# William McNamara

William West McNamara (born March 31, 1965) is an American film and television actor.

## Personal life

Born in Dallas, Texas, McNamara is the son of a Ford Motor Company employee and an interior designer. He attended Salisbury School, Columbia University, and studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York.

## Career

McNamara appeared in the feature films Texasville, Stella, Copycat, Surviving the Game, and Stealing Home. On television, he portrayed Montgomery Clift in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story and Ricky Nelson in Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, had a regular role on the Showtime series Beggars and Choosers, was featured in the television movies Doing Time on Maple Drive and Wildflower (CableACE Award nomination), and appeared in NYPD Blue and Law & Order: SVU, among other television series.

## Activism

McNamara is an animal rights activist and vegan. He got his start rescuing cats, dogs, and horses, and now travels the world advocating for animal rights. McNamara has produced several documentaries, including the Nat Geo Wild Network: Animal Intervention, an exposé on the exotic animal industry in the United States.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Opera | Stefano | |
| 1988 | The Beat | Billy Kane | |
| 1988 | Stealing Home | Teenage Billy Wyatt | |
| 1989 | Dream a Little Dream | Joel | |
| 1990 | Stella | Pat Robbins | |
| 1990 | Texasville | Dickie Jackson | |
| 1991 | Wildflower | Sammy Perkins | |
| 1993 | Aspen Extreme | Todd Pounds | |
| 1994 | Storybook | Prince Arthur | |
| 1994 | Surviving the Game | Derek Wolfe Jr. | |
| 1994 | Chasers | Eddie Devane | |
| 1994 | Radio Inside | Matthew Anderson | |
| 1995 | Girl in the Cadillac | Rick | |
| 1995 | Copycat | Peter Foley | |
| 1996 | Dead Girl | Damon | |
| 1996 | Natural Enemy | Jeremy | Video |
| 1996 | Snitch | Shakley | |
| 1997 | Stag | Jon DiCapri | |
| 1997 | The Deli | Kevin | |
| 1997 | Glam | Sonny Daye | |
| 1998 | Sweet Jane | Stan Bleeker | |
| 1998 | The Brylcreem Boys | Sam Gunn | |
| 1998 | Something to Believe In | Mike | |
| 1998 | Ringmaster | Troy Davenport | |
| 1998 | Implicated | Tom Baker | |
| 1999 | Paper Bullets | Laurence McCoy | |
| 2000 | Knockout | Michael DeMarco | |
| 2000 | Just Sue Me | Daniel | |
| 2001 | Time Lapse | Clayton Pirce | Video |
| 2002 | Man of Faith | Bobby Murky | |
| 2004 | The Kings of Brooklyn | Chris Parmel | |
| 2006 | The Iron Man | Gerard | |
| 2007 | The Still Life | Teacher | |
| 2007 | April Moon | David | |
| 2007 | A Dance for Bethany | James Fisher | |
| 2008 | The Grift | Hugh Babcock | |
| 2009 | The Bleeding | Det. Dan Williams | |
| 2010 | The Ascent | Joel | |
| 2011 | The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy | Jones Moon | |
| 2011 | Henry | Paul | Short |
| 2013 | The Devil's Dozen | - | |
| 2013 | Ambushed | Agent Waters | |
| 2013 | My Stepbrother Is a Vampire!?! | Gordon | |
| 2014 | Cut! | Bryan Wolff | |
| 2014 | Stranded | Doc Holliday | |
| 2014 | Historias del canal | Jerry | |
| 2014 | Day of the Mummy | Jack | |
| 2014 | Je T'aime, Au Revoir | Clark | |
| 2014 | Truth | Luke Mezrich | |
| 2014 | Dry | Dr. Brown | |
| 2015 | Beyond the Farthest Star | Calvin Clayman | |
| 2015 | Medusa | Dr. Gleason | |
| 2015 | The Wicked Within | David | |
| 2016 | Streets of East L.A. | Mr. Zelman | |
| 2016 | Last Man Club | Joe Scanlin | |
| 2016 | Fishes 'n Loaves: Heaven Sent | Jimmy Watkins | |
| 2016 | Enemy Within | Solano | |
| 2016 | The Secrets of Emily Blair | Mr. Regan | |
