Timothy James Bottoms (born August 30, 1951) is an American actor and

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

. He is best known for playing the lead in ''

Johnny Got His Gun ''Johnny Got His Gun'' is an anti-war novel written in 1938 by American novelist Dalton Trumbo and published in September 1939 by J. B. Lippincott. The novel won one of the early National Book Awards: the Most Original Book of 1939. A 1971 fil ...

'' (1971); Sonny Crawford in ''

The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast include ...

'' (1971), where he and his fellow co-stars,

Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...

and

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

, rose to fame; and as James Hart, the first-year law student who battles with Prof. Kingsfield, in the film adaptation '' The Paper Chase'' (1973). He is also known for playing the main antagonist in the disaster film ''

Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...

'' (1977) and for playing President George W. Bush multiple times, including on the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

That's My Bush! ''That's My Bush!'' is an American sitcom that aired on Comedy Central from April 4 to May 23, 2001. The show was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for creating ''South Park''. Despite the political overtones, the show itself was ...

'', the comedy film '' The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course'' and the

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

'' DC 9/11: Time of Crisis''.

Early life

Bottoms was born in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning " Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West ...

, the eldest of four sons of Betty (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Chapman) and James "Bud" Bottoms, a sculptor and art teacher. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1970, where he had been a member of the swimming team. During his time there he gained acting and singing experience during various theater productions.

Career

Bottoms made his film debut in 1971 as Joe Bonham in Dalton Trumbo's ''

''. The same year, he appeared alongside his brother Sam in ''

''. (He portrayed the same character in the 1990 sequel ''

Texasville ''Texasville'' is a 1990 American drama film written and directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Based on the 1987 novel ''Texasville'' by Larry McMurtry, it is a sequel to ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971), and features Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Clori ...

''). In 1973's ''The Paper Chase'', he starred as

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

law student Hart facing the fearsome Professor Kingsfield (

John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with directo ...

). Among the other films he has appeared in are '' Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing ''(1973), '' The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' (1974), ''

Operation Daybreak ''Operation Daybreak'' (also known as ''The Price of Freedom'' in the U.S. and ''Seven Men at Daybreak'' during production) is a 1975 war film based on the true story of Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of SS general Reinhard Heydrich in ...

'' (1975), '' A Small Town in Texas'' (1976), ''

'' (1977) ''

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Dep ...

'' (1979), '' Invaders from Mars'' (1986) and ''

Elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

''(2003). As a result of both a physical resemblance to U.S. President George W. Bush and an ability to impersonate his voice, Bottoms has portrayed Bush in three widely varying productions. In 2000 and 2001, he played a parody of Bush in the Comedy Central

''; he subsequently appeared as Bush in a cameo appearance in the family film '' The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course''. Finally, following the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, Bottoms once again played Bush, this time in a serious fashion, in the TV film '' DC 9/11: Time of Crisis'', one of the first films to be based upon the attacks. During an episode of the Fox television show ''

That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television period teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, ...

'' in which a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, alt ...

warning has been issued and the students of the high school are trapped, Bottoms is seen as the panicking principal. He appeared in a recurring role during the first season of the FX series ''

Dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Dust: a gener ...

'' as Gibson Horne, who owned the magazine that series main character Lucy Spiller worked for. He also co-produced the documentary ''Picture This – The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas'' (1991), a behind-the-scenes work about the making of the films ''The Last Picture Show'' and ''Texasville''. In the documentary, he revealed that he had a crush on his co-star

during ''The Last Picture Show,'' but she did not reciprocate his romantic feelings, even though she said in a separate interview that she found him "very attractive". He was also heavily featured in the

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

video for "

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

", which featured footage of the film ''Johnny Got His Gun''.

Personal life

He is the eldest brother of actors

Joseph Bottoms Joseph Bottoms is an American actor who won the 1975 Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for his role in '' The Dove''. He is also well known for his roles in the television mini-series ''Holocaust'' and Disney's ''The Black Hole''. Car ...

