William Michael Hootkins (July 5, 1948 – October 23, 2005) was an American actor, long based in the United Kingdom. He was known to film audiences for his supporting roles in several blockbusters of the 1970s and 1980s, notably as Jek Porkins / Red Six in the original Star Wars (1977), Major Eaton in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Lt. Max Eckhardt in Batman (1989). He also worked on the West End stage, originating the role of Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock Blonde.
Early life and education Hootkins was born on July 5, 1948, in Dallas, Texas. He attended St. Mark's School of Texas from grade 1 through 12. At age 15, Hootkins found himself caught up in the FBI's investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy when he was interviewed about Ruth Paine, his teacher; Marina Oswald, the Russian wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, and their children had been living with Paine in Irving. Cliff Shasteen who served as a hair cutter for Oswald, said that once, Oswald came with a boy of about 14 who did not get a haircut or say anything; just a few days before the assassination, the boy came in on his own. He got a haircut and began an oratory on the benefits of one world government and the sorry plight of society's have-nots. Shasteen was bewildered and asked how old he was, but the boy would not say his age or where he came from. Researcher Greg Parker later concluded from eyewitness descriptions that the boy was Hootkins.
In school he also developed his taste for theatre, joining the same drama group as Tommy Lee Jones, who was a year ahead of him in high school. Hootkins would later say that, since Jones was better-looking and got all the best parts, "I supported from then on in."
Hootkins attended Princeton University, studying astrophysics before transferring to oriental studies, where he became fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He was a mainstay of the Theatre Intime, making a particular impact with his performance in Orson Welles' Moby Dick—Rehearsed. On the recommendation of his friend John Lithgow, he moved to London in the early 1970s and trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He made his home in London until 2002, when he moved to Los Angeles.
Career
Film and television Hootkins appeared in significant parts in films such as Hardware (1990), Like Father, Like Santa (as Santa Claus), and Hear My Song (1991), where he was the Mr. X who was presumed to be the Irish tenor Josef Locke under a false name. He portrayed Fatty Arbuckle in Ken Russell's infamous 1977 flop Valentino, and played Hans Zarkov's assistant in the 1980 Flash Gordon. He also made appearances in such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tim Burton's Batman (the latter as Lt. Eckhardt).
He also appeared in several roles on television, including Charles Frohman in The Lost Boys (1978), Colonel Cobb in the remake of The Tomorrow People and as Uncle George in the 2002 remake of The Magnificent Ambersons. His last film role was as reporter Frank Rich in the 2005 dramedy Colour Me Kubrick.
Although American, he was a close look-alike to portray the young Winston Churchill through to his premiership in six episodes of the 1981 BBC Cymru Wales biographical series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. He delivered Churchill's closing eulogy of his friend before parliament to end the series.
At the time of his death, Hootkins was planning a screenplay on Fatty Arbuckle, focusing on Arbuckle's life after his fall from grace in 1921; he had met Arbuckle's last wife, Addie McPhail.
Star Wars Hootkins appeared in many roles that made him a welcome figure at fan conventions, particularly for Star Wars in his role of Jek Porkins, the first X-wing Starfighter pilot to be shot down and destroyed. Hootkins has said that he was not sure if his character was human when he was first cast for the role. He is quoted as follows: "I saw the word 'Porkins: I thought because I'm a heavy guy, what's this word Porkins? I saw all the amazing creature effects they were doing and I thought wait a minute, if they are giving me a name like Porkins, is somebody going to come over and stick ears and a snout on my face?" The actor also recalled that while filming his death scene, the special effects supervisor imparted: "Just before we blow you up, I want you to understand what is going to happen. It's nothing to worry about; we are going to put some gun powder under your seat, a couple of magnesium squibs here, a 4-stick dynamite charge over here." Hootkins recalled feeling slightly nervous upon seeing the number of fire extinguishers present on set, and told the crew he would simply leave the premises in the event of the stunt not going as planned.
Porkins' death scene has been referred to as one of the more gruesome moments in Star Wars. Hootkins would later reflect on the impact of his minor role in the film: "I didn't realise what power would come from that job until a year later I received my first fan letter. In it was a drawing of my scene by a little boy, and it was actually a clearer and more understandable version of the scene than George Lucas'! He asked if he could have an autographed photo. When I checked the return address, it was the leukaemia ward of a children's hospital. It's a blessing to me that I have any power to make even the tiniest difference in other people's lives."
Voice acting Hootkins was also a voice artist, recording dozens of plays for BBC Radio Drama where his roles ranged from J. Edgar Hoover and Orson Welles to Winston Churchill. In audio books, he read works by Jack London, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Bloch and Carl Hiaasen. He also performed an award-winning, unabridged reading of Herman Melville's Moby-Dick for Naxos Audiobooks that runs for 24 hours and 50 minutes. He voiced Dingodile in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, Maximillian Roivas in the cult hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, and Lucifer in the stop-motion film The Miracle Maker. He played Bobby Mallory in BBC Radio 4's dramatisations of Sara Paretsky's V. I. Warshawski novels, alongside Kathleen Turner. He also voiced Lex Luthor in Radio 4's The Adventures of Superman.
Stage In England, Hootkins found work in the theatre as well as in film, and he would have his greatest success on stage portraying Alfred Hitchcock in Terry Johnson's 2003 hit play Hitchcock Blonde, first at the Royal Court Theatre and in London's West End. The role was such a success that producers planned to take the show to Broadway, but it was canceled after Hootkins was diagnosed with cancer.
