Bill Campbell Movies
Initially winning fame for his role as Luke Fuller on Dynasty from 1984 to 1985, Bill Campbell went on to a career mainly comprised of television roles, but including the occasional foray into film as well. The oldest of seven children, Campbell was born in Charlottesville, Virginia on July 7, 1959. After making his TV debut on Dynasty, he gained a substantial role in Abel Ferrara's made-for-TV Crime Story and appeared in a number of forgettable films. In 1991, he won notice for his title role in The Rocketeer, and the following year had a supporting part in Bram Stoker's Dracula. However, he continued to do his best work on TV, appearing in the acclaimed PBS series Tales of the City (1993) and its 1998 sequel More Tales of the City as the gay gynecologist lover of one of the show's protagonists. In 1999, he could again be seen on television, starring opposite Sela Ward on the series Once and Again. The credits listed him as "Billy Campbell;" the actor has also been credited in the past as "William Campbell." In 2002 Campbell had the tables turned on him as a menacing husband whose wife (portrayed by pop-diva Jennifer Lopez) takes the situation into her own hands in Enough. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
You won't want to miss the mystifying fourth and final season of The 4400! When Promicin becomes available to Seattle, the future of the human race will change forever. This four-disc collection includes all 13 Season 4 episodes of the critically acclaimed series, which originally aired during on cable's USA in the summer of 2007. It's packed with such special features as deleted scenes, a gag reel, featurettes, and a director's cut of the finale with unexpected, unforgettable events.
As Season Two of USA Network's sci-fi thriller The 4400 gets under way, several of the secrets closely held during Season One have been revealed--foremost among the fact that those 4400 humans who'd suddenly reappeared in a flash of light after having been kidnapped from the earth over a period of nearly six decades were not alien abductees, but instead had been snatched up by futuristic earthlings. The purpose was to "seed" the abductees throughout history to prevent the apocalyptic destruction of the earth! Of special importance to National Threat Assessment Command agent Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch), who along with fellow agent Diana Skouris (Jacqueline McKenzie) had been assigned to track down all of the "4400" once some of them had begun exhibiting awesome paranormal powers, is the fact that the futuristic kidnappers had selected Tom's own son Kyle (Chad Faust as their primary messenger--and also as an avenging angel, foresworn to kill the one "4400" member who poses the greatest threat to mankind It is also now known that it is the "promicin", a transmitter imbedded in each of the 4400's brains, that gives them their unique powers, and that NTAC plans to kill off the most "dangerous" abductees (as well as few innocent bystanders!) with a promicin inhibitor. The only antidote to this inhibitor is found in the blood of Isabelle, the infant daughter of "4400" Lily Moore (Laura Allen) and Richard Tyler (Mahershalhashbaz Ali)--and thus Isabelle has been targetted for elimination as soon as she can be found. As the season ends, the NTAC goes to great lengths to wipe out all evidence that the 4400 ever existed. But those "in the know" intend to see that justice is done to the surviving 4400...and to solve the many puzzles still remaining. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The first season of USA Network's sci-fi thriller The 4400 begins (pardon the cliché) with a bang, as a huge, glowing object falls from the sky and lands near Highland Beach, Washington. The comet-like object then disgorges some 4400 human beings, all of whom had vanished from the earth over the past 58 years! After a brief quarantine, the "4400" leave for various parts of the world--and then several returns, exhibiting such paranormal abilities as telekinesis, mind control, supersensitve hearing, and even, in the case of Shawn Farrell (Patrick Flueger), the power to revive the dead. Another of the 4400, Lily Moore, is pregnant with the child of Richard Tyler (Mahershalahashbaz Ali) Acutely aware that the returnees' otherworldly powers can be used for evil as well as good, Dennis Ryland (Peter Coyote), head of the National Threat Assessment Command division of Homeland Security, dispatches agents Tom Baldwin (Joel Gretsch) and Diana Skouris (Jacqueline McKenzie) to locate the rest of the 4400 to make certain that nothing terrible happens. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done, as witness the serial killer who has the power to make others do his dirty work. Also, whatever has caused the 4400 to develop these skills also has a profound effect on the two NTAC agents--to say nothing of Tom's son Kyle (Chad Faust), whose erratic behavior turns is a harbinger of things to come. Meanwhile, another of the 4400, the mysterious Jordan Collier (Bill Campbell), offers protection and shelter to his fellow retunees at Arcadia Estates--an outward act of altrusim that may be a cover up for a sinister hidden agenda. The five-episode first season ends after several of the 4400 are assassinated once their identities are made public--and after the startling secret behind the 4400 is revealed (we won't give too much away here: suffice to say that, though the 4400 were definitely abduction victims, their abductors were NOT aliens from another planet!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Joel Gretsch, (more)
