William Delano Wilson (March 29, 1942 – October 6, 2018), known professionally as Scott Wilson, was an American film and television actor.
His breakout role was as real-life murderer Richard Hickock in the critically acclaimed film In Cold Blood (1967). He subsequently appeared in films like The Grissom Gang (1971), The New Centurions (1972), The Great Gatsby (1974), The Right Stuff (1983), A Year of the Quiet Sun (1984), The Exorcist III (1990), Dead Man Walking (1995), Shiloh (1996) and its sequels, Pride (1998), The Way of the Gun (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), The Last Samurai (2003), Junebug (2005), and The Host (2006). He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for his role in William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration (1980).
On television, Wilson played Hershel Greene on the AMC series The Walking Dead (2011–14; 2018). He also had a recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as casino mogul Sam Braun, as well as a lead role on the Netflix series The OA as Abel Johnson.
Early life and education Wilson was born William Delano Wilson in the small Southern town of Thomasville, Georgia. He attended Southern Polytechnic State University, where he studied architecture and played basketball, but on a whim decided to hitchhike to Los Angeles in pursuit of an acting career. He worked several odd jobs while appearing in local theater productions.
Career
In his first three films he portrayed characters suspected of murder. In his debut film, a 25-year-old Wilson played a murder suspect in In the Heat of the Night (1967). Director Norman Jewison spotted him a local stage production, and cast him thanks to his quintessential "everyman Southerner" appearance and mannerisms.
His follow-up role, in the same year, was in the film version of In Cold Blood, based on the book of the same name by Truman Capote. Wilson portrayed real-life murderer Richard Hickock, while Robert Blake played his partner, Perry Smith.
Director Richard Brooks cast Wilson and Blake in the starring roles specifically because they were unknown at the time. The director passed over better-known actors, including Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, for the parts. Wilson later explained Brooks' casting motivations: "Brooks hired two 'unknowns' and he wanted to keep it that way. We were treated like two killers he had somehow run across."
The film earned Wilson an appearance on the cover of Life magazine, published on May 12, 1967. Wilson was just 25 years old at the time. The cover features Truman Capote standing between Wilson and Blake on an empty highway in Kansas. The caption, Nightmare Revisited, appears with them on the cover.
In 1974 Wilson appeared as a revengeful cuckold bearing his same surname in The Great Gatsby opposite Robert Redford. He received a 1980 Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Ninth Configuration by director and friend William Peter Blatty. He lost the Golden Globe to Timothy Hutton. In 1995 Wilson got attention for his role as a prison chaplain in Dead Man Walking, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, based on the book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean.
Wilson's filmography also includes The Gypsy Moths, The Right Stuff, A Year of the Quiet Sun, Malone, The Grass Harp, Junebug, The Host, Monster, Young Guns II, Pearl Harbor, Big Stan, Judge Dredd, the Shiloh film series and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Wilson has filmed on location in South Korea, Japan and Spain. Wilson had a recurring role in several episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sam Braun, father of crime-scene investigator Catherine Willows (portrayed by Marg Helgenberger). Braun was killed off in the episode "Built to Kill, Part 2". In the fall of 2011 he also made an appearance opposite Laura Dern in the HBO series, Enlightened.
Wilson was cast as veterinarian, Hershel Greene in the second season of The Walking Dead in June 2011. The role has earned him positive reviews, including a "cheer" from TV Guide, which wrote that he had contributed "subtle shades of humanity to the character of Hershel Greene." Wilson was offered the opportunity to join the show while visiting his 97-year-old mother in Georgia. He has described his mother as "a fan of the show." Wilson left the show in December 2013 after his character was killed off in the season 4 mid-season finale "Too Far Gone". However, he made two guest appearances since his character's death, and made his last onscreen appearance in the fifth episode of the ninth season of The Walking Dead.
Wilson reflected on his career in a 2011 interview with Access Atlanta's Rodney Ho: "It's been up and down. It's always been. You have dry spells. At different times, you are starting over. If you love it, you stay with it. That's what I'm doing. I've accomplished more than I would have hoped to have accomplished. I don't want to be a big movie star. I can be someone who walks the streets and not get mobbed. I want to be as fine an actor as I can be. I am still striving to be as good as I can be." Wilson was filming scenes for The Walking Dead in Senoia, Georgia, at the time the interview took place. In 2014, Wilson was cast in a recurring role as Dr. Guyot in the Amazon original series Bosch. In 2016, he appeared in the Netflix series The OA.
