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William Fichtner

William Fichtner

Actor, also director, producer and writer · Born November 27, 1956 (69) · Mitchell Field Air Force Base, East Meadow, Long Island, New York, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · 1 other major award body

William Edward Fichtner (born November 27, 1956) is an American actor. Raised in the Buffalo, N.Y. area, he started his career with supporting appearances in Virtuosity (1995), Heat, and Strange Days (both 1995). A prolific character actor in film, Fichtner is recognised for memorable performances in Contact (1997), Armageddon (1998), Go (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), Crash (2004), and The Longest Yard (2005). In 2005, Fichtner starred as Sheriff Tom Underlay in Invasion. He later appeared as Alexander Mahone in Prison Break, Carl Hickman in Crossing Lines, and Adam Janikowski in Mom. Description above from the Wikipedia article William Fichtner, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 27, 1956 (69)
From
Mitchell Field Air Force Base, East Meadow, Long Island, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also director, producer and writer
Titles
81 on MovieCove · 97 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

What are William Fichtner's films like?

Across their 60 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
27%
Bonds
20%
Self
18%
Survival
16%
Society
8%
Power
8%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 52 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 16 · Dark 23

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 27 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 11

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 15 · Intense 31

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 10

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 35 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 27 · Relentless 12

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 29 · Full focus 12

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 16 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 16

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 29 · Open-ended 15 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

36 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 9 of 36 analyzed roles.

Mentor
9 of 36
Shadow
7 of 36
Threshold guardian
5 of 36
Ally
5 of 36
Hero
4 of 36
Trickster
3 of 36
Herald
2 of 36
Shapeshifter
1 of 36
Show the 36 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
46
Dread
20
Thrilling
20
Melancholic
16
Contemplative
13
Other
46

How their films linger

Thought-provoking21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 22 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet25
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous18
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch William Fichtner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 60 of their 81 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for William Fichtner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

97 credits, 81 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Outer Threat(2026)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Lucky(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · as Wayne Whittaker

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Plastic Men(2025)

    as The Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Gettysburg Address(2025)

    as John G. Nicolay (voice)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Talamasca: The Secret Order(2025)

    Show 6 episodes · as Jasper

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Cutman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Emmerit

  • The Sound(2025)

    as Conner

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • French Girl(2024)

    as Peter Kinski

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Hypnotic(2023)

    as Dellrayne

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Beef(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · as Troy

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Company You Keep(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · as Leo Nicoletti

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • 88(2022)

    as Ron Holt

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Davis

  • Joe vs. Carole(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rick Kirkham

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • That Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Narrator

  • The Birthday Cake(2021)

    as Uncle Ricardo

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • The Space Between(2021)

    as Donny Rumson

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Neighbor(2017)

    Producer · as Mike

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Cold Brook(2018)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Ted Markham

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Josie & Jack(2019)

    as Raeburn

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Finding Steve McQueen(2019)

    as Enzo Rotella

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Armed(2018)

    as Richard

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Hot Summer Nights(2017)

    as Shep

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • All the Devil's Men(2018)

    as Brennan

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • O.G.(2018)

    as Danvers

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Traffik(2018)

    as Mr. Waynewright

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Krystal(2017)

    as Dr. Farley

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • 12 Strong(2018)

    as Colonel Mulholland

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • American Wrestler: The Wizard(2016)

    as Coach Plyler

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Black Holes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Youston (voice)

  • Shooter(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • The War of 1996: A United World News Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as General Adams

  • Last Day in LA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Independence Day: Resurgence(2016)

    as General Adams

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Four Falls of Buffalo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Empire(2015)

    Show 4 episodes · as Jameson Henthrop

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014)

    as Eric Sacks

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Homesman(2014)

    as Vester Belknap

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hell on Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Satan

  • Mom(2013)

    Show 108 episodes · as Adam Janikowski

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Crossing Lines(2013)