- 2004
The SVU investigates when graduate student Myra Denning (Shannyn Sosamon) claims that she was raped by college advisor Ron Polikoff (Billy Campbell). A voluntary DNA exam reveals that Polikoff has indeed been intimate with Myra--but he tells a different story of their relationship, insisting that the girl manipulated him into having rough sex. The case results in an emotional schism between Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni), who believes Polikoff's story, and Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay), who sides with Myra. When this episode originally aired on November 23, 2004, viewers were invited to cast their votes on NBC.com to determine whether Ron Polikoff was truly a rapist, or if he was an innocent victim of a duplicitous young woman (and no, the results will not be revealed in this synopsis). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
Basketball has been a part of Philadelphia's history since well before the creation of the National Basketball Association. This documentary showcases how the city's first professional club, SPHAS, captured seven titles in a dozen years in the American Basketball League, a pre-NBA league. The filmmakers also show how the city's fervent fanbase has helped create some of the most beloved players in the game, including Wilt Chamberlain. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell
A remarkably self-deprecating entry in the USA network's off-and-on Ann Rule Presents series of fact-based films, The Stranger Beside Me details how Ann Rule (Barbara Hershey), a smart and savvy veteran crime reporter, allowed herself to be bamboozled by baby-faced serial killer Ted Bundy (Billy Campbell). Working side by side with Bundy as a volunteer at a Seattle rape crisis center in 1971, Rule had no clue that the personable and charming young man was responsible for one the most terrifying sex-murder sprees of the 20th century. Even after suspicion fell upon Bundy, Rule was initially willing to give him the benefit of the doubt -- as, alas, were so many law enforcement officials of the era. But once the truth was known, Rule embarked upon her own mea culpa campaign by going after Bundy with every resource at her disposal. Based on Rule's 1983 bestseller of the same name, The Stranger Beside Me originally aired March 21, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Bill Campbell, (more)
Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang, (more)
A woman learns a valuable lesson about her family as she and her aunt look back at her troubled past in this independent drama. As Virginia Wilder (Frances Fisher) visits her elderly Aunt Millie (Alice Drummond) for the Christmas holidays, she discovers a number of letters she received during the 1940s, and gains a new and clearer picture of Millie's life when she was younger. Teenaged Emily (Laurel Holloman) falls in love with a soldier who soon ships out to fight in World War II, but not before she discovers herself pregnant. When the soldier refuses to marry her, Emily is left to have the baby on her own, and soon she discovers herself an outcast in the small Southern town where she was born. While Emily's father (Gary Cole) turns his back on her, her mother (Tess Harper) remains supportive, and Emily soon becomes close friends with two other people who haven't been welcomed by the community, a strong-willed black woman named Wilma Watson (Elise Neal) and Will Bacon (Mark Webber), a well-meaning young man with a bad habit of bending the truth. As Emily's new friends stand by her, Emily in turn stands up for them as Wilma and other members of the town's African-American community begin standing up for their rights as citizens. The first feature film from writer and director Tom Rice, The Rising Place also features Jennifer Holliday and Frances Sternhagen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laurel Holloman, Elise Neal, (more)
A Cinderella story turns into a nightmare when a former waitress' perfect marriage gives way to adultery and physical abuse in this combination of domestic drama and revenge thriller. Motherless young woman Slim (Jennifer Lopez) works in a San Francisco diner with her best friend, Ginny (Juliette Lewis). After almost succumbing to the slick flirtation of an insincere customer (Noah Wyle), she is rescued by another dashing diner named Mitch (Bill Campbell). A few years later, the now happily married couple seem to have it all -- a perfect house, a precocious daughter (Tessa Allen), and a comfortable life. Then, Slim discovers that Mitch is actually a lothario who has been sleeping with other women behind her back. When she protests, he slaps her around and uses daughter Gracie as leverage to keep her in line. Slim enlists the help of her friends to escape with her child, though Mitch attacks and very nearly kills her in the process. Going on the lam, Slim adopts a series of new identities, wigs, and residences to avoid the goons Mitch has sent to retrieve her. Along the way, she receives help from Joe (Dan Futterman), a friend and old flame from college. Ultimately, Mitch and his unexpected allies so terrify Slim that she must turn the tables and transform herself from hunted to hunter. In doing so, she receives some surprise assistance of her own -- from Jupiter (Fred Ward), the rich father who abandoned her mother years ago. Although the soundtrack to Enough features the music of star J. Lo, the title song was written especially for the film by Magnolia tunesmith Aimee Mann. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jennifer Lopez, Bill Campbell, (more)
