| William B. Davis | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Bruce Davis January 13, 1938 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1949-present |
| Spouse | Emmanuelle Davis |
| Children | 2 daughters, Melinda and Rebecca |
| Website | |
| http://www.williambdavis.com/index | |
William Bruce Davis (born January 13, 1938) is a Canadian actor and director, known for his role as The Smoking Man on The X-Files. Besides appearing in many TV programs and movies, Davis founded his own acting school the William Davis Centre for Actors Study. In his personal life, Davis is an avid water-skier, works with the Canadian Cancer Society and lectures on skepticism most recently at CSICON . In 2011 Davis published his memoir, Where There’s Smoke .... The Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man.
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Davis was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a lawyer father and psychologist mother.[1] He began his acting career as a child in 1949, in radio drama and summer stock theatre. His cousins Murray and Donald Davis ran The Straw Hat Players in Ontario in the late forties and early fifties and rehearsed in the basement of Davis' house before going north for the summer. When they needed a boy they gave William his first professional acting job. He went on from there to have a career as a boy actor on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio before his voice broke.[2][3] In 1955 he enrolled in the University of Toronto studying philosophy but really pursuing his career as an actor along with other prospects like Donald Sutherland. In 1959, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in philosophy. While at university he switched his attention from acting to directing and with his partner, Karl Jaffary, took over and ran The Straw Hat Players for four years.[4]
In 1960 he went to England to train at LAMDA (The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). He worked in the U.K. for the next five years directing in rep theaters and acting schools. He was artistic director of the Dundee Repertory Theatre.[5] His last position in the UK was as an assistant director at The National Theatre of Great Britain[6] under Laurence Olivier where he worked with Albert Finney, Maggie Smith, Derek Jacobi, and Ronald Pickup among others.[3] He returned to Canada in 1965 to work at The National Theatre School of Canada and soon, at the age of 28, was appointed artistic director of the English Acting Section.[7] During this period he was also active as a free lance director at major Canadian theatres. In 1971 he joined the newly formed Drama Department at Bishop's University in Lennoxvile, Quebec. While there he became the founding artistic director of Festival Lennoxille, a professional summer theatre that ran for the next decade.[8]
Returning to Toronto in the late seventies Davis spent several years as a radio drama director and on the faculty of Humber College. In demand as an acting teacher during this period he offered himself as an actor after being away from acting for nearly twenty years. He was landing a number of roles on stage and film before accepting the position of artistic director of the Vancouver Playhouse Acting School on the other side of the country. Davis writes in his memoir, "And so, in the fall of 1985, we hitched our second hand boat to our second hand car and drove across the country".[9]
While his time at the Vancouver Playhouse was short-lived, he remained in Vancouver where he founded his own acting school, The William Davis Centre for Actors Study,[7]a training ground for several future stars including Lucy Lawless, Xena: Warrior Princess.[10] Acting roles became more frequent leading to his iconic role, The Cigarette Smoking Man, on The X-Files where he made frequent appearances for the next nine years. In addition to X-Files Davis has played a wide range of roles, on series from Stargate to Smallville and a host of television movies and other projects. From time to time he attends fan conventions, signing autographs and copies of his memoir.[11]
In recent years Davis has returned to directing for theatre and film. He wrote and directed three short films and co-wrote and directed several episodes of a television series for CBC Television, 49th & Main. In 2011 he directed two plays for The United Players of Vancouver, Waste by Harley Granville Barker and Hay Fever by Noël Coward.[12]
Despite being known for his smoking character, Davis quit smoking in the 1970s; when The X-Files started up, he was given a choice between herbal cigarettes and actual cigarettes. At first he chose the actual cigarettes, but switched to herbal shortly after for fear of becoming addicted again while playing the Cigarette Smoking Man.[11][13] Davis used his notoriety on the show to assist The Canadian Cancer Society in its programs to combat smoking.[14]
He is also a former national champion water skier and for a time held various records in older age divisions. In a conversation with Brendan Beiser Davis states he holds the record for tricks in his age category, and until recently "I did hold the slalom record until this past year until some young whippersnapper of 65 from Ontario took the record away from me".[2]
Davis now divides his time between North America and France where he recently married Emmanuelle Herpin who lives and works in the south of France. He has two daughters, Melinda and Rebecca, from an earlier marriage.
