William Forsythe

As a young man, Forsythe moved to Southern California. Shortly after his film debut, he also made his first television appearance in the TV-movie The Miracle of Kathy Miller. This started him on a series of guest-starring roles on shows ranging from CHiPS to Fame. At this early stage, Forsythe was usually cast in villainous roles, as in his breakthrough feature Once Upon a Time in America (1984), in which he played the sweet-faced but ruthless gangster Cockeye. One of Forsythe's most memorable performances was also his first lead, that of a rebellious wheelchair-bound patient who turns a hospital ward topsy-turvy, in the ensemble piece The Waterdance (1991). The same year, Forsythe starred as Al Capone in the short-lived television resurrection of The Untouchables. His other television credits include a leading role opposite Emilio Estevez, in Gene Quintano's tribute to spaghetti Westerns A Dollar for the Dead (1998). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide