Oddly enough, at a young age, the Texas-born William Hootkins was indirectly involved in the aftermath of the assassination of JFK. Being questioned by the FBI as a teenager sure makes for some good drinking stories. The bearded actor flashed his intelligence by attending Princeton and later training as an actor in London. William made his acting debut in the British adventure drama Big Zapper (1973), but the world probably first recognized him as the aptly named Rebel fighter pilot “Porkins” in the sci-fi classic Star Wars (1977). The portly actor ran the gamut on the boob tube during the 70s, most notably portraying Charles Frohman in the J.M. Barrie themed mini-series The Lost Boys. Science fiction always seems to have a place for a burly guy with a beard, and William is fondly remembered for his portrayal of the oafish assistant Munson in the space opera Flash Gordon (1980). William went from bumbling assistant to respected Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the BBC TV series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. Throughout the 80s, William had small parts on many of the decade’s top television shows like Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele and Taxi. With his trademark facial hair in place, William scored small but memorable roles in superhero classics Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) and Batman (1989). The talented actor kept busy with many acting jobs, but he really caught Mr. Man’s eye with a shirtless bathtub scene in the TV movie The Magnificent Ambersons (2002). Sadly, Hollywood lost the big teddy bear to cancer in 2005. William left behind a large body of work that harvested just enough skin to make the most critical of viewer smile with pleasure. Rest in peace, big guy.