While on the X-Files, Davis was constantly challenged about his non-belief in the paranormal and aliens.[15] Davis credits Barry Beyerstein and CSICOP for introducing him to the skeptic community. Davis became increasingly involved in the skeptical movement and began to give lectures as a skeptical spokesman at universities across North America and at skeptic conventions, including CSICON in New Orleans.[16]
When asked about his belief in the paranormal at the London Film and Comic Con in 2010, Davis replies "the onus is on you to prove the extraordinary ...I did a lot of research and saw where a lot of the arguments were wanting."[11]
Interviewed by Jacob Fortin on guilt about being a skeptic on a show that Richard Dawkins campaigned against. Davis replies, that at first he had some trepidation until realizing that Dawkins "had no evidence whatsoever and presented none" that the show encouraged people to think uncritically. "The show is fiction... it isn't a documentary." Asked about a debate Davis moderated with pro alien abduction John Mack, Davis says that everyone expected him to support Mack, what they discovered was that he was "way on the the other side". Davis recounts that he had some great discussions with Mack, "He was brilliant... he was wrong, but he was very good... One of the problems with human intelligence is that we are so good at defending ideas that we arrived at irrationally."[17]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Dead Zone | Ambulance Driver | |
| 1984 | SCTV Channel | Man on the phone | TV series - Half Wits Save the World Parade |
| 1985 | The Cuckoo Bird | Ted | TV Movie |
| Head Office | University Dean | ||
| 1986 | The Beachcombers | Dave Douglas | TV series - Trial Balloon |
| 1987 | Deadly Deception | Lawyer | TV movie |
| Sworn to Silence | Peter Massio | TV movie | |
| Airwolf | F.I.R.M. offical | The Key Roque Warrior Stavograd: Part 1 Stavograd: Part 2 |
|
| The Little Match Girl | Dr. Sam Easton | TV movie | |
| 1988 | Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future | Arvin | TV series Judgement |
| Danger Bay | Frank Norris Jack Kane |
TV series Racing Against Time High Five |
|
| 1989 | Beyond the Stars | Hal Simon | |
| Matinee | Heath Harris | TV movie | |
| Look Who's Talking | Drug Dealer | ||
| Wiseguy | Curant / Inspector #2 | People Do it All the Time The Merchant of Death |
|
| 1990 | Anything to Survive | Dr. Reynolds | TV movie |
| It | Mr. Gedreau | TV movie | |
| 1991 | 21 Jump Street | Judge Harrison Mr. Weidlin Mr. Wickenton |
Crossfire Champagne High Mean Streets and Pastel Houses |
| MacGyver | Judge | TV series | |
| Omen IV: The Awakening | Lawyer (uncredited) | TV movie | |
| The Hitman | Dr. Atkins | ||
| The Commish | Don Chesley | TV series A Matter of Life or Death: Part 1 A Matter of Life or Death: Part 2 |
|
| 1992 | Diagnosis Murder | Marvin Parkins | |
| Street Justice | Badgely | TV series - Homecoming | |
| Nightmare Cafe | Doctor | TV series - Sanctuary for a Child | |
| 1993 | North of 60 | Inspector Neilsen | TV series - Out of the Blue |
| 1994 | Heart of a Child | Vern | TV movie |
| Beyond Suspicion | Capt. Dick Roth | TV movie | |
| Don't Talk to Strangers | Huddleston | TV movie | |
| 1995 | Dangerous Intentions | Group Leader | |
| Not Our Son | Police Chief | TV movie - uncredited | |
| Circumstances Unknown | Gene Reuschel | TV movie | |
| Sliders | Prof. Myman | TV series - Eggheads | |
| Courting Justice | Dr. Alexander | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Unforgettable | Dr. Smoot | |
| Poltergeist: The Legacy | Dr. Bill Nigel | TV series - Do not go Gently | |
| The Limbic Region | Teacher | TV movie | |
| 1998 | The X-Files Game | Cigarette Smoking Man | Video Game - Cigarette Smoking Man |
| The Last Tzaddik | Mr. Drazien | short | |
| The X-Files | Cigarette Smoking Man CGB Spender |
||
| Voyage of Terror | Dr. Norman Ellisy | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Mentors | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | TV series - The Truth is in Here |
| Murder Most Likely | Detective Inspector | TV movie | |
| 2000 | Perpetrators of the Crime | Henderson | |
| Killing Moon | Ed | TV movie | |
| Becoming Dick | Dr. Hardwin | TV movie | |
| The Fearing Mind | Michell Cofax | TV series - Gentleman Caller | |
| 2001 | The Proposal | Angent Frank Gruning | |
| First Wave | Sagon | TV series - Checkmate | |
| Out of Line | Russell | ||
| Mindstorm | Parish | ||
| The Outer Limits | Dr. Biemler Ed John Wyrner |
TV series - Worlds Within Out of Body The Conversation |
|
| Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Cigarette Smoking Man | uncredited | |
| Andhrax | Tye Crow | ||
| Mythquest | Head Priest | TV series The Oracle | |
| Andromeda | Professor Logitch | TV series - Pitiless as the Sun | |
| 2002 | Polished | Phillip | short |
| Aftermath | Deputy Director Edwards | ||
| The X-files | CGB Spender, Cigarette Smoking Man, CIA Agent | TV series - The Truth: Parts 1 & 2 Requlem Enami Closure The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati |
|
| Damaged Care | Dr. Sam Verbush | TV movie | |
| Body & Soul | Dr. Edward A. Esseff | TV series | |
| The Thing | Col. Whitely | Video Game - voice | |
| Saint Sinner | Father Michael | TV movie | |
| 100 Days in the Jungle | |||
| 2003 | Broken Saints | Benjamin Palmer | voice |
| Arbor Vitae | Old Soul | short | |
| Smallville | Major William 'Billy' Tate | TV series - Relic Ryan |
|
| Word of Honor | Lewis Kaplan - Tyson's Boss | TV movie | |
| 2004 | Snakehead Terror | Doc Jenkins | |
| Kingdom Hospital | Dean Swinton | TV series - The Young and the Headless | |
| The Cradle Will Fall | Dist. Atty. Alex Myerson | TV movie | |
| Lyon King | Finance Minister | short | |
| Murdoch Mysteries | Alderman Godfrey Shepcote | TV series Expect the Dying | |
| Packing Up | Jenkins | short | |
| The X-Files: Resist or Serve | Cigarette Smoking Man | Video game - voice | |
| 2005 | The Cost of Living | Mark Mortinson | short |
| The Last Round | Mitchell | ||
| Tilt | Father Mike | TV series - Nobody Ever Listens | |
| Max Rules | Rick Brinkley | ||
| Robson Arms | Dr. Carlisle Wainwright | Aftershock The Recipe Educating Alicia The Loney Passion of Mr. Tan A Material Breach |
|
| Dark Pines | Shannon Fraser | TV documentary | |
| Stargate SG-1 | Damaris Ori Prior Damaris |
The Fourth Horseman Babylon |
|
| 2006 | Supernatural | College Professor | TV series - Scarecrow |
| The Janitors | Harvey | short | |
| Dark Storm | General Killion | TV movie | |
| Her Fatal Flaw | Richard O'Brien | TV movie | |
| Sisters | Dr. Bryant | ||
| The Secret of Hidden Lane | Judge Landers | TV movie | |
| Canadian Comedy Shorts | finance Minister | TV series - Episode #10.9 | |
| 2007 | The Messengers | Colby Price | |
| Judicial Indiscretion | Senator Garland Wolf | TV movie | |
| Numb | Peter Milbank | ||
| Masters of Science Fiction | The President | TV series - The Awakening | |
| 2008 | The Femme Fatale | Sam | video short |
| Fear Itself | Father Chris | TV series - In Sickness and in Health | |
| A Pickle | Mack | short | |
| Passengers | Jack | ||
| Reverse | Chris | short | |
| 2009 | Possession | Dr. Creane | |
| Something Evil Comes | Mr. Dutton | TV movie | |
| The Shortcut | Benjamin Hartley | ||
| Caprica | Minister Chambers | TV series - Pilot | |
| The Thaw | Ted | ||
| Damage | Veltz | ||
| Web of Desire | Dr. Charles Friedman | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Blob | The Boss | short |
| Human Target | Whitey Doyle | TV series - Run | |
| Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf | Dr. Robert Parker | TV movie | |
| Flowers for Norma | Older Gentleman #2 | short | |
| Amazon Falls[18] | Calvin | ||
| 2011 | Goose on the Loose | Alphonse David | |
| Behemoth | William Walsh | TV movie | |
| The Tall Man | Sheriff Chestnut | post-production | |
| Motel de Gracia | (rumored) pre-production |