 2 Premiere". Vulture. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 16, 2021). "'Shirley': Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, André Holland, Terrence Howard & More Board Regina King Film As It Heads To Netflix". www.deadline.com. Deadline. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell Joins A Dad Band In New Short Film". Theprp.com. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.

External links[edit]