Muse Watson Gravel (born Robert Gravel; July 20, 1948), commonly known as Muse Watson, is an American actor. He is notable for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland / D.B. Cooper in Prison Break, and film roles as Hank Corrigan in Something to Talk About, and Ben Willis, the killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Early life Watson was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. His father died when he was five years old, and Watson and his three siblings were raised by their mother and maternal grandfather. Watson said his grandfather had a big influence on him, and after finding out that Robert Gravel was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild, he legally changed his name to Muse Watson Gravel, in honor of his grandfather. Watson graduated from Bolton High School in 1966, and then attended Louisiana Tech for two years on a music scholarship. After leaving Louisiana Tech, he transferred to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.
It was at Berea College where he became interested in acting, scoring a role as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. He then left Berea and went on the road starring in productions of Man of La Mancha and Promises, Promises. After a year of touring, he returned to Berea, but at graduation time, he was told his degree would be withheld because he hadn't "gone to church enough". He decided to leave school and moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to live with his sister. He worked for Pathway Bellows for seven years before moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee to work as a manufacturing representative, while still making time for auditions and plays.
Career Watson is credited with appearing in more than 60 movies and 50 television episodes. He is best known for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland in Prison Break, and as Ben Willis, the killer in the horror films, I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and as the vampire C. W. Niles in From Dusk Till Dawn 2.
Other notable appearances include: American Outlaws, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, A Day Without a Mexican, Dead Birds, Down in the Valley, IOWA, Morgan's Ferry and Songcatcher.
When Watson was living in Chattanooga, he was hired to do extras casting for King Kong Lives. He also made connections with people in the North Carolina film industry and became a Teamster, building his own fleet of trucks that he hired out for productions on the East Coast. After a guest appearance on Matlock and his role in Something to Talk About, he moved to Los Angeles where Marion Dougherty helped him in obtaining an agent. Watson said he considers his appearance in the film Something to Talk About as his "breakout role".
He has also directed theater for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Bessie Smith Foundation, taught acting at the Georgia State Prison, and taught reading and writing at Berea College's literacy outreach program. Before changing his name to Muse Watson, he had credits as Robert Gravel, working as a stunt driver in Steel Magnolias and Mississippi Burning. In the film I Know What You Did Last Summer, Watson performed the majority of his own stunts, which included a very long underwater sequence.
In 2002, he was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in If I Die Before I Wake at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, and in 2011, won best actor for his performance in A Christmas Snow, at the Trail Dance Film Festival.
Watson starred in a stage adaptation of the TV movie A Christmas Snow at the Starlite Theater in Branson, Missouri.
In 2007, Watson made a guest appearance on Ghost Whisperer in the episode "Delia's First Ghost"; the episode reunited with his I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star and series star Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Melinda Gordon on the show.
Personal life Watson is married and has a daughter with autism, for which he has become an advocate.
Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes 1988Mississippi BurningStunt driver1989Steel MagnoliasStunt driver1989Black RainbowPatrol officer1990The Handmaid's TaleGuardian1990Blind VengeanceVarsac1993SommersbyDrifter1995Something to Talk AboutHank Corrigan1995The Journey of August KingZimmer1995AssassinsKetcham1997I Know What You Did Last SummerBen Willis1997RosewoodHenry Andrews1997LolitaStore clerk1997Acts of BetrayalTrenton Fraser1997A Texas Birthday1998Break UpBaker cop1998I Still Know What You Did Last SummerBen Willis1998ShadrachCaptain1998If I Die before I WakeDaryl1999From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood MoneyC. W. Niles1999The Art of the BulletCaptain Walters1999Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeKlansman1999It's the RageCleaner2000SongcatcherParley Gentry2000Ten GrandBig Tony2001Morgan's FerrySheriff Billy Ray Barnwell2001American OutlawsBurly detective2002Hollywood VampyrProfessor Fulton2003Season of the HuntedFrank2003Wild TurkeyShort film2004Christmas ChildSheriff Jimmy James2004FrankenfishElmer2004Dead BirdsFather2004The Last SummerJerimiah Shuman2004A Day Without a MexicanLouis McClaire2004The Dark Agent and the Passing of the Torch ChapterLester King2005House of Grimm2005Down in the ValleyBill Sr.2005IOWASheriff Walker2005End of the SpearAdolfo2009White Lightnin'D. Ray White2009Stellina Blue2009TimerRick O'Leary2010Small Town Saturday Night2010The PresenceMr. Browman2010The SteamroomPat2011The LampSam2012Meeting EvilFrank2013The Last Exorcism Part IIFrank Merle2014Between the Sand and the SkyBoss2014Suburban GothicAmbrose 2016Dark ResonanceProfessor Walter Jackson 2016Saved From Sorrow: Mysterious GraceJeremiah2017Valley of BonesTerry2019The Dead OnesGus
Television Year Title Role Notes 1990Blind VengeanceVrsacTV movie1993MatlockPatrol officerTV series; (2 episodes) 1994The Birds II: Land's EndBartender JesseTV movie1994Justice in a Small TownRobert StubbsTV movie 1994Leave of AbsenceGuyTV movie 1995American GothicWash SutpenTV series1995GrampsFatherTV movie1995TadTom PendelTV movie1995Tecumseh: The Last WarriorWhitleyTV movie1996The Lazarus ManDawkinsTV series; (2 episodes)1999JAGAdmiral Arthur FessendenTV series1999Walker, Texas RangerFreddie ForbesTV series; (2 episodes)2003The Last CowboyOtis BertramTV movie2005-2008Prison BreakCharles Westmoreland TV series; (19 episodes)2006Close to HomeBob PetersTV series2006Jane Doe: The Harder They FallCaptain BarnesTV movie2006-2017NCISMike FranksTV series; (20 episodes)2007Criminal MindsMickey BatesTV series2007Ghost WhispererMilt CharlesTV series2009The MentalistJake CoobyTV series2009Cold CaseJohn NorwoodTV series2009iCarlyBuckyTV series2010CastleIvan PodofskiTV series2011Franklin & BashOfficer Tom WerthTV series2013EagleheartQuintTV series2014JustifiedElmont SwainTV series2021Diary of a Lunatic: Sylke's TalesThe CreatorTV miniseries; (8 episodes)
References
External links
Muse Watson at Rotten Tomatoes