- 2001
Despite having been burned by unhappy previous marriages, architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) and online company worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) have tied the matrimonial knot and are reasonably happy as husband and wife as the third and final season of Once and Again gets under way. Unfortunately, the pressures of living under the same roof are causing friction between Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), and daughter, Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood), and Lily's daughters, Grace (Julia Whalen) and Zoe (Meredith Deane). Also working against the newlyweds' peace of mind are the woes brought about by Lily's mom's losing her battle with Alzheimer's, and the ongoing challenges posed by Lily's mentally challenged brother, Aaron (Patrick Dempsey). Things aren't much rosier for Rick's ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), who is seriously injured in a traffic accident. On the plus side, Lily finds a measure of personal success as host of a radio talk show; Lily's sister, Judy (Marin Hinkle), has a new boyfriend named Samuel Blue (Steven Weber), who happens to be Rick's co-worker; Lily's ex-husband, Jake, becomes a father again, thanks to girlfriend Tiffany (Ever Carradine), and by season's end has married Tiffany; Rick's daughter, Jessie, has formed a strong and supportive bond with new friend Katie Singer (Mischa Barton); and Karen meets the love of her life in the form of Henry (DB Woodside), the physical therapist who has helped her recover from her injuries. More good news comes Lily's way when her radio program is picked up for national syndication, and she discovers that she's pregnant. But dark clouds begin a-forming when Rick opts to accept a lucrative architectural assignment in Australia -- without making provisions to take Lily along with him. Through the series' three-year run, the characters have occasionally paused, stared straight at the camera, and delivered pithy "confessionals," expressing their innermost hopes and fears. The final episode of Once and Again takes this "nouvelle vague" cinematic technique one step further by having the actors drop character and express their real feelings about what has occurred during the past three seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
Armistead Maupin's colorful saga of life in San Francisco in the 1970s continues in this miniseries, the third following the characters of his serialized novel Tales of the City, which follows the story into 1981. After his relationship with Jon Fielding (Bill Campbell) comes to an end, Michael Tolliver (Paul Hopkins) throws himself back into dating, while Prue Giroux (Mary Kay Place) finds herself in a similar situation after her divorce. Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney) finds that moving ahead in her career in local television is an uphill battle, while her boyfriend Brian Hawkins (Whip Hubley) is feeling the strain of adjusting to his new job while staying faithful to Mary Ann. And DeDe (Barbara Garrick) has some startling news for Mary Ann that could have a major impact on her life. Produced for the Showtime premium cable network, Further Tales of the City also stars Olympia Dukakis, Bruce McCulloch, Henry Czerny, Sandra Oh, Parker Posey, Scott Thompson, and Joel Grey. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Olympia Dukakis, Paul Hopkins, (more)
At last divested of her insensitive husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is certain that she can devote her full time to her budding romance with divorced architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell) as Once and Again enters its second season. Alas, Rick is suddenly socked with a major crisis of his own: his work on the lucrative Atlantor architectural project comes to a screeching halt thanks to the legal duplicity of developer Miles Drentell -- a scabrous character introduced on Once and Again creators Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick's previous series thirtysomething, with David Clennon repeating his role herein. When it turns out that the only way Rick can extricate himself from this dilemma -- and a possible prison term -- is to rely upon the largesse of his spiteful ex-wife, Karen (Susanna Thompson), Lily despairs, reasoning that she has now struck out twice in the love department. Happily, however, things manage to smooth out sufficiently for Lily and Rick to finally march down the aisle near the end of season two -- and the couple's respective children, so resistant to their union in season one, have (temporary) smiles on their faces during the ceremony. Even so, the smile comes a bit hard for Rick's son, Eli (Shane West), whose best friend Carla (Audrey Anderson), a heap of neuroses throughout the season, is compelled to leave town. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
