# William Ragsdale

Robert William Ragsdale (born January 19, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for playing Charley Brewster in the cult horror-comedy film Fright Night (1985) and its sequel Fright Night Part 2 (1988), and Herman Brooks on the television series Herman's Head (1991–94).

## Early life and education

Ragsdale was born January 19, 1961, in El Dorado, Arkansas, and attended Hendrix College, where he appeared in plays alongside Natalie Canerday.

## Career

He garnered attention as the young hero of Fright Night and Fright Night Part 2 and onstage in Neil Simon's plays Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, two of the three parts of Simon's trilogy, which ends with Broadway Bound. Ragsdale featured in the romance comedy movie Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991).
Ragsdale has had a sporadic career with regard to prime-time television. He featured for three years on Herman's Head. He had a brief recurring role in the television series Judging Amy. He played a television producer for Grosse Pointe, which lasted one season.
He was cast in the pilot for Charmed, but refused the series to feature in the short-lived situation comedy Brother's Keeper. He appeared on Ellen as the boyfriend of Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) before her character revealed her homosexuality. He has had guest roles on television, including a four-episode stint on Less than Perfect, as well as small feature movie roles.
He played the role of Gary Hawkins in 12 episodes of the television series Justified from March 2010 through March 2012, during the series' first three seasons. In 2014, he played Chris Smith in the remake of the movie Left Behind.
In 2017, he appeared in the role of Reverend Todd in the Off-Broadway production of Man from Nebraska at the Second Stage Theatre.
In 2023, Ragsdale appeared as a vampire-hunting priest in the horror comedy Renfield, a nod to his Fright Night role.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1979 | Screams of a Winter Night | Service Station Attendant |
| 1985 | Fright Night | Charley Brewster |
| 1985 | Smooth Talk | Jeff |
| 1988 | Fright Night Part 2 | Charley Brewster |
| 1991 | Mannequin Two: On the Move | Jason Williamson / Prince William |
| 1998 | Just a Little Harmless Sex | Brent |
| 2006 | Big Momma's House 2 | Bob |
| 2006 | Road House 2 | Sands Cooper |
| 2006 | The Last Time | Rogers |
| 2007 | The Reaping | Sheriff Cade |
| 2007 | LA Blues | Paul Cooper |
| 2008 | What Just Happened | Agent #1 |
| 2009 | Wonderful World | Buford Parks |
| 2012 | Thunderstruck | Joe Newall |
| 2013 | Broken City | Mr. Davies |
| 2014 | Left Behind | Chris Smith |
| 2018 | Alex Strangelove | Ron Truelove |
| 2019 | When We Dance the Music Dies | Tom Walton |
| 2023 | Renfield | Priest |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Santa Barbara | Student | Episode #1.43 |
| 1989 | Wally and the Valentines | Wally Gillis | Television film |
| 1990 | The Bobby & Larry Show | Larry | Television film |
| 1991 | Frankenstein: The College Years | Mark Chrisman | Television film |
| 1991–1994 | Herman's Head | Herman Brooks | 72 episodes |
| 1994–1997 | Ellen | Dan | 4 episodes |
| 1995 | Favorite Deadly Sins | Todd Farrit | Television film |
| 1995 | Nowhere Fast | Zack | Television film |
| 1996 | Hope & Gloria | Danny Saterfield | 2 episodes |
| 1996 | Bunk Bed Brothers | Matt Archer | Television film |
| 1997 | Faster Baby, Kill | Andrew Kincaid | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1998–1999 | Brother's Keeper | Porter Waide | 23 episodes |
| 2000–2001 | Grosse Pointe | Rob Fields | 17 episodes |
