A stocky, moon-faced, gap-toothed character player who moves easily from comedies to drama, character actor William "Bill" Forsythe has been busy since he began acting at the age of ten in his hometown of Brooklyn, performing in school and neighbourhood productions. By age 16 he was a full-time NY stage actor appearing in off-off and off-Broadway productions. In his early 20s, Forsythe moved to L.A. and landed a bit part in a cheapie car chase pic,
Smokey Bites the Dust (1981). That year also marked his TV debut in
The Miracle of Kathy Miller, an inspirational TV movie.
… More Forsythe went on to guest spots (usually as a heavy) on some 80s TV staples including CHIPs, Hill Street Blues and Fame. His big feature break came opposite Robert De Niro and James Woods in Sergio Leone's sweeping gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America. As Cockeye, Forsythe was a boyish yet dangerous gangster.
More to come ...
