--- name: "Sam Bottoms" canonical: "https://film.one/person/sam-bottoms" fi1m_id: "sam-bottoms" imdb_id: "nm0098734" tmdb_id: 8350 wikidata_id: "Q1374559" roles: ["Actor"] born: "17 October 1955" died: "16 December 2008" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 82 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-24T06:50:33.825309+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Sam Bottoms ## Identity Sam Bottoms - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sam-bottoms - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** sam-bottoms - **IMDb ID:** nm0098734 - **TMDB ID:** 8350 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1374559 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bottoms, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1374559, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0098734/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8350 Actor. Born 17 October 1955 in Santa Barbara, California, U.S.. Died 16 December 2008. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 17 October 1955, Santa Barbara, California, U.S. - **Died:** 16 December 2008 - **Active:** 1971–2003 - **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 3 acting, 1 other - **Frequently works with:** [Francis Ford Coppola](https://film.one/person/francis-ford-coppola.md), [John Milius](https://film.one/person/john-milius.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 90 (2), 1990s 84 (1), 2000s 65 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 77 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, History 1, Romance 1, Sport 1, War 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $327m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bottoms, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1374559, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0098734/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8350 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Apocalypse Now*](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md) (92) - **The Roku Channel:** [*Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse*](https://film.one/film/hearts-of-darkness-a-filmmakers-apocalypse.md) (84) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Sam Bottoms > Sam Bottoms made innocence convincing without making it feeble. We value his supporting performances for the sense of an unguarded person among harder company, especially in *The Last Picture Show* and *Apocalypse Now*. Lance B. Johnson, the surfer on the riverboat patrol in *Apocalypse Now* (1979), hardly seems prepared for the warfare around him. Sam Bottoms makes that vulnerability convincing without making Lance too frail to belong among the soldiers. We were frightened for him because his eagerness leaves him looking so unprotected. His innocence matters because the film gives us so much reason to expect cruelty. It is a performance we value highly, giving us someone worth worrying about beyond the officers. The same quality was already useful to Peter Bogdanovich in *The Last Picture Show* (1971), where Bottoms made his screen debut as Billy. His wordless performance requires us to attend to someone who cannot compete through dialogue, and he makes that attention worthwhile. Bogdanovich's patience with the town's people gives this kind of acting room, and Bottoms repays it without needing a speech to establish Billy's importance. The film's kindness extends to people behaving foolishly, which makes his vulnerability feel part of the place rather than a special request for our sympathy. Coppola's use of Bottoms in *Apocalypse Now* also shows how much a supporting performance depends on the people and places around it. Alongside Albert Hall, Frederic Forrest and Laurence Fishburne, Bottoms helps prevent the men from becoming mere illustrations of what war does to people. Dean Tavoularis's production design gives their surroundings enough disorder and physical weight for the performances to feel at home there. Even when Coppola's later stretches labour over ideas the fighting has already made clear, these supporting players have given us people to care about. His work in *The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976), alongside Clint Eastwood, also drew on that mixture of innocence and strength. The later career brought a reunion with Coppola as Lt. Webber in *Gardens of Stone* (1987), a supporting part in *Seabiscuit* (2003) and continued television work. Those credits need not all carry the burden of matching Lance, though our recommendation rests chiefly on the early performances. For a quieter demonstration of his abilities, go back to Billy in *The Last Picture Show*. ## Biography Sam Bottoms was an American actor and producer. Born in Santa Barbara, California, he began acting at the local youth theatre and made his screen debut as Billy in Peter Bogdanovich's *The Last Picture Show* (1971) after visiting the set of his brother Timothy Bottoms. He appeared in several notable films of the 1970s, including Clint Eastwood's *The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976) as Jamie and Francis Ford Coppola's *Apocalypse Now* (1979) as Lance B. Johnson, a surfer-turned-soldier. Bottoms continued working in film and television through the 2000s, with roles in *Seabiscuit* (2003) and *Shopgirl* (2005). He was one of four acting brothers and was married to producer Laura Bickford from 2002. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) ### Performed in (3) — the average rests on these - *Seabiscuit* (2003), Fi1m 65, as Mr. Blodget — [page](https://film.one/film/seabiscuit.md) - *Apocalypse Now* (1979), Fi1m 92, as Lance B. Johnson — [page](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md) - *The Last Picture Show* (1971), Fi1m 89, as Billy — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse* (1991), Fi1m 84, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/hearts-of-darkness-a-filmmakers-apocalypse.md) ## Complete filmography (46) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee* (2007), as Martey Kurtainbaum - *Sherrybaby* (2006), as Bob Swanson Sr. - *Winter Passing* (2006), as Brian - *Shopgirl* (2005), as Dan Buttersfield - *Havoc* (2005), as Lt. Maris - *Seabiscuit* (2003), as Mr. Blodget — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/seabiscuit.md) - *Looking Through Lillian* (2002), as Gene - *Shadow Fury* (2001), as Mitchell Madsen - *The Unsaid* (2001), as Joseph Caffey - *Mercenary II: Thick & Thin* (1999), as Camera Man - *Joseph's Gift* (1999), as Robert Keller - *Angel Blue* (1998), as Dennis Cromwell - *Snide and Prejudice* (1997), as Therapist Schaub - *Project Shadowchaser III* (1995), as Kody - *Zooman* (1995), as Policeman - *Sugar Hill* (1994), as Oliver Thompson - *Sunny Side Up* (1994), as Sam Bottoms - *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Michael Kryder — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md) - *The Trust* (1993), as James Baker - *North of Chiang Mai* (1992), Actor - *Picture This* (1991), Co-Producer - *Dolly Dearest* (1991), as Elliot Wade - *Ragin Cajun* (1991), as Legs - *After School* (1988), as Father Michael McCarren - *The Witching of Ben Wagner* (1987), as Mr. George 'Dad' Wagner - *Island Sons* (1987), as Sam Faraday - *Gardens of Stone* (1987), as Lt. Webber - *21 Jump Street* (1987), series, as Robert Johnson - *Hunter's Blood* (1986), as David Rand - *Answers* (1985), as Patrolman Rick Selby (Segment "A Good Time") - *Prime Risk* (1985), as Bill Yeoman - *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Sgt. Joe Rice, Joe Hellinger - *In 'N Out* (1984), as Murray Lewis, Jr. (as Samuel Bottoms) - *No Earthly Reason* (1984), as Coley - *Desperate Lives* (1982), as Ken Baynes - *East of Eden* (1981), series, as Cal Trask - *Bronco Billy* (1980), as Leonard James - *Up from the Depths* (1979), as Greg Oliver - *Apocalypse Now* (1979), as Lance B. Johnson — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/apocalypse-now.md) - *The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976), as Jamie - *Cage Without a Key* (1975), as Buddy Goleta - *Savages* (1974), as Ben Campbell - *Zandy's Bride* (1974), as Mel Allan - *Doc Elliot* (1973), series, Actor - *Class of '44* (1973), as Marty - *The Last Picture Show* (1971), as Billy — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show.md) ## Gallery - ![Sam Bottoms](https://film.one/media/person/59519/gallery-8ff0f390a435.jpg) Sam Bottoms — Image via TMDB - ![Sam Bottoms](https://film.one/media/person/59519/gallery-82e01165b235.jpg) Sam Bottoms — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sam-bottoms