| 2016 | Brothers in Arms | Dennis | Short |
| 2016 | Star Paws | General Ruff | |
| 2017 | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Bradshaw | |
| 2017 | Down on the Farm | | |
| 2017 | Gas Light | Dr. Ernest Hancock | |
| 2017 | The Audit | Jack Healey | Short |
| 2017 | Opus of an Angel | Stephen | |
| 2017 | I Believe | Robert Bruckwood | |
| 2017 | Happenstance | Bodhi | |
| 2018 | Requiescat | Troy | Short |
| 2018 | Left for Dead | Dean | |
| 2018 | Clark | Man | Short |
| 2019 | Rottentail | Jake Mulligan | |
| 2019 | Justice for Vincent | Roger Evans | Short |
| 2019 | Da Pinche Code II | Spiritual Healer | |
| 2019 | The Beginning: Feel the Dead | Daniel | |
| 2020 | Hacked | Tyler Fuller | Short |
| 2020 | The 2nd | Jalil | |
| 2020 | Nowheresville | Agent Gallagher | |
| 2021 | American Desert | Buddy | |
| 2021 | Raunch and Roll | Don | |
| 2022 | Blowback | Doc Byrne | |
| 2022 | Amber Road | James | |
| 2023 | Altered Perceptions | Ron San Diego | |
| 2023 | Mojave Diamonds | Jason David | |
| 2023 | Dead Man's Hand | Johnny | |
| 2024 | Angels Fallen: Warriors of Peace | Roman | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Jay Medford | Episode: "Soldier Boys" |
| 1988 | The Secret of the Sahara | Philip Jordan | Main Cast |
| 1989 | The Edge | Boy | Episode: "Indian Poker" |
| 1989-90 | Island Son | Sam Kulani | Recurring Cast |
| 1991 | ABC Afterschool Special | Johnny Dumont | Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll" |
| 1992 | Doing Time on Maple Drive | Matt Carter | TV movie |
| 1992 | Honor Thy Mother | Chris | TV movie |
| 1992 | Silk Stalkings | Clay Edwards | Episode: "The Brotherhood" |
| 1993 | Extreme Justice | Mark Franklin | TV movie |
| 1993 | Sworn to Vengeance | Michael Burke | TV movie |
| 1995 | Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story | Montgomery Clift | TV movie |
| 1997 | Perversions of Science | Nick Boyer | Episode: "Given the Heir" |
| 1998 | Welcome to Paradox | Q.M. Cooper | Episode: "Blue Champagne Resort" |
| 1998 | Brimstone | Gilbert Jax | Episode: "Encore" |
| 1999 | The Outer Limits | Kimble | Episode: Better Luck Next Time" |
| 1999-2000 | Beggars and Choosers | Brad Advail | Main Cast: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2000 | The Hunger | Kent Johanssen | Episode: "Approaching Desdemona" |
| 2001 | Trapped | C. Whitmore Evans | TV movie |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Sam Bishop | Episode: "Pandora" |
| 2005 | NYPD Blue | Richard Pancava | Episode: "Old Man Quiver" |
| 2005 | McBride: Murder Past Midnight | Tony Harriman | TV movie |
| 2005 | American Black Beauty | Wilford | TV movie |
| 2006 | Nightmares and Dreamscapes | Ricky Nelson | Episode: "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" |
| 2007 | Beyond the Break | Richard | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| 2012 | DTLA | Norm | Recurring Cast |
| 2014 | High School Possession | Reverend Young | TV movie |
| 2015 | The Astronaut Wives Club | Robert Kennedy | Episode: "The Dark Side" |
| 2016 | The Wrong Roommate | Mark | TV movie |
| 2017 | The Wrong Student | Detective Andrade | TV movie |
| 2017 | Running Away | Richard | TV movie |
| 2017 | Feel the Dead | Daniel | Main Cast |
| 2018 | The Wrong Cruise | Pat | TV movie |
| 2018 | A Wedding for Christmas | Frank | TV movie |
| 2018 | Age of the Living Dead | Dr. Howard | Main Cast: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| 2019 | The Wrong Tutor | Mr. Lloyd | TV movie |
| 2020 | The Christmas High Note | Brad | TV movie |
| 2020 | The Wrong Stepfather | Mr. Crane | TV movie |