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William Preston Biography (1921-)

Born August 26, 1921, in Columbia, PA; son of William (a weaver) and Hannah Louise (Hable) Preston. Addresses: Agent: Pat House, Actors Group, 157West 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

actor

Birth Details

August 26, 1921

Columbia, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; Film Appearances
• Ogden, Annie Hall, United Artists, 1977.
• Desk clerk, Gloria, Columbia, 1980.
• Derelict, Soup for One, Warner Bros., 1982.
• Elevator man, Goodbye New York, Castle Hill, 1985.
• Flask mourner, Family Business, TriStar, 1989.
• Old man in wheelchair, The Exorcist III, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.
• John the bum, The Fisher King, TriStar, 1991.
• Blacksmith, Far and Away, Universal, 1992.
• Appeared as Sticker, Carnival of Blood.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
• E. B. Bennett, "Lady in a Corner," NBC Movie of the Week, NBC, 1989.
• Appeared as a tramp, Edge of Night; appeared in episodes of Another World, All My Children, and Late Night with David Letterman.
• Credits; Other Television Appearances
• Appeared as a bum, O'Malley, 1983; and Mr. Waterman, The Haunted Mansion Mystery, 1983.
• Credits; Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) Purgon, The Imaginary Invalid, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1971.
• (New York debut) Private First Class Joe Carson, We Bombed in New Haven, Circle in the Square, 1972.
• Mr. Gibbs, Arsenic and Old Lace, 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1986.
• The Cherry Orchard, Caldwell Theatre, Boca Raton, FL, 1986.
• A shepherd, The Winter's Tale, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston,MA, 1987-88.
• Gremio, The Taming of the Shrew, Triplex Theatre, New York City, 1988.
• The third watch, Much Ado about Nothing, New York Shakespeare Festival (NYSF), Delacorte Theatre/Central Park, New York City, 1988.
• Joe Stoddard, Our Town, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1988-89.
• As You Like It, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC, 1988-89.
• A Flea in Her Ear, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1989-90.
• Rodgers, Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band, Walnut Street Theatre, 1989-90.
• Gonzolo, The Tempest, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Madison, 1991.
• Adam, As You Like It, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Walt Disney Amphitheatre, Orlando, FL, 1993.
• Pinch, The Comedy of Errors, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Walt Disney Amphitheatre, 1993.
• Appeared as sick beggar, The Golem, NYSF; Martini, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; Corbaccio, Volpone; Thomas, The Rivals; Androcles, Androcles and the Lion; Petey, The Birthday Party;Colonel Kincaid, The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia; Candy, Of Mice and Men; Waffles, Uncle Vanya; Lucky, Waiting for Godot; Grandpa and Mr. DePinna, You Can't Take It with You; Touchstone and Adam, As You Like It; Bottom and Peter Quince, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Dogberry, Much Ado about Nothing; Baptistaand Grumio, The Taming of the Shrew; Toby Belch, Feste, and Andrew Aguecheek, Twelfth Night; ghost, first gravedigger, and Polonius, Hamlet; Justice Shallow, Henry IV, Part II; and the archbishop and king of France, Henry V; appeared in productions of Hedda Gabler, Whisper into My Good Ear, A Nestless Bird, Friends of Mine, Iphigenia in Aulis, Midsummer, Frozen Assets, His Master's Voice, Winter Dreams, Palpitations, and one-manshow Shakespeare on a Broomstick. Toured as the old actor, The Fantasticks, U.S. cities.