In the process of divorcing her restauranteur husband, Jake (Jeffrey Nordling), who refused to regard himself as "part of the problem," computer-service worker Lily Manning (Sela Ward) is reluctant to re-enter the dating scene as season one of Once and Again gets under way. Lily also doesn't want to injure the sensibilities of her 14-year-old daughter, Grace (Julia Whalen), who is going through a typically pubescent period of self-loathing, nor her nine-year-old daughter, Zoe (Meredith Deane), who is still holding out hope that her parents will get back together again. But Lily's attitude toward midlife romance changes when she meets successful architect Rick Sammler (Billy Campbell), himself divorced from a contentious spouse, a woman named Karen (Susanna Thompson), who blames everyone but herself for her sorry lot in life. And like Lily, Rick has a problem child, a 16-year-old son named Eli (Shane West) with a learning disability and a poor self-image (Rick's 12-year-old daughter, Jessie [Evan Rachel Wood], is reasonably well adjusted by comparison). Clearly, Lily and Rick are kindred spirits, and clearly they are going to fall in love, hoping to beat the odds against lasting happiness. Most of the first season finds Rick waiting patiently for Lily to settle her marital dispute with Jake. He also makes a valiant effort to win over Grace and Zoe, who are markedly resistant to his charms. Other stories focus on a trio of secondary characters: Jake's new girlfriend, Tiffany Porter (Ever Carradine); Rick's business partner, David Casilli (Todd Field); and Lily's sister, Judy Brooks (Marin Hinkle), who operates a wine-and-cheese bookstore. And, of course, every so often the characters express their feelings in the form of Truffautesque "confessionals," delivered directly to the camera (and, by extension, to the viewers). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sela Ward, Bill Campbell, (more)
- 1998
Armistead Maupin calls the three-story wooden house at 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco "my homestead, my Tara." He began his portrait of Barbary Lane life during the '70s in a daily newspaper serial, expanding the material into a series of six novels. PBS aired the original TV miniseries in 1994, but threats and pressures prompted PBS to drop their plans for a follow-up, leaving an unresolved cliffhanger for four years. Several members of the original PBS cast were reunited for this six-part Showtime sequel (adapted from Maupin's second novel in the series), set in San Francisco of 1977. It picks up the threads of the story six weeks after the point where the PBS miniseries ended. When Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney), hoping for romance, and her cynical gay friend Michael (Paul Hopkins) take a Mexican cruise, Mary Ann meets amnesia victim Burke Andrew (Colin Ferguson) and Michael runs into his former lover, Dr. Jon Fielding (William Campbell). Michael's roommate Mona Ramsey (Nina Siemaszko), in a purple haze of pot and angel dust, answers phones at a Reno brothel owned by Mother Mucca (Jackie Burroughs). Mona learns about her lineage and also about Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis), the former Mr. Madrigal. Rich widow Frannie (Diana LeBlanc) finds a cure for her depression at the rural resort Pinus, where society ladies celebrate their 60th birthdays with youthful houseboys. Beauchamp Day (Thomas Gibson) is married to Frannie's pregnant daughter DeDe (Barbara Garrick), but Beauchamp isn't the father. Locations include San Francisco, Montreal (substituting for some areas of San Francisco), and Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Premiered June 7, 1998 on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, (more)
- 1998
This made-for-TV biographical drama was adapted from William Gibson's sequel to his own play The Miracle Worker. Moira Kelly and Roma Downey are respectively starred as the teenaged Helen Keller and her teacher and closest friend Annie Sullivan. Despite her inability to see or hear, Helen has made such spectacular progress under Sullivan's tutelage that she is able to attend Radcliffe College. Accompanying Helen to the campus, Annie meets handsome journalism professor John Macy (Bill Campbell) and quickly falls in love. Having had her own crush on Macy, and fearing the loss of Annie's friendship, Helen reverts to the anger and jealousy that characterized her childhood years--but soon finds comfort in a romantic relationship of her own. Monday After the Miracle made its CBS network bow on November 15, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roma Downey, Moira Kelly, (more)
- 1998
Essentially an updating of Apollo 13, this taut made-for-TV thriller follows the courageous collaborative effort between NASA's Mission control, a space shuttle crew, and their families after an in-space accident endangers their latest mission and forces them to somehow make it back to Earth for an emergency landing. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Paget Brewster, (more)
