Biography
Bill Thurman (1920–1995) was an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and television productions from the early 1960s until his death. Born in Texas, he often played law enforcement officers or rural types in low-budget independent films and B-movies.
He worked frequently with director Larry Buchanan on titles including In the Year 2889 (1967) and It's Alive! (1969). Notable credits include Coach Popper in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971), a hunter in Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express (1974), an air traffic controller in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), and Carter in Silverado (1985). He also appeared in the television series Dallas.
