William Sanderson

Biography

Sanderson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. to an elementary school teacher mother and a landscape designer father.[1] He is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He holds business (B.B.A., 1968) and law (J.D., 1971) degrees from the University of Memphis (then known as Memphis State University). The Law School at Memphis State was then located just a few yards from the Theatre Building and of course the Theatre Department. He was bit by the acting bug and started acting in college productions while at Memphis State University, where he is still today remembered as an outstanding "Bob Ewell" in "To Kill a Mockingbird".

Sanderson has appeared in many movies, and is known for his role in the 1982 classic science fiction film Blade Runner as J. F. Sebastian. Sanderson portrayed a character named Deuce in an episode of the hit science fiction television series Babylon 5, and later reprised the role in the television movie Babylon 5: Thirdspace. He is also the basis and the voice for the recurring character of Dr. Karl Rossum in Batman: The Animated Series. He starred in the controversial film Fight for Your Life, which has a strict ban in the United Kingdom.

He has made many guest appearances on television shows, and his credits range from The X-Files, Knight Rider, Married... with Children, Babylon 5, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Coach. 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 a courageous bartender named Dewey in Tom Selleck's TNT film Crossfire Trail.

He portrayed "Larry" in the American TV show Newhart from 1982 to 1990, famous for the catch phrase, "Hi, I'm Larry. This is my brother Darryl, and this is my other brother Darryl."

Sanderson returned to prominence playing E. B. Farnum in the HBO television series Deadwood from 2004 to 2006. His role is a tragicomic hotelier and first mayor of Deadwood. In 2008, Sanderson joined the cast of True Blood playing town Sheriff Bud Dearborne. His son is named Edward Sanderson, who attends Pacific Drive.

Sanderson portrayed "Oldham", the resident interrogation expert of the DHARMA Initiative in the tenth episode of the fifth season of ABC's series Lost.