William James Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. Pullman made his film debut in Ruthless People (1986), and starred in Spaceballs (1987), The Accidental Tourist and The Serpent and the Rainbow (both 1988), Newsies (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), While You Were Sleeping (1995), Independence Day (1996), Lost Highway (1997), and Lake Placid (1999). He also voiced Captain Joseph Korso in Titan A.E. (2000). He has also appeared frequently on television, usually in TV films. Since the 21st century began, Pullman has also acted in miniseries and regular series such as Torchwood (2011), playing starring roles in 1600 Penn (2012–13) and The Sinner (2017–2021). In 2021, he had a recurring role in the miniseries Halston. Pullman also has a long stage-acting career. He has appeared on Broadway several times, including in Edward Albee's The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? (2002).

Filmography

• 2027Spaceballs: The New One — Lone Starr
• 2026Everybody Digs Bill Evans — Harry
• 2026The Basics of Philosophy — Melvyn Jorrisen
• The Boroughs — Jack Willard
• 2025Killing Faith — Ross
• Murdaugh Murders: The Movie — Alex Murdaugh
• 2022American Horses — Narrator (voice)
• This Fool — Curtis
• Halston — David Mahoney
• 2020Charlie Russell's Old West — Charles M. Russell
• 2020The High Note — Max
• 2020Yellowstone — (voice)
• 2019Dark Waters — Harry Dietzler
• Epic Yellowstone — Narrator (voice)
• 2019National Theatre Live: All My Sons — Joe Keller
• 2019The Coldest Game — Joshua Mansky
• 2018The Equalizer 2 — Brian Plummer
• 2018Trouble — Ben
• 2017A Thousand Junkies — Bill Pullman
• 2017Battle of the Sexes — Jack Kramer
• 2017LBJ — Ralph Yarborough
• 2017The Ballad of Lefty Brown — Lefty Brown
• The Sinner — Harry Ambrose
• 2017Walking Out — Clyde
• 2016Brother Nature — Jerry Turley
• 2016Independence Day: Resurgence — President Whitmore
• 2016The War of 1996: A United World News Special — President Whitmore
• 2015American Ultra — Krueger
• 2014Cymbeline — Sicilius Leonatus
• 2014May in the Summer — Edward
• 2014Red Sky — John Webster
• 2014The Equalizer — Brian Plummer
• 1600 Penn — President Dale Gilchrist
• 2012Lola Versus — Lenny
• 2012The Fruit Hunters — Narrator (voice)
• 2011Bringing Up Bobby — Kent
• 2011Innocent — Rusty Sabich
• 2011Too Big to Fail — Jamie Dimon
• 2010Peacock — Edmund French
• 2010Rio Sex Comedy — William
• 2010The Killer Inside Me — Billy Boy Walker
• 2009The Cove — Thanks
• 2008Bottle Shock — Jim Barrett
• 2008Phoebe in Wonderland — Peter Lichten
• 2008Surveillance — Sam Hallaway
• 2008Your Name Here — William J. Frick
• 2007Nobel Son — Max Mariner
• 2007You Kill Me — Dave
• 2006Alien Autopsy — Morgan Banner
• 2006Scary Movie 4 — Henry Hale
• Torchwood — Oswald Danes
• 2005Dear Wendy — Krugsby
• Revelations — Dr. Richard Massey
• 2004The Grudge — Peter Kirk
• 2004Tiger Cruise — Gary Dolan
• 2003Rick — Rick O'Lette
• 200229 Palms — The Ticket Clerk
• 2002Igby Goes Down — Jason
• 2002Ignition — Conor Gallagher
• Night Visions — Major Ben Darnell (segment "A View Through the Window"), Director
• 2000A Man Is Mostly Water — Parking Fascist
• 2000Lucky Numbers — Detective Pat Lakewood
• 2000Opening the Tombs of the Golden Mummies: Live
• 2000The Guilty — Callum Crane
• 2000The Virginian — The Virginian, Director
• 2000Titan A.E. — Korso (voice)
• 1999Brokedown Palace — Hank Greene
• 1999Lake Placid — Jack Wells
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Kurt Moss
• 1999Spy Games — Harry Howe / Ernie Halliday
• 1998Zero Effect — Daryl Zero
• 1997Lost Highway — Fred Madison
• 1997Merry Christmas, George Bailey — George Bailey
• 1997The End of Violence — Mike
• 1996Independence Day — President Thomas J. Whitmore
• 1996Mistrial — Steve Donohue
• 1996Mr. Wrong — Whitman Crawford
• 1995Casper — Dr. Harvey
• 1995While You Were Sleeping — Jack Callaghan
• 1994The Favor — Peter
• 1994The Last Seduction — Clay Gregory
• 1994Wyatt Earp — Ed Masterson
• Fallen Angels — Rich Thurber
• 1993Malice — Andy Sarafian
• 1993Mr. Jones — Construction Site Foreman (uncredited)
• 1993Sleepless in Seattle — Walter
• 1993Sommersby — Orin Meecham
• 1992A League of Their Own — Bob Hinson
• 1992Crazy in Love — Nick Symonds
• 1992Nervous Ticks — York Daley
• 1992Newsies — Bryan Denton
• 1992Phone — Duke
• 1992Singles — Dr. Jeffrey Jamison
• 1991Going Under — Biff Banner
• 1991Liebestraum — Paul Kessler
• 1990Brain Dead — Dr. Rex Martin
• 1990Bright Angel — Bob
• 1990Sibling Rivalry — Nicholas Meany
• 1989Cold Feet — Buck
• 1989Home Fires Burning — Lt. Henry Tibbettes
• 1988Rocket Gibraltar — Crow Black
• 1988The Accidental Tourist — Julian Hedge
• 1988The Serpent and the Rainbow — Dennis Alan
• 1987Spaceballs — Lone Starr
• 1986Ruthless People — Earl James Mott
• Cagney & Lacey
• Nature — Narrator (voice)
• Hallmark Hall of Fame — Henry Tibbetts
• A Bridge Between — Bobby Verdun
• Famous
• Playmates — Hugh Hefner

Appearances as themselves (24)

• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! — Self - Actor
• 2025Roland Emmerich - Weltenzerstörer, Weltenerbauer — Self - actor
• Cursed Films — Self
• 2019Dark Waters: The Cost of Being a Hero — Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self
• Steve — Self
• 2016Another Day: The Making of 'Independence Day: Resurgence' — Self
• 2015Parables of War — Self
• 2013Mel Brooks: Make a Noise — Self (archive footage)
• 2013The Unbelievers — Self
• 2012Kingdom Come — Self
• Skavlan — Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show — Self - Guest
• 2005John Candy: Comic Spirit — Self
• 2005Spaceballs: The Documentary — Self
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn — Self
• 1997Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch — Self
• 1996Independence Day: The ID4 Invasion — Self
• 1996The Making of 'Independence Day' — Self
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self
• 1991Blood Drips Heavily on Newsie Square — Self
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark — Self - Guest
• Saturday Night Live — Self - Host
• The Oscars — Self - Presenter