William Preston

Actor

August 26, 1921 (76 years)

† July 10, 1998

Columbia, Pennsylvania, USA

Biography

William Preston started an acting career late in his life, giving up his career as a book keeper in a Philadelphia trucking firm to begin acting at age 47. He had extensive stage experience, performing in over 60 Shakespeare productions as well as being nominated for Florida's state supporting actor award. Among his many movie roles, he played John, the bum, from Fisher King - Le roi pêcheur (1991), a blacksmith in Horizons lointains (1992), and the flask mourner in Family Business (1989). He la…

Filmography

7.0

Spin City

Older Homeless Man

Workaholic Mike Flaherty is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, serving as Mayor Randall Winston's key strategist and much-needed handler. Mike runs the city with the help of his oddball staff: an anxious and insecure press secretary; a sexist, boorish chief of staff; an impeccably groomed gay activist running minority affairs; a sharp and efficient, man-crazy accountant; and an idealistic young speechwriter. Like Mike, they are all professionally capable but personally challenged.

6.2

Waterworld

Depth Gauge

In a futuristic world where the polar ice caps have melted and made Earth a liquid planet, a beautiful barmaid rescues a mutant seafarer from a floating island prison. They escape, along with her young charge, Enola, and sail off aboard his ship. But the trio soon becomes the target of a menacing pirate who covets the map to 'Dryland'—which is tattooed on Enola's back.

6.3

The Exorcist III

Old Man in Wheelchair

On the fifteenth anniversary of the exorcism that claimed Father Damien Karras' life, Police Lieutenant Kinderman's world is once again shattered when a boy is found decapitated and savagely crucified.

6.8

Far and Away

Blacksmith

A young free-spirited Irish woman from an affluent Protestant family spontaneously befriends a street-smart commoner cheated by her family’s hostile land takeovers. They escape to America, ready to take advantage of the 19th century Oklahoma land rush.

7.3

The Fisher King

John the Bum

Two troubled men face their terrible destinies and events of their past as they join together on a mission to find the Holy Grail and thus to save themselves.

5.8

Joe's Apartment

Complaint Handler

A nice guy has just moved to New York and discovers that he must share his run-down apartment with a couple thousand singing, dancing cockroaches.

6.6

The Crucible

George Jacobs

A Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.

5.7

Family Business

Flask Mourner

Jessie is an aging career criminal who has been in more jails, fights, schemes, and lineups than just about anyone else. His son Vito, while currently on the straight and narrow, has had a fairly shady past and is indeed no stranger to illegal activity. They both have great hope for Adam, Vito's son and Jessie's grandson, who is bright, good-looking, and without a criminal past.

6.9

Stone Pillow

Homeless Man in Street (uncredited)

A homeless woman named Florabelle becomes the unwitting guide to the streets for a New York social worker named Carrie who thinks she has lessons to offer the down-and-out clients she serves at the homeless shelter. Soon, however, Carrie realizes that she's the one who has much to learn.

5.7

I'm Not Rappaport

Jake

Old Nat Moyer is a talker, a philosopher, and a troublemaker with a fanciful imagination. His companion is Midge Carter, who is half-blind, but still the super of an apartment house. When he is threatened with retirement, Nat battles on his behalf. Nat also takes on his daughter, a drug dealer, and a mugger in this appealing version of a really 'odd couple'.

6.6

Reckless

Porter

On Christmas Eve, a relentlessly cheerful woman escapes from the killers hired by her husband, and embarks on a series of strange encounters.

3.3

Me and Veronica

Old Man

Two sisters share a disturbing family secret.

4.5

Lady in a Corner

E. B. Bennett

Grace Guthrie tries to stave off the hostile take over of her publishing empire. While fighting off a ruthless British business-mogul, she must also deal with a mole.

6.9

Destination Anywhere

Homeless Man

This film captures the essence of Jon Bon Jovi, the lead singer of one of the prime players in the legion of pop-metal bands that took '80s radio by storm. Most of the film is a short narrative loosely based on the songs from his 1997 solo album Destination Anywhere, and features Jon Bon Jovi and Demi Moore as a young couple struggling with alcoholism and the death of their young child.

5.4

It Runs in the Family

Grandpa Bumpus

It is now summer in the Parker family; and the usual amount of numerous events are happening in their separate lives. Ralphie is searching for the perfect top to use to beat the school bully with, the Old Man is in battle with their hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpus, while eagerly awaiting the discovery of the perfect fishing spot, and the Mother is attempting to collect all of the pieces of a glass china set at a local movie theater.

N/A

No Exit

Homeless Man

After getting kicked out of his girlfriend's bed for not wearing a condom, Michael runs out on a freezing cold night to buy their favorites. However, on his way back he gets trapped in closed subway station where a crafty homeless man is the only one around who could help him break free.

5.5

Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood

Sticker

After a young man goes missing at a run-down local amusement park, his family take jobs there in an effort to uncover what happened to him and, in the process, meet a cadre of unsettling characters.

N/A

Writer's Block

Eldest Cellmate

Two inept screenwriters, Ralph and Pilgrim, see their dream of a Hollywood blockbuster turn into a nightmare when their script and its characters take over the action.

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