William Sanderson
William Sanderson is an American retired actor. He played List of [Blade Runner (franchise) characters#J.F. Sebastian|J. F. Sebastian] in the feature film Blade Runner, and had regular roles on several television series, playing Larry on Newhart, E. B. Farnum on Deadwood, and Sheriff Bud Dearborne on True Blood.
Early life
Sanderson was born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 10, 1944 to an elementary school teacher mother and a landscape designer father. He is a graduate of Memphis Central [High School (Memphis, Tennessee)|Central High School].Sanderson volunteered for the U.S. Army when he was 18 years old in 1962. After his discharge, he attended college using the G.I. Bill, first at Southern Methodist University for a year, then at Memphis State University. He earned B.B.A. and J.D. degrees there, though he did not take the bar exam.
Career
Sanderson appeared in many science fiction films, as one of the mechanics and regulars of the diner in The Rocketeer, who defies Nazi agents looking for the top secret rocket pack. As a single episode character, Deuce, in the television show Babylon 5 later reprising the role in Babylon 5: Thirdspace. Sanderson voiced Dr. Karl Rossum in Batman: The Animated Series.Sanderson starred in the 1977 blacksploitation thriller Fight for Your Life, which is banned in the United Kingdom. He played the key supporting role of timid, genius inventor J. F. Sebastian in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi-noir film Blade Runner.
As a guest, he made appearances in many television shows, his credits include The Pretender, The X-Files, Knight Rider, Married... with Children, Babylon 5, ER, Coach, and Walker, Texas Ranger. He plays a key role in an audio dramatization of Ursula K. Le Guin's Vaster than Empires and More Slow in NPR's 2000X series. In 2001, Sanderson played the courageous bartender Dewey in the TNT film Crossfire Trail.
Sanderson's fame peaked in a comic-relief role, as the soiled, societally-awkward, backwoodsman Larry in Newhart from 1982 to 1990, famous for the absurd catchphrase, "Hi. I'm Larry. This is my brother Darryl. This is my other brother Darryl" – a reoccurring character until the end of the second season, when he and his brothers purchased the cafe next to the Stratford Inn.
Sanderson had a minor role as the abusive and cruel junkyard dealer Ray in Man's Best Friend.
He returned to television playing E. B. Farnum in the HBO television series Deadwood from 2004 to 2006, later reprising the role in its film continuation. In 2008, Sanderson joined the cast of True Blood, playing Sheriff Bud Dearborne. He played Oldham, the resident interrogation expert of the DHARMA Initiative in an episode of the fifth season of the ABC series Lost.
In May 2019, Sanderson released an autobiography about his career, Yes, I'm That Guy: The Rough-and-Tumble Life of a Character Actor. Following the release of his book, Sanderson and Nick "Saucey" Katsouros released a six-episode limited-run podcast, Sanderson Says, to discuss and expound on the autobiography.
Sanderson announced his retirement from acting on his Facebook page on May 13, 2020.