- 1998
Bill Campbell guest stars as Dr. Clint Webber, a new "call-in" radio personality hired by station KACL. Dr. Webber's slick, smooth delivery and flawless dispensation of advice pleases everyone at the station -- everyone, of course, but rival radio shrink Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who worries that the "perfect" Webber will end up as his permanent replacement. Elsewhere, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) must straighten things out when his dad Martin (John Mahoney) is ejected from a gourmet pet-food shop. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
- PG
- Add The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo to Queue Add The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli and Baloo to top of Queue
A prequel to The Jungle Book, this live-action kids' film follows the young wild boy Mowgli (Jamie Williams) as he's pursued through the late 19th century Indian jungle by a variety of "civilized" men, each seeking him for their own nefarious purposes. When Mowgli is spotted by the passengers on a train, Harrison (Bill Campbell), an employee of P.T. Barnum, immediately orders his underlings to capture the kid, who will make a first-rate sideshow attraction for his boss. Joining the hunt for Mowgli is Buldeo (Gulshan Grover), a local nobleman who is secretly Mowgli's uncle and wants the boy dead so that he can inherit his brother's vast fortune. Also on the hunt is Chuchundra (David Paul Francis) and his trained monkey, and the evil tracker Karait (Dyrk Ashton), who has trained a giant python to locate whatever prey its master chooses. Trying to evade the determined hunting party with the help of his animal pals like the bear Baloo and the panther Bagheera, Mowgli stumbles upon a great lost city in the jungle, where the mad King Murphy (Roddy McDowall) rules over a monkey empire and becomes Mowgli's unlikely ally. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jamie Williams, Bill Campbell, (more)
- 1996
A pair of lovers have no idea that their affair is overseen and orchestrated by an angel sent by Cupid to see that they remain together in this romantic comedy. Steve, is a youthful college professor with a love of Renaissance poetry and a firm belief that the old poets knew the secret of lasting love. Megan is an opinionated pediatrician who thinks of love only in the most pragmatic terms. Despite their many differences, Cupid knows they were meant for each other and so dispatches his minion to make it so. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
In this sci-fi adventure, a specially designed ship carries only enough food and supplies to make a one-way trip into deepest space. The entire mission is jeopardized by the discovery of an unauthorized passenger. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Poppy Montgomery, (more)
- 1996
- PG13
Many may not know that Ireland maintained its neutrality during World War II, so that any soldiers from that conflict who found themselves on Irish soil had to be kept in captivity until the war's end. For a variety of aeronautical reasons, quite a few Axis and Allied pilots found themselves having to bail out over Ireland. In this film, captives Miles Keogh (Bill Campbell), a Canadian pilot, and Count Rudolph von Stegenbek (Angus Macfadyen), a German pilot, are rivals for the affections of Mattie Guerin (Jean Butler), a local Irish girl. How this rivalry continues is just part of the story of this exciting and romantic film. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, William McNamara, (more)
In this sci-fi thriller a computer expert's mind is enhanced by that of a slain revolutionary. The trouble comes when the rebel's mind sets him off on a vendetta against a prominent, corrupt politician. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
- 1995
- PG13
A photographer becomes famous overnight for a photo he didn't take himself in this satiric comedy. Delbert Mosely (Bill Campbell) is an award-winning photojournalist whose career has gone into a nosedive, forcing him to take a job with a sleazy tabloid. After getting fired by his editor, Cobb (Bobcat Goldthwait) for not giving him the kind of exploitive material he wanted, Delbert buys an old camera at a garage sale, which still has some old film left in it. Delbert develops the roll, and finds to his surprise it includes pictures of an alien abduction. Delbert's photos suddenly make him a very popular man with reporters, Air Force investigators, UFO theorists, and Cobb, who runs a story about the photos which question his credibility. Delbert gets in a fight with Cobb that lands him in jail, but he's soon bailed out by Paige (Wendy Schaal), who has her own reasons for wanting to talk to Delbert -- she thinks her father is the one being abducted in the photos. Out There also stars Rod Steiger, Jill St. John, Paul Dooley, and .J. Soles; Billy Bob Thornton, a year before Sling Blade would make him a star, has a bit part as a UFO enthusiast Delbert meets in jail. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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