Michael Wincott

Michael Anthony Claudio Wincott (born January 21, 1958)[1][2] is a Canadian actor known for his deep, raspy voice[2][3][4][5] and for being cast in villainous roles.[3][4][6][7][8][9]

Michael Wincott
Born (1958-01-21) January 21, 1958
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationUniversity of Toronto
Juilliard School
OccupationActor
Years active1976–present
FamilyJeff Wincott (brother)
Websitemichaelwincott.org

Some of his better-known roles include Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Top Dollar, the main antagonist in The Crow (1994), music mogul Philo Gant in Strange Days (1995), mercenary Frank Elgyn in Alien: Resurrection (1997) and hacker Adrian Cross on the TV miniseries 24: Live Another Day (2014).[6][3][5][10]

Early life and education

Wincott was born in Toronto and grew up in an east-end suburb.[11][12] His father was English and his mother was from Piacenza, Italy.[12] Wincott also has two brothers,[12] one of whom is actor and martial artist Jeff Wincott, a star of the late 80s TV series Night Heat.[13]

In a 2014 interview with L'Uomo Vogue (the Italian edition of Men's Vogue) Wincott said he fell in love with cinema as a young child and took drama classes in High School.[12] He was educated at the Victoria University, a college of the University of Toronto then in 1982 he enrolled at the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 1986.[1][14] Wincott credited director Des McAnuff, as well as his father, with encouraging him to enroll at the prestigious acting school.[14]

Career

In 1976 Wincott starred in his first film, titled Earthbound, as Cole Buckley, a troubled teenager living in a small Saskatchewan town.[15][16][17] Actors Kate Reid and Gerard Parkes played his parents in the film.[15][16][17] The film aired on CBC-TV's Front Row Centre series in January 1977.[15][16][17]

In 1979 Wincott starred in the Canadian adventure drama film Wild Horse Hank alongside Linda Blair.[2] In 1981 he appeared in the Canadian drama film Circle of Two starring Richard Burton.[2] He also appeared on two episodes of the Canadian TV Series The Littlest Hobo in 1979 and 1981.[18]

After graduating from Juilliard, Wincott was cast in the 1987 film The Sicilian in the role of Corporal Silvestro Canio.[14] That same year he was also cast in the Eric Bogosian play Talk Radio as a stoned heavy metal fan named Kent.[1][14][19] The following year Wincott appeared in Oliver Stone's film based on the play.[1][11] In the 1980s he also appeared on such American TV series as Miami Vice, Crime Story and The Equalizer,[1][3] as well as Canadian police drama series Night Heat[18]—a series starring his brother Jeff.

Wincott's stage performances include the off-Broadway productions Road (1988) starring Joan Cusack and Kevin Bacon,[2][19] and the Sam Shepard play States of Shock (1991) starring John Malkovich.[2][20] He also appeared on Broadway starring in the play Serious Money (1988) alongside Kate Nelligan, Alec Baldwin and John Pankow,[1][2][21] as well as appearing in The Secret Rapture (1989) starring Blair Brown.[2][22]

Wincott again worked with Oliver Stone in 1989, appearing in the film Born on the Fourth of July as a bedridden Vietnam veteran,[11] then yet again in 1991 in the film The Doors where he played the role of Paul Rothchild, the producer of The Doors' first five albums.[1][6] In 1991 he also played the part of Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a henchman of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) who is also the Sheriff's cousin in the film.[4][6]

In 1993 he appeared in the film Romeo Is Bleeding as Sal, a mafioso,[23] and also played the part of Rochefort in the Disney film The Three Musketeers starring Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O'Donnell.[7] The following year Wincott starred as kingpin Top Dollar opposite Brandon Lee in The Crow.[6] In 1995 he appeared in Dead Man with Johnny Depp.[1] He played poet Rene Ricard in the 1996 biographical film Basquiat.[6] He also played the role of mercenary Frank Elgyn in the 1997 film Alien Resurrection.[1]

Wincott starred as a psychopathic kidnapper opposite Morgan Freeman in the 2001 film Along Came a Spider.[6][8] The following year he played Armand Dorleac, a sadistic prison warden in the 2002 film version of The Count of Monte Cristo starring Jim Caviezel.[24] In 2004 he played Julius Bicke, the brother of Samuel J. Bicke (played by Sean Penn) in The Assassination of Richard Nixon.[25] In 2006 Wincott appeared in the western film Seraphim Falls starring Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson.[26] He also appeared in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and What Just Happened in 2007 and 2008 respectively.[25]