Hootkins also starred in the original production of Johnson's Insignificance at the Royal Court Theatre. He played Uncle Pleasent in Nicholas Hytner's West End production of Orpheus Descending, opposite Dame Helen Mirren.
Death Hootkins died of pancreatic cancer in Santa Monica, California on October 23, 2005, at the age of 57. His mausoleum is at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Big Zapper Kono's Henchman 1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming Sgt. Fitzpatrick Credited as 'Bill Hootkins' Star Wars Jek Tono Porkins Valentino Fatty Arbuckle 1978 The Billion Dollar Bubble 1979 The Lady Vanishes Party Guest Hanover Street Beef 1980 Bad Timing Col. Taylor Hussy 1st Punter Flash Gordon Munson 1981 Sphinx Don Raiders of the Lost Ark Major Eaton 1982 Trail of the Pink Panther Taxi Driver 1983 Curse of the Pink Panther 1985 Zina Walter Adams Water Ben Dreamchild 1st Radio Actor White Nights Chuck Malarek 1986 Biggles: Adventures in Time Chuck Haunted Honeymoon Reporter 1987 Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Harry Howler 1988 American Gothic Teddy 1989 Crusoe Auctioneer Batman Lt. Max Eckhardt 1990 Hardware Lincoln Wineberg Jr. 1991 The Pope Must Die Cardinal Verucci Hear My Song Mr. X The Princess and the Goblin Peter (voice) 1992 Dust Devil Cpt. Cornelius Beyman A River Runs Through It Murphy La vida láctea Julian Reilly 1993 The Cement Garden Commander Hunt (voice) 1994 The NeverEnding Story III Bark Troll / Falkor (voice) Death Machine John Carpenter 1995 Funny Bones Al Gospa Judge Marulic 1996 The Island of Dr. Moreau Kiril 1997 This World, Then the Fireworks Jake Krutz Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest The Man 1998 Something to Believe In Car Dealer 1999 The Omega Code Sir Percival Lloyd 2000 The Miracle Maker Lucifer (voice) 2001 Town & Country Barney Credited as 'Bill Hootkins' The Breed Fusco 2004 Blessed Detective Lauderdale Steamboy (voice) English dub Dear Wendy Marshall Walker 2005 Colour Me Kubrick Frank Rich Final film role
Television Year Title Role Notes 1977 Yanks Go Home Colonel Richter Episode: "Some of Our Coal is Missing" Van der Valk Frank Garvin Episode: "Dead on Arrival", credited as 'Bill Hootkins' Come Back, Little Sheba Postman Television film, credited as 'Bill Hootkins' 1978 The Lost Boys Charles Frohman Miniseries, 3 episodes Crown Court Barry Ferguson Episode: "Scalped" Clouds of Glory Reverend Dewey Miniseries directed by Ken Russell 1980-81 Tales of the Unexpected Harry Chester/Peter Bligh 2 episodes 1981 Agony Herman Tweeder Episode: "Communications Breakdown" Play for Today Mel Episode: "Before Water Lilies" The Life and Times of David Lloyd George Winston Churchill 6 episodes 1982 Bret Maverick Congressman Theodore Roosevelt Episode: "Horse of Yet Another Color" 1983-90 Bergerac Karl Goldman/Eugene Field 2 episodes 1983 Cagney & Lacey Zachary Kendall Episode: "Date Rape" Remington Steele Chester Harcourt Episode: "Vintage Steele" Philip Marlowe, Private Eye Frank Dorr Episode: "Finger Man" Taxi Liquor Authority Agent Episode: "Jim's Mario's" Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime Hamilton Betts Episode: "The Affair of the Pink Pearl" Whiz Kids Gregor Episode: "Red Star Rising" Who Dares Wins Various roles 1986 Blackadder II Monk Episode: "Beer" Paradise Postponed Bugloss 3 episodesRocket to the MoonPhil CooperTelevision film 1987 The New Statesman Wiloughby Guzzler Episode: "Baa Baa Black Sheep" 1989 Valerie Belize 3 episodes 1990 Capital City Jay Episode: "Shoes on the Wrong Feet" Agatha Christie's Poirot FBI Agent Burt Episode: "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" 1991 Chancer Moody Episode: "Remembrance" 1992 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Diaghilev Episode: "Barcelona, May 1917" 1994 The Tomorrow People Colonel Cobb 4 episodes 1995 Iron Man Crimson Dynamo (voice) Episode: "Not Far from the Tree" 1997-2002 Extreme Machines Narrator (voice)2001Hamilton MattressSenor Balustrade (voice)TV short 2002 The Magnificent Ambersons Uncle George Television film 2003 Justice League Commander (voice) Episode: "The Terror Beyond" 2004 Land of Lost Monsters Narrator The West Wing US Translator Episode: "Impact Winter" 2005 Absolute Power US Ambassador Episode: "Spinning America"
Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 1995 Flight of the Amazon Queen Frank Ironstein, others 1998 Crash Bandicoot: Warped Dingodile 1999 T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger Lo Ping, Lau Fu 2002 Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem Dr. Maximillian Roivas 2003 Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick Professor Alex Eldridge
Partial stage credits Year Title RoleVenue Notes1982InsignificanceRoyal Court Theatre, London 1994 Johnny On a Spot Governor Jefferson Davis UpjohnRoyal National Theatre, London 1997 Our Betters Thornton ClayChichester Festival Theatre, Chichester2000Orpheus DescendingUncle PleasentDonmar Warehouse, London 2003 Hitchcock Blonde Alfred Hitchcock Lyric Theatre, LondonRoyal Court Theatre, London
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