Wilson appeared in Sparta, Illinois where In the Heat of the Night was filmed, on March 15, 2014, to celebrate the city's 175th anniversary in reference to his debut appearance in the film.
Personal life Wilson married his Korean wife, Siok Tian Heavenly Koh, in 1977.
Death Wilson died from leukemia at his home in Los Angeles, on October 6, 2018, at the age of 76. The premiere episode of The Walking Deads ninth season, "A New Beginning", which aired the next day, was dedicated to Wilson's memory which is shown in the final credits of the episode.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1967In the Heat of the NightHarvey OberstIn Cold BloodRichard Hickock1969Castle KeepCpl. ClearboyThe Gypsy Moths Malcolm Webson1971The Grissom GangSlim Grissom1972The New CenturionsGus1973Lolly-Madonna XXXThrush 1974The Great GatsbyGeorge Wilson1976The Passover PlotJudah1979La IlegalPolice Officer1980The Ninth ConfigurationCpt. Billy Cutshaw1983The Right StuffScott Crossfield1984A Year of the Quiet SunNormanRío Abajo (On the Line)Mitch1985The AviatorJerry Stiller1986Blue CityPercy Kerch1987MalonePaul Barlow1989Johnny HandsomeMikey Chalmette1990Young Guns IIGovernor Lew Wallace The Exorcist IIIDr. Temple La Cruz de IberiaJohnson 1991Femme FataleDr. Beaumont Pure LuckFrank Grimes 1993Flesh and BoneElliot Geronimo: An American LegendRedondo 1995Tall TaleZeb Judge DreddPa AngelUncreditedThe Grass HarpEugene Fenwick Dead Man WalkingChaplain Farley MotherDr. Chase1996ShilohJudd Travers1997 Our God's BrotherAlbert ChmielowskiG.I. JaneCaptain Salem1998Puraido: Unmei no TokiJoseph B. KeenanClay PigeonsSheriff Dan Mooney1999Shiloh 2: Shiloh SeasonJudd TraversThe Debtors Unreleased until 20232000South of Heaven, West of HellClete MonroeThe Way of the GunHale Chidduck 2001The AnimalMayorPearl HarborGeneral George Marshall 2002Bark!HaroldCoastlinesPa Mann Don't Let GoHershel Ray Stevens 2003 MonsterHorton / Last "John"The Last SamuraiAmbassador Swanbeck 2005JunebugEugene Johnsten 2006Open WindowEddie Delaney Come Early MorningLowell FowlerSaving ShilohJudd Travers The HostUS Military Doctor Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie VernonEugene The Sensation of SightTucker 2007The Heartbreak KidBooBig StanWarden Gasque 2009Saving Grace B. JonesReverend PotterBottleworldMurray For Sale by OwnerDr. Banks 2010Radio Free AlbemuthPresident Fremont 2011DorfmanWinston Cooke Sr.2017HostilesCyrus Lounde
Television Year Title Role Notes1986The Twilight ZoneMatthew ForemanEpisode: "Quarantine"1988JesseSam MaloneyTelevision filmThe TrackerJohn "Red Jack" Stillwell1993Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold StoryVernon Presley1995Soul SurvivorsBradley Facemeyer1999The Jack BullGovernor2000The X-FilesRev. OrisonEpisode: "Orison"2001–06CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationSam Braun9 episodes2003Karen SiscoHomerEpisode: "Dumb Bunnies"2005Law & OrderBen ChaneyEpisode: "Sport of Kings"2011JustifiedFrank ReasonerEpisode: "Blaze of Glory"EnlightenedMarvEpisode: "Someone Else's Life"2011–14; 2018The Walking DeadHershel Greene33 episodes2011FiveOld BillTelevision film2014–15BoschPaul Guyot3 episodes2016DamienJohn Lyons5 episodes2016–19The OAAbel Johnson7 episodes2017Robot ChickenHershel Greene (voice)Episode: "The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who's Walking"2026The Walking Dead: Dead CityHershel Greene1 episode (Archive Footage)
Awards and nominations InstitutionYearCategoryWorkResultFlorida Film Festival1998Lifetime Achievement Award Golden Globe Awards1981Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureThe Ninth Configuration Golden Raspberry Awards1987Worst Supporting ActorBlue City Mystfest1980Best ActorThe Ninth Configuration Screen Actors Guild 2007 Ralph Morgan Award
Notes
References
External links