William Sadler

William Thomas Sadler was born on April 13, 1950, in Buffalo, New York. From an early age, he showed an affinity for performing, playing stringed instruments and performing as “Banjo Bill Sadler” during his high school years at Orchard Park High School. He pursued higher education at SUNY Geneseo before earning a Master’s degree in acting with a minor in speech communications from Cornell University. His career began in New York theatre, including over 75 productions off-off-Broadway and a significant role on Broadway.

Sadler’s career progressed through extensive work in theatre, leading to prominent roles in film and television starting in the late 1980s. He is recognized for his performances in films such as “Die Hard 2” (1990) where he played Colonel William Stuart, “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” (1991) as Death, a role for which he won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, and “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) as Heywood. He also notably portrayed President Matthew Ellis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in “Iron Man 3” (2013) and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2015–2016).

In television, Sadler had starring roles in “Roswell” (1999–2002) as Sheriff Jim Valenti, and recurring roles in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1998–1999) as Luther Sloan, and “Hawaii Five-0” (2010–2020) as John McGarrett. His extensive filmography demonstrates a capacity for diverse characters and sustained presence in the entertainment industry since 1977, making him a reliable and experienced performer.