William Fichtner

William Edward Fichtner, born on November 27, 1956, is an American actor renowned for his versatility across television and film. In television, he has portrayed notable characters such as Sheriff Tom Underlay in "Invasion," Alexander Mahone in "Prison Break," Carl Hickman in "Crossing Lines," and Adam Janikowski in "Mom."
Fichtner's filmography is marked by standout performances in various genres. He has appeared in acclaimed movies like "Heat," "Contact," "Armageddon," "The Perfect Storm," "Go," "Crash," "Black Hawk Down," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Dark Knight." His ability to embody diverse characters has cemented his reputation as a prolific character actor in Hollywood.


William Edward Fichtner was born on Mitchel Air Force Base on Long Island and grew up in Cheektowaga, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. He is the son of Patricia A. (née Steitz) and William Frederick Fichtner. Fichtner has German ancestry.
He completed his high school education at Maryvale High School in 1974. Following this, he earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Farmingdale State College in 1976. Later, he attended the College at Brockport, State University of New York, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice in 1978. Fichtner initially took a theatrical improvisation class to fulfill a fine arts requirement, but his professor encouraged him to pursue further acting classes. Subsequently, he enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.


In recognition of his achievements, Fichtner was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Farmingdale State College on May 18, 2008. During his acceptance speech, he credited Farmingdale admissions counselor Don Harvey for inspiring his decision to pursue acting. Harvey, who became a close friend, introduced Fichtner to his first Broadway show.


William Fichtner began his acting career portraying Josh Snyder in the soap opera "As the World Turns" in 1987. Since then, he has appeared in numerous films, including "Contact," "Heat," "Armageddon," "Go," "Equilibrium," "Black Hawk Down," "The Perfect Storm," "The Longest Yard," "Crash," "Ultraviolet," "Drive Angry," and "The Dark Knight." While primarily known as a character actor, he had a leading role in "Passion of Mind," alongside Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgård.
His performance in "Crash" earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and a Best Acting Ensemble award from the Broadcast Film Critics Choice. Additionally, Fichtner appeared in the CBS sitcom "Mom" from 2015 to 2021.


William Fichtner has lent his voice to several video game characters, including Ken Rosenberg in the popular games "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." He is credited as Willian Fichtner in Vice City and Bill Fichtner in San Andreas.
On television, Fichtner starred as Sheriff Tom Underlay in the sci-fi series "Invasion" from 2005 to 2006. Following the cancellation of "Invasion," he portrayed FBI Agent Alexander Mahone in the hit series "Prison Break" from 2006 to 2009.


In addition to his television roles, Fichtner appeared in various films, including "The Dark Knight," where he played the corrupt Gotham National Bank manager, and "Equilibrium," where he portrayed Jurgen. He also portrayed Eric Sacks in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2014).
Fichtner's versatility extends to voice acting, as he voiced Master Sergeant Sandman in the 2011 video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3." He also had a recurring role as TV producer Phil Yagoda on the series "Entourage" in June 2009.


William Fichtner is known for his passionate support of the NFL team, the Buffalo Bills. He showcased his allegiance by appearing in a commercial for the team before the 2014 season. Additionally, he lent his distinctive voice to narrate the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "Four Falls of Buffalo," which chronicles the Buffalo Bills' remarkable journey to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Fichtner maintains close friendships with his co-stars from the film "Black Hawk Down," including Kim Coates and Eric Bana.

References

1.  Faris, Anna (host) (2019-11-25). "Bill Fichtner". Unqualified. Event occurs at 0:30. William Edward Fichtner—not a 'junior', my father's middle name was Frederick
2. ^ "William Fichtner Biography (1956-)". FilmReference.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
3. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (January 17, 2002). "'Black Hawk Down' Comes Up in D.C." People. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
4. ^ David Niles. "Worcester Telegram & Gazette Archives". Nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
5. ^ The Post-Journal (December 29, 2009). "Patricia A. Fichtner". Post-Journal. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
6. ^ "FAQs and Q&A with William Fichtner". WilliamFichtner.org (official site). Archived from the original on June 18, 2007. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
7. ^ "This made William Fichtner switch from a career in criminal justice to acting #insideofyou #actor" – via www.youtube.com.