William Hickey (actor)
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| William Hickey | |
| Born | September 19, 1927 Brooklyn |
| Died | June 29, 1997 |
William Edward Hickey (September 19, 1927 – June 29, 1997) was an American actor. He was known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor.
Hickey was born in Brooklyn to Nora and Edward Hickey, who were of Irish descent.[1] He had an older sister, Dorothy Finn. Hickey began acting in radio in 1938.[2]
Hickey enjoyed a long and successful 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.
Hickey died from emphysema and bronchitis in 1997. He is interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York.
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[edit] Notable roles
[edit] Film
- Twisted (1997): Andre
- Mousehunt (1997): Rudolph Smuntz
- Major Payne (1995): School Dean
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): voice of Doctor Finklestein
- My Blue Heaven (1990): Billy Sparrow
- Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990): Drogan (in the "Cat From Hell" segment)
- Sea of Love (1989): Frank Keller Sr.
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989): Uncle Lewis
- Puppet Master (1989): Andre Toulon
- Bright Lights, Big City (1988): Ferret Man
- A Hobo's Christmas (1987): Cincinnati Harold
- One Crazy Summer (1986): Old Man Beckersted
- Prizzi's Honor (1985): Don Corrado Prizzi (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor)
- Little Big Man (1970) Historian
- The Producers (1968): Drunk
- A Hatful of Rain (1957): Apples (film debut)
[edit] Television
- Baby Talk - Mr. Fogarty
- Between Time and Timbuktu - Stony Stevenson
- Appearances on The Outer Limits (1990s version), Wings, L.A. Law, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Tales from the Crypt, Miami Vice, The Tracey Ullman Show, Tales from the Darkside, and Hallmark Hall of Fame.
