# Bill McKinney

William Denison McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor. He played the sadistic mountain man in John Boorman's 1972 film Deliverance and appeared in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Captain Terrill, the commander pursuing the last rebels to "hold out" against surrendering to the Union forces in The Outlaw Josey Wales.

## Early life

William Denison McKinney was born September 12, 1931, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He had an unsettled life as a child, moving 12 times. At the age of 19, he joined the Navy during the Korean War. He served two years on a mine sweeper in Korean waters, and was stationed at Port Hueneme in Ventura County, California. After being discharged in 1954, he settled in California, attending acting school at the Pasadena Playhouse in 1957. His classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Mako Iwamatsu. During this time, McKinney became an arborist to earn money, a job which he would hold until the mid-1970s.

## Career

After the Pasadena Playhouse, McKinney moved on to Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio, making his movie debut in exploitation pic She Freak (1967). For 10 years he was a teacher at Cave Spring Middle School. He made his television debut in 1968 on an episode of The Monkees and attracted attention as Lobo in Alias Smith and Jones. The film Deliverance (1972) proved to be his breakthrough, playing the backwoods mountain man who violently rapes Ned Beatty's character.
McKinney's other films in the early 1970s included appearances in Junior Bonner (1972), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) and The Parallax View (1974).
It was with Clint Eastwood that McKinney would become most associated, becoming part of Eastwood's stock company after they worked together in Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974).
He appeared in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) under Eastwood's direction. He appeared in six more Eastwood films, including The Gauntlet (1977), Every Which Way but Loose (1978), Any Which Way You Can (1980) and Pink Cadillac (1989).
Other memorable roles include Jay Cobb, who is done in by John Wayne in Wayne's final film The Shootist (1976). He also appeared in such later films as First Blood (1982), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and The Green Mile (1999). He appeared in the television film The Execution of Private Slovik (1974) and guest-starred on such television shows as Sara, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Starsky & Hutch, The A-Team, Hunter, Murder, She Wrote, Columbo: Swan Song and In The Heat of The Night.
McKinney took up singing in the late 1990s, eventually releasing an album of standards and country and western songs appropriately titled Love Songs from Antri, reflecting Don Job's pronunciation of the infamous town featured in Deliverance. One of his songs featured in the film Undertow, directed by David Gordon Green. He voiced Jonah Hex in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series called "Showdown". He appeared in a cameo in 2001 Maniacs (2005) and had a role in the Robin Hood–inspired horror film Sherwood Horror (2010).

## Death

On December 1, 2011, McKinney died from esophageal cancer at his home in San Fernando, California. He was 80. McKinney's death was announced on his Facebook page on the same day. The announcement read:
   Today our dear Bill McKinney passed away at Valley Presbyterian Hospice. An avid smoker for 25 years of his younger life, he died of cancer of the esophagus. He was 80 and still strong enough to have filmed a Dorito's commercial 2 weeks prior to his passing, and he continued to work on his biography with his writing partner. Hopefully 2012 will bring a publisher for the wild ride his life was. He is survived by son Clinton, along with several ex-wives. R.I.P. Bill sept.12 1931 – dec. 1 2011 [sic].

## Selected filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1967 | She Freak | Steve St. John | |
| 1968 | Firecreek | Bearded Gunfighter | Uncredited |
| 1968 | The Road Hustlers | Hays | |
| 1970 | Angel Unchained | Shotgun | |
| 1972 | Deliverance | Mountain Man | |
| 1972 | Junior Bonner | Red Terwiliger | |
| 1972 | Kansas City Bomber | Buddy Taylor | Uncredited |
| 1972 | The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean | Fermel Parlee | |
| 1973 | Cleopatra Jones | Purdy | |
| 1973 | The Outfit | Buck Cherney | |
| 1974 | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Crazy Driver | |
| 1974 | The Parallax View | Parallax Assassin | |
| 1974 | For Pete's Sake | Rocky | Uncredited |
| 1975 | Breakheart Pass | Reverend Peabody | |
| 1976 | The Outlaw Josey Wales | Captain Terrill | |
| 1976 | Cannonball | Cade Redman | |
| 1976 | The Shootist | Cobb | |
| 1977 | Valentino | Policeman | |
| 1977 | The Gauntlet | Constable | |
| 1978 | Every Which Way but Loose | Dallas | |
| 1979 | When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? | Tommy Clark | |
| 1980 | Carny | Marvin Dill | |
| 1980 | Bronco Billy | Lefty LeBow | |
| 1980 | Any Which Way You Can | Dallas | |
| 1981 | St. Helens | Kilpatrick | |
| 1982 | Tex | Pop McCormick | |
| 1982 | First Blood | Dave Kern | |
| 1983 | Heart Like a Wheel | Don Garlits | |
| 1984 | Against All Odds | Head Coach | |
| 1985 | Final Justice | Chief Wilson | |
| 1987 | Under the Gun | Miller | |
| 1988 | War Party | Mayor | |
| 1989 | Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects | Father Burke | |
| 1989 | Pink Cadillac | Coltersville Bartender | |
| 1990 | Back to the Future Part III | Engineer | |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Matt | |
| 1998 | Where's Marlowe? | Uncle Bill | |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | Jack Van Hay | |
| 2001 | True Legends of the West | Mayor | |
| 2003 | Asylum of the Damned | Gas Station Attendant | |
| 2003 | The Commission | Roy Truly | |
| 2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Acme Vice President | |
| 2004 | Undertow | Grandfather | |
| 2005 | 2001 Maniacs | Chef | |
| 2006 | The Garage | Bernie | |
| 2006 | The Devil Wears Spurs | Barkeeper | |
| 2007 | Take | Benjamin Gregor | |
| 2007 | Lucky You | Satellite Cashier | |
| 2007 | Ghost Town | Victor Burnett | |
| 2008 | Pride and Glory | Cop | |
| 2009 | Fuel | Jake | |
| 2010 | How Do You Know | Maitre d' | |
| 2011 | The Custom Mary | Silent Boss | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1972 | Alias Smith and Jones | Lobo Riggs | Episode: "The Biggest Game in the West" |
| 1993 | Love, Cheat & Steal | Kolchak | Television film |
| 1995 | Batman: The Animated Series | Jonah Hex (voice) | Episode: "Showdown" |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Sheriff Bridges | Episode: "Point After" |