William Hickey (actor)
Encyclopedia
William Edward Hickey was an American
actor. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor
, as well as the voice of Dr. Finklestein in Tim Burton
's The Nightmare Before Christmas
(1993).
in 1938.
Hickey enjoyed a career in film
, television
and theater. In addition to his work as an actor, he was a respected teacher of the craft. Notable for his unique, gravely voice and somewhat offbeat appearance, Hickey, in his later years, was often cast in "cantankerous-but-clever old man" roles. His characters, who sometimes exuded an underlying air of the macabre, usually had the last laugh over their more sprightly co-stars.
and bronchitis
in 1997. He is interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York. He died during the filming of Uzo
's Better Than Ever, and his role was played by the producer in a pickup shot depicting his character in the hospital. His final movie Knocking on Death's Door (in which he plays the town sheriff) was released nearly two years after his death.
The movie MouseHunt (in which he also starred) is dedicated to his memory.
and LAFCA
for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Don Corrado Prizzi in Prizzi's Honor
.
He was also nominated for an Emmy for 'Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series' for his appearance on Tales from the Crypt
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor
Prizzi's Honor
Prizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy film directed by John Huston. It stars Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia and Anjelica Huston.The film was adapted by Richard Condon and Janet Roach from Condon's novel of the same name...
, as well as the voice of Dr. Finklestein in Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
(1993).
Early life
Hickey was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Nora and Edward Hickey, both of Irish descent. He had an older sister, Dorothy Finn. Hickey began acting on radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
in 1938.
Career
Best known as the ancient Mafia don in Prizzi's Honor (1985), Hickey had a long, distinguished career in film, television, and the stage. He began his career as a child actor on the variety stage and made his Broadway debut as a walk-on in George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" (1951 production, starring Uta Hagen). He performed often during the golden age of television, including appearances on Studio One and Philco Playhouse. His most important contribution to the arts, however, remains his teaching career at the HB Studio in Greenwich Village, founded by Hagen and Herbert Berghof. George Segal, Sandy Dennis, and Barbra Streisand all studied under him.Hickey enjoyed a career in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and theater. In addition to his work as an actor, he was a respected teacher of the craft. Notable for his unique, gravely voice and somewhat offbeat appearance, Hickey, in his later years, was often cast in "cantankerous-but-clever old man" roles. His characters, who sometimes exuded an underlying air of the macabre, usually had the last laugh over their more sprightly co-stars.
Death
Hickey died from emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
and bronchitis
Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the large bronchi in the lungs that is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Characteristic symptoms include cough, sputum production, and shortness of breath and wheezing related to the obstruction of the inflamed airways...
in 1997. He is interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York. He died during the filming of Uzo
Uzo
Uzo is a Nigerian-American filmmaker and graphic artist. He has made two feature films, Walls & Bridges and Better Than Ever...
's Better Than Ever, and his role was played by the producer in a pickup shot depicting his character in the hospital. His final movie Knocking on Death's Door (in which he plays the town sheriff) was released nearly two years after his death.
The movie MouseHunt (in which he also starred) is dedicated to his memory.
New York City theatre
- Miss LonelyheartsMiss LonelyheartsMiss Lonelyhearts, published in 1933, is Nathanael West's second novel. It is an Expressionist black comedy set in New York City during the Great Depression.-Plot summary:...
(1957) - The Body BeautifulThe Body BeautifulThe Body Beautiful is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock.The first collaboration by Harnick and Bock, and the only one to have a contemporary setting, its plot focuses on a wealthy Dartmouth College graduate who aspires to be...
(1958) - Happy Birthday, Wanda JuneHappy Birthday, Wanda JuneHappy Birthday, Wanda June is a play by Kurt Vonnegut, and a 1971 film adaptation, directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:The opening of this play is "This is a simple-minded play about men who enjoy killing, and those who don't."...
(1970) - Small Craft WarningsSmall Craft WarningsSmall Craft Warnings is a play by Tennessee Williams, an expansion of an earlier one-act play, Confessional, that was included in the Williams Dragon Country compilation of 1970...
(1972) - Mourning Becomes ElectraMourning Becomes ElectraMourning Becomes Electra is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932...
(1972) - ThievesThieves (play)Thieves is a play by Herb Gardner.Its focus is on Martin and Sally Cramer, whose twelve-year marriage slowly is disintegrating. He has become the stuffy headmaster of a fashionable Manhattan private school, while she clings to her dedication to the underprivileged and continues to teach in a ghetto...
(1974) - Arsenic and Old LaceArsenic and Old Lace (play)Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
(1986)
Film
- Better Than Ever (1997): Walter
- Twisted (1997): Andre
- MouseHunt (1997): Rudolf Smuntz
- Love Is All There IsLove Is All There IsLove Is All There Is is a 1996 romantic comedy film directed by Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor, who also both star in the movie.- Plot :...
(1996): Monsignor - The Jerky BoysJerky Boys: The MovieThe Jerky's Boys: The Movie, also known as The Jerky's Boys, is a 1995 comedy/crime film starring John G. Brennan and Kamal Ahmed, best known as the comedy duo The Jerky Boys.The film features two men, Johnny B...
(1995): "Uncle Freddy" - Forget ParisForget ParisForget Paris is a 1995 film produced, directed, co-written by and starring Billy Crystal as an NBA referee and Debra Winger as an independent working woman whose lives are interrupted by love and marriage....
(1995): Arthur - Major PayneMajor PayneMajor Payne is a 1995 comedy film, starring Damon Wayans. The film is a loose remake of the 1955 film The Private War of Major Benson, starring Charlton Heston....
(1995): School Dean - The Nightmare Before ChristmasThe Nightmare Before ChristmasThe Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
(1993): voice of Doctor Finklestein - The RunestoneThe RunestoneThe Runestone is a 1991 adventure/horror film, the first film written and directed by Willard Carroll. The film is an updating of the Ragnarok legend, with Fenrir being found in a runestone in Pennsylvania unearthed by archaeologists.-Plot:...
(1991): Lars Hagstrom - Tales From The CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
(1990) (Season Two, "The Switch") Carlton Webster - My Blue HeavenMy Blue Heaven (1990 film)My Blue Heaven is a 1990 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Nora Ephron and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack.It has been noted for its relationship to the movie Goodfellas, which was released one month after this film...
(1990): Billy Sparrow - Tales from the Darkside: The MovieTales from the Darkside: The MovieTales from the Darkside: The Movie is a 1990 movie directed by John Harrison based on the anthology television series Tales from the Darkside...
(1990): Drogan (in the "Cat From Hell" segment) - Sea of Love (1989): Frank Keller, Sr.
- National Lampoon's Christmas VacationNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationChristmas Vacation is a 1989 Christmas comedy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. It is the third installment in National Lampoon's Vacation film series, and was written by John Hughes, based on his short story in National Lampoon Magazine, Christmas ‘59...
(1989): Uncle Lewis - Puppet MasterPuppet Master (film)Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
(1989): Andre Toulon - DaDa (film)Da is a 1988 film directed by Matt Clark, produced by Julie Corman, and starring Martin Sheen, Barnard Hughes, reprising his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance, and William Hickey...
(1988): Drumm - Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City (film)Bright Lights, Big City is a 1988 drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates, based on the novel of the same name by Jay McInerney. It was the last film directed by James Bridges before his death in 1993.-Plot:...
(1988): Ferret Man - A Hobo's ChristmasA Hobo's ChristmasA Hobo's Christmas is a 1987 American film made for TV and directed by Will Mackenzie and produced by Joe Byrne and Paul Freeman. The screenplay was written by Joe Byrne and Jeb Rosebrook...
(1987): Cincinnati Harold - One Crazy SummerOne Crazy Summer-Production:Several locations on Cape Cod, Massachusetts were used for the film: Barnstable High School , Hyannis West Elementary School , the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard And Nantucket Steamship Authority ferry dock in Woods Hole, where the characters board the ferry, and the motorcycle gang...
(1986): Old Man Beckersted - The Name of the RoseThe Name of the Rose (film)The Name of the Rose is a 1986 film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, based on the book of the same name by Umberto Eco. Sean Connery is the Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and Christian Slater is his apprentice Adso of Melk, who are called upon to solve a deadly mystery in a medieval...
(1986): Ubertino da Casale - Remo Williams: The Adventure BeginsRemo Williams: The Adventure BeginsRemo Williams: The Adventure Begins, also released as Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous, is a 1985 American film. The action–adventure-thriller film featured Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley and Kate Mulgrew, as well as many guest roles...