    Show 22 episodes · as Carl Hickman

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Elysium(2013)

    as John Carlyle

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Ranger(2013)

    as Butch Cavendish

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's(2013)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Phantom(2013)

    as Alex

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Code Name: Geronimo(2012)

    as Guidry

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Wrong(2012)

    as Master Chang

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Veep(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Felix Wade

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Drive Angry(2011)

    as Accountant

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Big Bang(2010)

    as Poley

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Date Night(2010)

    as DA Frank Crenshaw

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Prison Break: The Final Break(2009)

    as Alex Mahone

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Knight(2008)

    as Bank Manager

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Blades of Glory(2007)

    as Darren MacElroy

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • First Snow(2006)

    as Ed Jacomoi

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Amateurs(2005)

    as Otis

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Ultraviolet(2006)

    as Garth

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Invasion(2005)

    Show 22 episodes · as Sheriff Tom Underlay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Nine Lives(2005)

    as Andrew

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Prison Break(2005)

    Show 57 episodes · as Alexander Mahone

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Chumscrubber(2005)

    as Mr. Bill Stiffle

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith(2005)

    as Dr. Wexler - Marriage Counselor (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Empire Falls(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jimmy Minty

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • The Longest Yard(2005)

    as Captain Knauer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Crash(2004)

    as Flanagan

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • American Dad!(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Harland (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction(2004)

    as Rosenberg (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Entourage(2004)

    Show 13 episodes · as Phil Yagoda

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Equilibrium(2002)

    as Jürgen

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • MDs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 11 episodes · as Dr. Bruce Kellerman

  • Julie Walking Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Henry

  • Black Hawk Down(2001)

    as Sanderson

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • What's the Worst That Could Happen?(2001)

    as Detective Alex Tardio

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Pearl Harbor(2001)

    as Danny's Father

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Endsville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Prince Victor

  • The Perfect Storm(2000)

    as David "Sully" Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Drowning Mona(2000)

    as Phil Dearly

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Passion of Mind(2000)

    as Aaron Reilly

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Christopher Mulready

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Go(1999)

    as Burke

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Settlement(1999)

    as Jerry

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Armageddon(1998)

    as Willie Sharp

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Switchback(1997)

    as Chief Jack McGinnis

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Contact(1997)

    as Kent

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Albino Alligator(1996)

    as Law

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Heat(1995)

    as Roger Van Zant

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Reckless (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Rachel's Father

  • Strange Days(1995)

    as Dwayne Engelman

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Virtuosity(1995)

    as Wallace

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Underneath(1995)

    as Tommy Dundee

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • A Father for Charlie(1995)

    as Sheriff

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Quiz Show(1994)

    as Stage Manager

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Grace Under Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Ryan Sparks

  • Malcolm X(1992)

    as Cop at Harlem Station

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Baywatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Howard Ganza

  • Bosch: Start of Watch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as Calhern

  • That's Amore! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 97 titles, 95 of them dated from 1989 to 2026; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

Armageddon (1998)

$554M worldwide

Highest rated

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction (2004)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Prison Break (2005)

Film career

MilestoneAward win
19892026

Peak 2019 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 19 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 97: 95 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thDirecting1 of 97: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 97: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 97: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s16 · acting2000s27 · acting2010s33 · 33 acting · 1 crew2020s18 · 18 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 8% of 52 roles
950005101520

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award from 2 major nominations, 2006–2021.

WinNomination
  1. 2021
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
  2. 2006
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do William Fichtner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 65; across their 52 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 38th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Approval · how many liked their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Midcredits score across 81 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th28
  • 25th to 49th18
  • Below 25th17

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 81 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed25

Most divisive · actor

The Gettysburg Address (2025)

98th percentile spread · 43% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Dark Knight (2008)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 49 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is William Fichtner's work okay for kids?

Across up to 38 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore30 titles32–85 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity38 titles19–58 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity27 titles33–82 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs26 titles10–74 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense24 titles20–73 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does William Fichtner work with?

People who share at least 2 of William Fichtner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Morse shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers