In 2004, Gil appeared in another documentary as himself, this time in a short feature movie titled Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at 'The Shawshank Redemption', which reflected on the film in its 10th Anniversary.
When casting for Ally McBeal, the producers said that Gil will be a regular on the show only for a season, but the audience loved his character Billy and they decided to keep him for two more seasons.
Gil: The exciting thing about what I do is, if you're a little lucky and you're a little busy, chances are you get to work with great directors. And if you do a Robert Altman film, chances are you'll work with all of them.
Gil: I've had a few opportunities in my life to be a part of classic entertainment and anytime you have a chance to be a part of something that can stand the test of time, you relish it.