Tony Bill
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
Tony Bill has taught screenwriting at USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and Sherwood Oaks Experimental College.
Bill has been on the Board of Governors of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on its Board of Trustees. He has also been the chairman of the Producer's Branch of the Academy.
Biography
American producer-director of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s began his career as an actor in the 60s, first appearing on screen as Frank Sinatra's ingenuous younger brother in "Come Blow Your Horn" (1963). Bill specialized in likeable but none-too-bright juveniles and young leads. His acting credits include "None But the Brave" (1965), "You're A Big Boy Now" (1966), "Ice Station Zebra" (1968), "Shampoo" (1975, an especially enjoyable performance), and "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985). Bill continued to act in TV-movies, miniseries, and guest spots though with decreasing frequency since the mid-80s.
Bill moved into production in the early 70s, co-founding Bill/Phillips Productions with Julia and Michael Phillips in 1971. The company's first released production was the Jane Fonda/Donald Sutherland vehicle, "Steelyard Blues" (1973) and that same year, they scored a huge success with the Oscar-winning "The Sting," starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. He subsequently formed his own company, Tony Bill Productions, but, with the Phillipses was involved in translating what would become Paul Schrader's first produced screenplay into one of the classic American films of the 70s, Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" (1976).
Bill's output as a producer-director has been varied and uneven, ranging from his engaging debut, the sensitive teen comedy-drama, "My Bodyguard" (1980), to the flawed but finely acted "Five Corners" (1987), to Dudley Moore vehicles like "Six Weeks" (1982) and "Crazy People" (1990). He has also directed TV-movies, pilots, an episode of Shelley Duvall's "Faerie Tale Theater" and commercials. In the 90s, Bill's features continued to demonstrate his interest in mainstream character-driven narratives. "Untamed Heart" (1993), an impressively sincere post-teen romance with surprisingly dark undertones, starred Christian Slater, Marisa Tomei and Rosie Perez. That same year, Bill helmed "A Home of Our Own," a defiantly hokey but touching slice of Americana about a plucky single Mom (Kathy Bates) and her "tribe" of six kids struggling to make ends meet in 1950s Idaho.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Cast (Special)
Producer (Special)
Cast (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1963
Film acting debut in "Come Blow Your Horn"
1965
TV acting debut in episode of "Ben Casey"
1966
British TV acting debut in title role of "Lee Oswald--Assassin" (BBC)
1971
Co-founded and operated Bill/Phillips Productions with Julia and Michael Phillips
1972
Produced first feature, "Deadhead Miles", written by Terence Malick; shelved and unreleased until 1982
1973
First released film as producer (with Julia and Michael Phillips), "Steelyard Blues"
1973
Joined Tomorrow Entertainment as a producer and consultant
1973
Founded Tony Bill Productions
1975
First film as solo producer, "Hearts of the West"
1980
Film directing debut, "My Bodyguard"
1982
Directed Dudley Moore in "Six Weeks"
1987
Played Andrew McCarthy's father in the teen drama, "Less Than Zero"
1987
Directed Jody Foster and Tim Robbins in "Five Corners"
1990
Once again directed Dudley Moore in "Crazy People"
1993
Helmed "Untamed Heart," with Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei
1993
Helmed "A Home of Our Own", a film about a single Mom (Kathy Bates) and her 'tribe' of six kids struggling to make ends meet in 1950s Idaho
1996
Returned to acting in "Barb Wire," opposite Pamela Anderson
1998
Produced the Showtime drama, "The Fixer" starring Jon Voight
2000
Helmed the Emmy-nominated made for television feature "Harlan County War" (Showtime)
2006
Directed the World War I adventure "Flyboys," a historical war film documenting the cloud-cutting adventures of America's very first fighter pilots
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
Tony Bill has taught screenwriting at USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and Sherwood Oaks Experimental College.
Bill has been on the Board of Governors of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on its Board of Trustees. He has also been the chairman of the Producer's Branch of the Academy.
Since 1984, Bill has been owner of the 72 Market Street restaurant in Venice, Caifornia