(1985): The Coney Island Barker - Prizzi's HonorPrizzi's HonorPrizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy film directed by John Huston. It stars Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia and Anjelica Huston.The film was adapted by Richard Condon and Janet Roach from Condon's novel of the same name...
(1985): Don Corrado Prizzi (Academy AwardAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor) - Wise BloodWise BloodWise Blood is the first novel by American author Flannery O'Connor, published in 1952. The novel was assembled from several disparate stories first published in Mademoiselle, Sewanee Review, and Partisan Review...
(1979 (film) A Preacher - The Sentinel (1977) Perry, a shady locksmith
- Mikey & Nicky (1976) : Sid Fine
- 92 In The Shade92 in the Shade (film)92 in the Shade is a 1975 film based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Thomas McGuane.-Plot:The story centers on Tom Skelton, a young man who opens a charter fishing business in Key West, Florida. He enters into a rivalry with a local sea captain named Dance and his partner Carter, who steal...
(1975) : Mr. Skelton - Happy Birthday, Wanda JuneHappy Birthday, Wanda JuneHappy Birthday, Wanda June is a play by Kurt Vonnegut, and a 1971 film adaptation, directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:The opening of this play is "This is a simple-minded play about men who enjoy killing, and those who don't."...
(1971): Looseleaf Harper - Little Big ManLittle Big ManLittle Big Man is a 1970 American Western film directed by Arthur Penn and based on the 1964 comic novel by Thomas Berger. It is a picaresque comedy about a Caucasian boy raised by the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century...
(1970) Historian - The Boston StranglerThe Boston Strangler (film)The Boston Strangler is a 1968 film based on the true story of the Boston Strangler and the book by Gerold Frank. It was directed by Richard Fleischer, and stars Tony Curtis as Albert DeSalvo, the strangler, and Henry Fonda as John S...
(1968) Eugene T O'Rourke - The ProducersThe Producers (1968 film)The Producers is a 1968 American satirical dark comedy cult classic film written and directed by Mel Brooks. The film is set in the late 1960s and it tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who want to produce a sure-fire Broadway flop...
(1968): Drunk - A Hatful of RainA Hatful of RainA Hatful of Rain is a 1957 dramatic film. The movie was a rarity for its time in its frank depiction of the effect of drug addiction.It is a medically and sociologically accurate account of the effects of morphine on an addict and his family ....
(1957): Apples (film debut) - Operation Mad BallOperation Mad BallOperation Mad Ball is a 1957 military comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Kathryn Grant, Ernie Kovacs, Dick York, Arthur O'Connell, and Mickey Rooney and directed by Richard Quine. The screenplay by Blake Edwards and Jed Harris is based on an unproduced play by Arthur Carter.-Plot:In a hospital unit in...
(1957): G.I. Sampson
Television
- Baby Talk – Mr. Fogarty
- Between Time and TimbuktuBetween Time and TimbuktuBetween Time and Timbuktu is a television film directed by Fred Barzyk and based on a number of works by Kurt Vonnegut. Produced by National Educational Television and WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, it was telecast March 13, 1972 as a NET Playhouse special.The script was primarily written by...
– Stony Stevenson - The EqualizerThe EqualizerThe Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
– elderly blind con man - MoonlightingMoonlighting (TV series)Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
- Mr. Kendall - Wings – Carlton Blanchard
- The Adventures of Pete and Pete - Grandpa Wrigley
- Appearances in The Outer LimitsThe Outer Limits (1995 TV series)The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
(1990s version), L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
, Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
, Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, The Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman ShowThe Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
, Tales from the DarksideTales from the DarksideTales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot...
, and Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
.
Awards
In addition to his Oscar nomination, Mr. Hickey received runner-up honors from the NSFCNational Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics is an American film critic organization. As of December 2007 the NSFC had approximately 60 members who wrote for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers.-History:...
and LAFCA
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Don Corrado Prizzi in Prizzi's Honor
Prizzi's Honor
Prizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy film directed by John Huston. It stars Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia and Anjelica Huston.The film was adapted by Richard Condon and Janet Roach from Condon's novel of the same name...
.
He was also nominated for an Emmy for 'Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series' for his appearance on Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
.