Cast & creator
Bill Pullman
Best known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Saturday Night Live
William James Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. Pullman made his film debut in Ruthless People (1986), and starred in Spaceballs (1987), The Accidental Tourist and The Serpent and the Rainbow (both 1988), Newsies (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Independence Day (1996), Lost Highway (1997), and Lake Placid (1999). He also voiced Captain Joseph Korso in Titan A.E. (2000). He has also appeared frequently on television, usually in TV films. Since the 21st century began, Pullman has also acted in miniseries and regular series such as Torchwood (2011), playing starring roles in 1600 Penn (2012–13) and The Sinner (2017–2021). In 2021, he had a recurring role in the miniseries Halston. Pullman also has a long stage-acting career. He has appeared on Broadway several times, including in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? (2002).
Also known as: William Pullman, William James Pullman
110
film credits
27
television credits
134
1951–2027 · acting roles
6.3
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (137)
Showing 137 of 137 credits
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Kurt Moss
1999
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
The Graham Norton Show
Self - Guest
2007
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Nature
Narrator (voice)
1982
Cagney & Lacey
1982
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self
1999
Steve
Self
2017
The Equalizer
Brian Plummer
2014
Torchwood
Oswald Danes
2006
The Oscars
Self - Presenter
1953
The Sinner
Harry Ambrose
2017
The Equalizer 2
Brian Plummer
2018
Skavlan
Self - Guest
2009
The Boroughs
Jack Willard
2026
Spaceballs
Lone Starr
1987
Independence Day
President Thomas J. Whitmore
1996
Scary Movie 4
Henry Hale
2006
Fallen Angels
Rich Thurber
1993
Casper
Dr. Harvey
1995
Sleepless in Seattle
Walter
1993
Dark Waters
Harry Dietzler
2019
Night Visions
Major Ben Darnell (segment "A View Through the Window")
2001Night Visions
Director
2001
This Fool
Curtis
2022
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self
1996
Lost Highway
Fred Madison
1997
1600 Penn
President Dale Gilchrist
2012
Independence Day: Resurgence
President Whitmore
2016
While You Were Sleeping
Jack Callaghan
1995
The High Note
Max
2020
A League of Their Own
Bob Hinson
1992
Lake Placid
Jack Wells
1999
The Grudge
Peter Kirk
2004
Halston
David Mahoney
2021
Cursed Films
Self
2020
American Ultra
Krueger
2015
Battle of the Sexes
Jack Kramer
2017
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Self - Actor
2026
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Henry Tibbetts
1951
Sommersby
Orin Meecham
1993
Singles
Dr. Jeffrey Jamison
1992
Titan A.E.
Korso (voice)
2000
The Coldest Game
Joshua Mansky
2019
Wyatt Earp
Ed Masterson
1994
Revelations
Dr. Richard Massey
2005
The Killer Inside Me
Billy Boy Walker
2010
Killing Faith
Ross
2025
Brokedown Palace
Hank Greene
1999
The Last Seduction
Clay Gregory
1994
Malice
Andy Sarafian
1993
Ruthless People
Earl James Mott
1986
The Serpent and the Rainbow
Dennis Alan
1988
Spaceballs: The New One
Lone Starr
2027
Too Big to Fail
Jamie Dimon
2011
Mr. Jones
Construction Site Foreman (uncredited)
1993
The End of Violence
Mike
1997
Lola Versus
Lenny
2012
Newsies
Bryan Denton
1992
Lucky Numbers
Detective Pat Lakewood
2000
The Cove
Thanks
2009
Cymbeline
Sicilius Leonatus
2014
Sibling Rivalry
Nicholas Meany
1990
The Accidental Tourist
Julian Hedge
1988
The Guilty
Callum Crane
2000
Phoebe in Wonderland
Peter Lichten
2008
Bottle Shock
Jim Barrett
2008
Tiger Cruise
Gary Dolan
2004
Epic Yellowstone
Narrator (voice)
2019
Murdaugh Murders: The Movie
Alex Murdaugh
2023
You Kill Me
Dave
2007
Zero Effect
Daryl Zero
1998
Surveillance
Sam Hallaway
2008
Red Sky
John Webster
2014
The Unbelievers
Self
2013
Igby Goes Down
Jason
2002
Nobel Son
Max Mariner
2007
Walking Out
Clyde
2017
Brother Nature
Jerry Turley
2016
Mistrial
Steve Donohue
1996
LBJ
Ralph Yarborough
2017
The Ballad of Lefty Brown
Lefty Brown
2017
Mr. Wrong
Whitman Crawford
1996Dark Waters: The Cost of Being a Hero
Self
2019
Alien Autopsy
Morgan Banner
2006
The Favor
Peter
1994
Peacock
Edmund French
2010
Liebestraum
Paul Kessler
1991
Dear Wendy
Krugsby
2005
Spy Games
Harry Howe / Ernie Halliday
1999
Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion
Self
1996
Rocket Gibraltar
Crow Black
1988
Famous
National Theatre Live: All My Sons
Joe Keller
2019
Innocent
Rusty Sabich
2011
Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Harry
2026
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
Self (archive footage)
2013Playmates
Hugh Hefner
Phone
Duke
1992
Bright Angel
Bob
1990The Making of 'Independence Day'
Self
1996
Another Day: The Making of 'Independence Day: Resurgence'
Self
2016
Going Under
Biff Banner
1991
May in the Summer
Edward
2014
The Basics of Philosophy
Melvyn Jorrisen
2026
29 Palms
The Ticket Clerk
2002
Crazy in Love
Nick Symonds
1992
Bringing Up Bobby
Kent
2011
Brain Dead
Dr. Rex Martin
1990
A Man Is Mostly Water
Parking Fascist
2000
Merry Christmas, George Bailey
George Bailey
1997
Ignition
Conor Gallagher
2002
The Virginian
The Virginian
2000The Virginian
Director
2000
A Thousand Junkies
Bill Pullman
2017
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
Self
1997
Cold Feet
Buck
1989
Nervous Ticks
York Daley
1992
Roland Emmerich - Weltenzerstörer, Weltenerbauer
Self - actor
2025
Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square
Self
1991
Kingdom Come
Self
2012
Rio Sex Comedy
William
2010
Spaceballs: The Documentary
Self
2005John Candy: Comic Spirit
Self
2005
The War of 1996: A United World News Special
President Whitmore
2016Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live
2000
Home Fires Burning
Lt. Henry Tibbettes
1989
Rick
Rick O'Lette
2003
Your Name Here
William J. Frick
2008
Trouble
Ben
2018
American Horses
Narrator (voice)
2022
Yellowstone
(voice)
2020
Parables of War
Self
2015
The Fruit Hunters
Narrator (voice)
2012
Charlie Russell's Old West
Charles M. Russell
2020A Bridge Between
Bobby Verdun