| 2000–2003 | Judging Amy | Charles Duff | 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Miss Match | Russell Dixon | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2004 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dr. Anthony Parker | Episode: "The 5 Wood" |
| 2004 | Less than Perfect | Mitch Calgrove | 4 episodes |
| 2004 | The Madam's Family: The Truth About the Canal Street Brothel | B. B. Boudreaux | Television film |
| 2005 | Romy and Michele: In the Beginning | Kevin | Television film |
| 2005 | The Bad Girl's Guide | Mr. Dooley | Episode: "The Guide to Baby Talk" |
| 2005 | Pizza My Heart | Tommy | Television film |
| 2005 | Campus Confidential | Principal Glavin | Television film |
| 2006 | For One Night | Earl Randall | Television film |
| 2006 | Still Standing | Dan Goldman | Episode: "Still Graduating" |
| 2007 | Crossing Jordan | Bob | Episode: "Shattered" |
| 2007 | The War at Home | Doctor | Episode: "The Graduate" |
| 2007 | The Game | Rick | Episode: "The Big Chill" |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Scott McKinney | Episode: "What Would We Do Without You?" |
| 2007 | Entourage | Frank Giovanello | Episode: "The Day Fuckers" |
| 2008 | Without a Trace | Robert Newton | Episode: "Hard Reset" |
| 2008 | Medium | Russell Furlong | Episode: "A Cure for What Ails You" |
| 2008 | Living Proof | Mark | Television film |
| 2009 | Cold Case | Glenn Drew '67 | Episode: "The Brush Man" |
| 2010 | The Mentalist | Murphy Traver | Episode: "Cackle-Bladder Blood" |
| 2010 | CSI: Miami | Kenneth McGuire | Episode: "Manhunt" |
| 2010–2012 | Justified | Gary Hawkins | 13 episodes |
| 2011 | Bird Dog | Deputy Russell Gitz | Television film |
| 2012 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dr. Bill Ryan | Episode: "Tressed to Kill" |
| 2012 | Shake It Up | Announcer | Episode: "Judge It Up" |
| 2012 | Perception | Dr. Julian Corvis | Episode: "Lovesick" |
| 2012 | Touch | Travis Cooper | Episode: "The Road Not Taken" |
| 2013 | Necessary Roughness | Dr. Strauss | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | NCIS | Brett Creevy | Episode: "Oil and Water" |
| 2014 | Drop Dead Diva | Alan Peterson | Episode: "Desperate Housewife" |
| 2014 | Mistresses | Dr. Blakeley | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | White Collar | Jack Conroy | Episode: "All's Fair" |
| 2015 | Red Band Society | Leo's Father | Episode: "The Guilted Age" |
| 2015 | Criminal Minds | Capt. Dale Shavers | Episode: "Lockdown" |
| 2016 | Blindspot | Russell Franklin | Episode: "Swift Hardhearted Stone" |
| 2016 | BrainDead | Hank Leafton | Episode: "Playing Politics: Living Life in the Shadow of the Budget Showdown - A Critique" |
| 2016 | Search Party | Chuck | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Elementary | Patrick Moore | Episode: "Pick Your Poison" |
| 2017 | A Very Merry Toy Store | Pete Griffin | Television film |
| 2018 | Madam Secretary | Peter Gunderson | Episode: "Mitya" |
| 2018 | The Good Fight | Rodney Pebbler | Episode: "Day 464" |
| 2019 | NOS4A2 | Auctioneer | Episode: "Gunbarrel" |
| 2019 | Instinct | Lockhart | Episode: "Finders Keepers" |
| 2019 | The Deuce | Hoffman | Episode: "This Trust Thing" |
| 2019, 2021 | Younger | Jeffrey Jacobs | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Blue Bloods | Lt. Dean Stafford | Episode: "Vested Interests" |
| 2020 | Black-ish | Dr. Chubb | Episode: "Best Supporting Husband" |
| 2021 | The Blacklist | Carl Conway | Episode: "The Fribourg Confidence (No. 140)" |
| 2021 | Only Murders in the Building | Herman Brooks | Episode: "To Protect and Serve" (archival footage) |