Celebrity Nooz: William Sanderson

William Sanderson (Actor) - Blade Runner

Updated: 9/26/22

Name: William Sanderson

Birth Name: William Sanderson

Born: January 10, 1944 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Nickname: Bill

Claim To Fame: William Sanderson is an American charactor actor best known for playing J. F. Sebastian in the sci-fi classic Blade Runner (1982), and had regular roles on several television series such as Larry on Newhart (1982-1990), E. B. Farnum on Deadwood (2004-2006, 2019), and Sheriff Bud Dearborne on True Blood (2008-2010, 2012).

Family Life: Sanderson married Aprile Joi Lyon in 1984; they later divorced. In 1993, Sanderson married Sharon Wix. He has one son, Andrew, and two grandchildren.

Info: He's the son of an elementary school teacher, his mother, and a landscape designer, his father.

In 1962, Sanderson graduate of Memphis Central High School.

Enlisted in the U.S. Army when he was 18 years old.

After his discharge, he attended college using the G.I. Bill. First at Southern Methodist University for a year, then at the University of Memphis. He earned business (BBA, 1968) and law (J.D., 1971) degrees there (then known as Memphis State University), though he did not take the bar exam.

Trivia: He's often confused with fellow character actor Tracey Walter.

One of his earliest high-profile roles was that of J.F. Sebastian in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner (1982).

Sanderson became a primetime TV standout as Larry in Newhart from 1982 to 1990, who uttered the famous catchphrase: "Hi. I'm Larry. This is my brother Darryl. This is my other brother Darryl."

He's been a guest star on numerous television shows, which including The Pretender, The X-Files, Knight Rider, Married... with Children, Babylon 5, ER, Coach, Walker, Texas Ranger, and more.

Voiced the character of Dr. Karl Rossum in Batman: The Animated Series.

He returned to television playing E. B. Farnum in the acclaimed HBO television series Deadwood (2004-2006), and later reprising the role in its film continuation in 2019.

In 2008, Sanderson joined the cast of True Blood, playing Sheriff Bud Dearborne.

In May 2019, Sanderson released an autobiography about his career, "Yes, I'm That Guy: The Rough-and-Tumble Life of a Character Actor".

Where Are They Now: Sanderson announced his retirement from acting on his Facebook page on May 13, 2020. He lives in Harrisburg, PA, with his wife Sharon.

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