Bill Hinnant

Bill Hinnant (1935-1978) was an actor, primarily on stage and known for originating the role of Snoopy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. His musical experience was used when he appeared in a 1969 IBM meeting film "Rowlf-In," for two song bits. He also appeared in a series of Laugh-In style quick pantomime gags, extracting items from a typewriter.
Hinnant made his Broadway debut in Now Time For Sergeants (1957, with Don Knotts) and replaced Fred Gwynne in Here's Love, the 1964 musical version of Miracle on 34th Street. Off-Broadway, he performed in revues (like 1961's All Kinds of Giants, with lyrics by Tom Whedon and music by Sam Pottle). Before the 1967 off-Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Hinnant played Snoopy on the original 1966 record album and reprised it for a 1973 Hallmark Hall of Fame installment. Other musicals include Frank Merriwell (which closed after one performance in 1971) and Hurry, Harry (in the lead but replaced during previews).
On TV, Hinnant recurred during the second season of Pete & Gladys (1961) and made appearances on Naked City, Route 66, and The Phil Silvers Show, as well as commercials. He continued his comic strip adaptation association in the 1972 special Funny Papers (as Beetle Bailey, opposite Northern Calloway as Lt. Flap, and in a "Little Orphan Annie" sketch). Film work include one of the title characters in Four Boys and a Gun (1957), The World of Henry Orient (with Peter Sellers), and A Nice Girl Like Me. 
He was the brother of fellow New York-based actor Skip Hinnant.
==Rowlf-In roles==
Billhinnant-pinafore.jpg|Singing an HMS Pinafore parody
Billhinnant-selectricsam.jpg|as Selectric Samsinging "Rotate and Tilt"
Billhinnant-typewriter1.jpg|Running gag spots
==External links==
*IMDb
*Internet Broadway Database
*Internet Off-Broadway Database
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Category:Henson Films Actors