William D. McKinney is an acclaimed actor who has starred in over 60 films, and gained worldwide recognition for his stirring performances in the thrillers “Deliverance” and “Green Mile.” Mr. McKinney was also recently named Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year in Entertainment.

Mr. McKinney is famous for his gritty portrayals of outlaws, villains, assassins and cowboys. His experience having served as a minesweeper in the Navy during the Korean War prompted him to pursue his passion for acting; he felt that if he returned home alive, he would showcase his skills on the big screen. After being discharged from the Navy, those skills shone through when Mr. McKinney attended acting school at the Pasadena Playhouse. Soon after, he was accepted into Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio, a legendary cornerstone of many successful acting careers. In recognizing Mr. McKinney’s gift, Mr. Strasberg said, “this young man has a very unique talent. His honesty reminds me of Brando’s early work.”

His long and illustrious career has spanned more than four decades, and shows no signs of slowing. Since making his first appearance in “She Freak,” a horror movie revolving around carnival sideshow freaks, Mr. McKinney has garnered roles in a wide array of film and television genres. He made his television debut on The Monkees in 1968, and hit the silver screen in 1972 with Deliverance, and his Academy Award-nominated performance made him a recognizable force of treachery for countless films to come.

Mr. McKinney was inducted into Maxim Magazine’s Top 50 Villains List for his lengthy list of ill-famed roles. He has been seen in such noteworthy films as Sam Peckinpah’s “Junior Bonner,” John Huston's “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean,” and Alan J. Pakula’s “The Parallax View.” He also markedly made guest appearances on “Baretta” and “Columbo.” In 1974, Mr. McKinney made an unforgettable appearance in “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” which starred Clint Eastwood, which, in turn, helped to build a lasting professional relationship between Mr. Eastwood and himself, as the two worked together on “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “The Gauntlet,” “Bronco Billy” and “Pink Cadillac.” Other celebrated feature films in which Mr. McKinney has appeared include “First Blood,” where he plays Rambo’s (Sylvester Stallone) arch-rival, “Back to the Future Part III,” and “The Green Mile.” Mr. McKinney also enjoys working on his singing and songwriting endeavors, and is also currently working on writing his first book.

For more information on Bill McKinney, please visit http://www.squeallikeapig.com.


William D. McKinney was selected as a Cambridge Who’s Who Professional of the Year in Entertainment in May, 2010. Cambridge Who’s Who offers its members recognition and exposure of their accomplishments, credibility in their field and networking opportunities to stimulate career growth. Mr. McKinney was selected for the Cambridge Who’s Who Notable Member Wiki because of his stellar achievements in the entertainment industry.