In 2009 he starred in A Lonely Place for Dying as CIA project manager Anthony Greenglass.[27] In early 2012 he was cast as notorious serial killer Ed Gein in the biographical drama film Hitchcock.[5]

In 2014 Wincott played hacker Adrian Cross in the miniseries 24: Live Another Day.[28] The following year he starred in the Canadian western drama film Forsaken alongside Kiefer and Donald Sutherland.[29] In 2016 he also played the role of Old Bill in two episodes in season 1 of the science fiction western TV series Westworld.[30]

In 2017 he appeared in the MTG drama series Veni Vidi Vici.[3][31] The Swedish series stars Danish actor Thomas Bo Larsen and centers around the porn industry.[31] Wincott plays the part of Georgina, a transgender former porn director.[3] The show was selected as one of the top new European series at the MIPDrama Screenings held annually in Cannes.[31] The series was also streamed on Hulu in 2017.[31]

Wincott has also lent his voice to several characters in video games and animated features: In 2002 he provided the voice of Scroop, a malevolent spider/crab-like creature in the Disney animated film Treasure Planet;[2] he also provided the voice of Scroop in the accompanying Sony PlayStation video game of the same name.[18] In 2004 he provided the voice for the Prophet of Truth in the video game Halo 2.[32] He also provided the voice of Mr. Big in the 2005 re-launch of the video game Narc.[33] In 2012 he provided the voices for several video game characters: Jules Merit in the game Syndicate, Griffin in the interactive graphic novel Infex, and Death in the game Darksiders II.[18][32][34]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRole
1979Wild Horse HankCharlie Connors
Title ShotRobber
1980Nothing PersonalPeter
1981Ticket to HeavenGerry
Circle of TwoPaul
1983CurtainsMatthew
1987The SicilianCpl. Silvestro Canio
1988Talk RadioKent/Michael/Joe
1989Suffering BastardsChazz
Bloodhounds of BroadwaySoupy Mike
Born on the Fourth of JulyVeteran
1991The DoorsPaul A. Rothchild
Robin Hood: Prince of ThievesGuy of Gisbourne
19921492: Conquest of ParadiseAdrián de Moxica
1993Romeo Is BleedingSal
The Three MusketeersRochefort
1994The CrowTop Dollar
1995Dead ManConway Twill
Strange DaysPhilo Gant
PantherTynan
1996BasquiatRene Ricard
1997Alien ResurrectionCaptain Frank Elgyn
MetroMichael Korda
1998GunshyFrankie McGregor
1999Hidden AgendaLarry Gleason
2000Before Night FallsHerberto Zorilla Ochoa
2001Along Came a SpiderGary Soneji
2002The Count of Monte CristoArmand Dorléac
Treasure PlanetScroop (voice)
Red Phone: ManhuntVan Eyck
2004The Assassination of Richard NixonJulius Bicke
2006Seraphim FallsHayes
2007The Diving Bell and the ButterflyFashion Photographer
2008What Just HappenedJeremy Brunell
2009A Lonely Place for DyingAnthony Greenglass
2012HitchcockEd Gein
2013The Girl from NagasakiGoro
2014Grand StreetReuben
2015Knight of CupsHerb
ForsakenDave Turner
2017Ghost in the ShellDr. Osmond

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1976EarthboundCole BuckleyTelevision film directed by Mike Newell
1979An American Christmas CarolChoir LeaderTelevision film
The Family ManCharlieTelevision film
1979–81The Littlest HoboCharlie, JeffEpisodes: "Wolf Hunt" and "Stand-in"
1981Clown WhitePeterTelevision film
1985Night HeatJack TenelliEpisode: "Mother's Day"
1987–88Crime StoryBobby MeekerEpisodes: "Femme Fatale" and "The Senator, the Movie Star, and the Mob"
1987–89The EqualizerJarrow, JordanEpisodes: "The Caper" and "High Performance"
1988Miami ViceWilson CookEpisode: "Blood & Roses"
1990The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside StoryUlrich WeberTelevision film
1996StrangersArnaudEpisode: "Leave"
201424: Live Another DayAdrian Cross11 episodes
2016WestworldOld BillEpisodes: "The Original" and "Contrapasso"
2017Veni Vidi ViciGeorginaseries for Viaplay (Scandinavia) and Hulu (Australia and United States)

