Billy Campbell

William Oliver "Billy" Campbell (born July 7, 1959) is an American film and television actor. In television, he is best known for his roles as Rick Sammler on Once and Again, as Det. Joey Indelli on Crime Story, as Jordan Collier on The 4400, and as Dr. Jon Fielding on the Tales of the City Miniseries. He is also known for his recurring role as Luke Fuller in Dynasty which was his first prominent role. His most notable films include The Rocketeer, Bram Stoker's Dracula and Enough. He portrayed Darren Richmond on the AMC television series The Killing, and played Dr. Alan Farragut in the SyFy series Helix.

Career

After an appearance in an episode of the hit 1980s sitcom Family Ties, Campbell's first prominent role was that of Luke Fuller, Steven Carrington's lover on Dynasty. Campbell appeared in the show's fifth season (1984â€"85) when Dynasty was the number one show on American television. Following this, he had a regular role as Detective Joey Indelli on the 1986â€"88 NBC series Crime Story.

Campbell was the first choice of the producers of Star Trek: The Next Generation to play the role of William Riker, but lost the role to Jonathan Frakes. In 1988, Campbell would appear as a guest star in the second season episode "The Outrageous Okona".

In 1991, Campbell played the lead role in the retro sci-fi fantasy film The Rocketeer. He then played Quincey Morris, a vampire hunter in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In 1993, he starred in the short-lived detective series Moon Over Miami, and also won the role of Dr. Jon Fielding in the television adaptation of Tales of the City, based on the bestselling novels by Armistead Maupin. He would go on to appear in the sequels More Tales of the City in 1998, and Further Tales of the City in 2001.

In 1999, Campbell began what is probably his most famous role, that of Rick Sammler on the ABC series Once and Again. The series ran for three seasons until 2002, during which time Campbell received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series. Campbell then had a regular role as Jordan Collier on the sci-fi series The 4400, which aired for four seasons on the USA Network between 2004-2007. In 2005, he had a recurring role in the teen soap The O.C.

In recent years, Campbell has often played villains. After his role in the 2002 film Enough, in which he played the abusive husband of Jennifer Lopez's character, he portrayed serial killer Ted Bundy in the 2003 made-for-TV movie The Stranger Beside Me. He then played a college professor accused of raping a student in a 2004 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and also played an accused serial killer who defends himself in the 2007 television series Shark.

In 2010, Campbell had a recurring role in the short-lived revival of Melrose Place. Following this, Campbell took a prominent role in the AMC series The Killing, an American remake of the Danish series of the same name. In 2012, Campbell played the stern but kindly father in the independent film, "Fat Kid Rules the World."

In 2000, Campbell was named one of the "World's 50 Most Beautiful People" by People magazine.

In 2013, he starred as Abraham Lincoln in the National Geographic television adaptation of Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's book, Killing Lincoln.

Personal life

Campbell was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. He attended Fork Union Military Academy and Western Albemarle High School. His parents divorced when he was two years old. He has volunteered as an actor with the Young Storytellers Program. He is good friends with actor and Crime Story co-star Stephen Lang. Campbell portrayed General George Pickett in the 2003 film Gods and Generals, a part previously played by Lang in the 1993 film Gettysburg in which Campbell also co-starred.

During the filming of 1991's The Rocketeer, he began a romance with co-star Jennifer Connelly, 11 years his junior. They were involved for five years before they broke up in 1996.

Campbell is a rugby enthusiast, having played rugby with the Chicago Lions RFC and the Santa Monica Rugby Club.

A major reason that Campbell sought out the role of Jordan Collier in the TV series The 4400 is filming was located in Vancouver, Canada. When filming he is drawn to locations. To quote Campbell on Vancouver: "Vancouver is one of my favorite places on earth. It's gray and rainy there a lot the time, but for some reason, even though it's gray and rainy, I feel like it's a sunny day." "...the city of my dreams: Vancouver."

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

• List of Star Trek: The Next Generation actors

References

External links

• Billy Campbell at the Internet Movie Database