Michael Wincott
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| Michael Wincott | |
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| Born | Michael Anthony Claudio Wincott January 21, 1958 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Years active | 1979 - present |
Michael Anthony Claudio Wincott[1] (born January 21, 1958[2] or 1959 or 1960[3]) is a Canadian actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Top Dollar in The Crow, Rene Ricard in Basquiat and Gary Soneji in Along Came A Spider. He is recognized for his rough, gravelly voice.
Wincott was born in Scarborough, Ontario. His father, William Wincott, an English immigrant from Blackpool, England, worked as a construction worker, welder and salesman. His mother, Lucia, was an Italian immigrant from Milan; the two met in Italy when William was stationed there during the war. They were married in England then emigrated to Canada in 1952.[4] He is the younger brother of actor Jeff Wincott. Wincott was raised in Scarborough, Ontario, attending Cedarbrae Collegiate and then briefly the University of Toronto.[1] and graduated from Juilliard Drama School in 1986.
Wincott is identifiable for playing either small character roles in indie films and more recognizable roles as villains in more mainstream fare. He's most noted for roles such as Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves and Captain Rochefort in the 1993 film Three Musketeers and as the evil crime lord Top Dollar in 1994's The Crow. Other roles include Jean-Michel Basquiat's mentor Rene Ricard in Julian Schnabel's biopic Basquiat (1996), Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild in Oliver Stone's The Doors, Armand Dorleac, a sadistic prison warden in 2002's The Count of Monte Cristo, and the equally despicable villain of the 1997 Eddie Murphy movie Metro.
Wincott is known for his apathetic stance on celebrity and the ideals of Hollywood, often stating that he holds art in higher regard than money. In his early years in theater, he drew inspiration from Gary Oldman and Sean Penn and still retains a great deal of admiration for both. He also has great appreciation for the works of Johnny Depp, having worked with him on a number of films.[5]
Wincott is a keen fencer and is known for starring in many swordfighting roles. He also plays drums, guitar and harmonica.
Contents |
[edit] Filmography
- Ticket to Heaven (1981)
- Curtains (1983)—Matthew
- The Sicilian (1987)—Cpl. Silvestro Canio
- Talk Radio (1988)—Kent/Michael/Joe
- The Doors (1991)—Paul A. Rothchild
- Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)—Guy of Gisbourne
- 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)—Adrián de Moxica
- The Three Musketeers (1993)—Rochefort
- The Crow (1994)—Top Dollar
- Dead Man (1995)—Conway Twill
- Strange Days (1995)—Philo Gant
- Basquiat (1996)—Rene Ricard
- Metro (1997)—Michael Korda
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)—Frank Elgyn
- Gunshy (1998)—Frankie McGregor
- Before Night Falls (1998)—Herberto Zorilla Ochoa
- Along Came a Spider (2001)—Gary Soneji
- The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)—Armand Dorleac
- Treasure Planet (2002) (voice)—Scroop
- The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)—Julius Bicke
- Seraphim Falls (2007)—Hayes
[edit] Video game roles
- Halo 2 (2004)—Prophet of Truth
- NARC (2005)—Mr. Big