Short film
YearTitleRole
2008Sketches from Great GullNarrator (voice)
2011The FarewellHe

Video games
YearTitleRole
2002Treasure PlanetScroop
2004Halo 2Prophet of Truth
2005NarcMr. Big
2012InfexGriffin
SyndicateJules Merit
Darksiders IIDeath

Theatre

References
  1. Welsh, James Michael; Whaley, Donald M. (2013). The Oliver Stone Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 277. ISBN 9780810883529. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  2. Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 227. ISBN 9780786486946. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  3. Morris, Anthony (January 5, 2018). "Hollywood's Michael Wincott is Veni Vedi Vici's secret weapon". SBS. Australia. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  4. Keeling, Robert (August 20, 2017). "Why I'll always love Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves". MetroUK. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  5. "Oh, That Guy: 15 Character Actor Villains You Love To Hate". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. July 3, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  6. "There's no doubt about it, Toronto-born Michael Wincott is best known to movie fans as the villain". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. September 19, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  7. Travers, Peter (November 12, 1993). "The Three Musketeers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  8. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (April 13, 2001). "Along Came a Spider". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  9. Sacks, Ethan (June 10, 2014). "'24: Live Another Day' Hour Seven Recap: Jack Bauer kicks it into second gear in drone vs. car chase". New York Daily News. New York City: Tronc. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  10. Keslassy, Elsa (October 12, 2017). "Hulu Nabs Exclusive Streaming Rights to 'Veni Vidi Vici'". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  11. Gabriel, Alice (March 23, 1989). "Michael Wincott, 'Serious Actor'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  12. Croci, Roberto (November 12, 2014). "Michael Wincott: An impeccable cinephile". L'Uomo Vogue (in Italian). Milan, Italy: Condé Nast. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  13. Brown, Barry (August 1, 1987). "Tidy Toronto Yields Gritty 'Night Heat'". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  14. Nemy, Enid (July 3, 1987). "BROADWAY: Lucky Breaks for Michael Wincott". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  15. Peterson, Maureen (January 5, 1977). "Earthbound yo-yos from tragedy to comedy". Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. p. 45. Retrieved August 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Earthbound on Front Row". Richmond Review. Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. December 30, 1976. p. 10. Retrieved August 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Irwin, Joan (January 8, 1977). "'Bit of the Big Apple' series follows show to Broadway". Montreal Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. p. 38. Retrieved August 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. Michael Wincott on IMDb
  19. Rich, Frank (July 29, 1988). "Review/Theater; A 'Road' to Lives That Go Nowhere". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  20. Rich, Frank (May 17, 1991). "Review/Theater; Sam Shepard Returns, On War and Machismo". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  21. Rich, Frank (February 25, 1988). "Critic's Notebook; Fixing the Blame for 'Serious Money'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  22. Rich, Frank (October 27, 1989). "Review/Theater; Bad Sister vs. Good Sister In Hare's 'Secret Rapture'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  23. Johnson, Malcolm (February 4, 1994). "Surreal `Romeo Is Bleeding' Pulses With Evil, Dark Humor". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  24. Nichols, Peter M. (February 1, 2002). "The Count Of Monte Cristo". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  25. Rehlin, Gunnar (December 2, 2008). "Michael Wincott joins Swedish project - Rafael Edholm to direct untitled project". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  26. Schager, Nick (January 18, 2007). "Seraphim Falls". Slant Magazine. Brooklyn, New York. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  27. Morris, Anthony (February 15, 2013). "Interview With A Lonely Place for Dying Director Justin Eugene Evans". Huffington Post. Australia. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  28. Hibberd, James (November 19, 2013). "'24' return casts infamous hacker character". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  29. Leydon, Joe (September 15, 2015). "Toronto Film Review: 'Forsaken". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  30. Ro, Crystal (October 5, 2016). "This is what Old Bill from "Westworld" looks like IRL, and FYI he's a veteran actor". Yahoo.com. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  31. Roxborough, Scott (October 12, 2017). "Mipcom: Hulu Takes Scandi Drama 'Veni Vidi Vici' for U.S." The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Lynne Segall. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  32. Douglas, Ana (July 26, 2012). "Why I'll always love Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves". Business Insider. New York City, New York. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  33. "NARC; God of War; Heritage of Kings: The Settlers". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. March 27, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  34. Carter, James (August 8, 2013). "Keith Arem Discusses His Interactive Graphic Novel "Infex"". Vice Magazine. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
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