(born 1954),

Sam Bottoms Samuel John Bottoms (October 17, 1955 – December 16, 2008) was an American actor and producer. Early life Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the third son of James "Bud" Bottoms (a sculptor and art teacher) and Betty (Chapman ...

(1955–2008) and Ben Bottoms (born 1960). In 1967, Bottoms toured

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal Society. Sam Bottoms died from brain cancer in 2008. At one point, Sam was the only sibling close to Timothy. Bottoms has been married twice, first to folksinger Alicia Cory in 1975. They had a son, Bartholomew, before divorcing in 1982. His marriage to Marcia Moreheart in 1984 produced three children: Bodie, Bridget, and Benton.

Filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1971) as Joe Bonham * ''

'' (1971) as Sonny Crawford * '' Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing'' (1973) as Walter Elbertson * '' The Paper Chase'' (1973) as Hart * '' The White Dawn'' (1974) as Daggett * '' The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder'' (1974) as Vrooder * ''

'' (1975) as Jan Kubis * '' A Small Town in Texas'' (1976) as Poke Jackson * ''

'' (1977) as Young Man * '' The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2'' (1978) as John Boothe * ''

'' (1979) as Jack Sanford * ''

The High Country ''The High Country'' is a 1981 Canadian adventure film directed by Harvey Hart and starring Timothy Bottoms and Linda Purl. Plot A city man on the run from the law is guided through mountainous country by a rural woman with a learning disability. ...

'' (1981) as Jim * '' Tin Man'' (1983) as Casey * '' Hambone and Hillie'' (1983) as Michael Radcliffe * '' The Census Taker'' (1984) as Pete * ''

What Waits Below ''What Waits Below'' is a science-fiction adventure film (initially released under the title ''Secrets of the Phantom Caverns'') released in 1984. Directed by Don Sharp, produced by the Adams Apple Film Company, the film runs for 88 minutes and ...

'' (1984) as Maj. Elbert Stevens * ''

The Sea Serpent ''The Sea Serpent: The Yarns of Jean Marie Cabidoulin'' (french: Les Histoires de Jean-Marie Cabidoulin, lit. ''The Stories of Jean-Marie Cabidoulin'') is an adventure novel by French author Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;'' Longman Pron ...

'' (aka ''Serpiente de Mar'') (1985) as Pedro Fontán * '' In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro'' (1986) as Jack Ringtree * '' Invaders from Mars'' (1986) as George Gardner * ''

The Fantasist ''The Fantasist'' is a 1986 thriller film written and directed by Robin Hardy. The film stars Moira Sinise, Christopher Cazenove and Timothy Bottoms. It is based on the 1983 novel ''Goosefoot'' by Irish author Patrick McGinley. Plot An Irish ...

'' (1986) as Danny Sullivan * '' Mio min Mio'' (''Mio in the Land of Faraway'') (1987) as The King * '' The Drifter'' (1988) as Arthur * ''

Return from the River Kwai ''Return from the River Kwai'' is a 1989 British film directed by Andrew McLaglen and starring Edward Fox, Chris Penn and Timothy Bottoms. It is not a sequel to ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'' (1957), though it also deals with POWs of the Ja ...

'' (1989) as Seaman Miller * ''

A Case of Honor ''A Case of Honor'' is a 1989 Australian/Philippine international co-production film directed by Eddie Romero. Plot 1983: A group of American prisoners of war still held captive in Vietnam are informed they are to be taken to the Soviet Union for ...

'' (1989) as Sgt. Joseph 'Hard' Case * ''

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

'' (1989) as Frank * ''

'' (1990) as Sonny Crawford * '' Digger'' (1993) as Sam Corlett * '' Blue Sky'' (1994) as Owens Ranch Cowboy (uncredited) * '' Ava's Magical Adventure'' (1994) as Slayton * ''

Ill Met by Moonlight ''Ill Met by Moonlight: The Abduction of General Kreipe'' is a non-fiction partly-autobiographical book written by W. Stanley Moss, a British soldier, writer and traveller. It describes an operation in Crete during the Second World War to cap ...

'' (1994) as Egeus * '' Horses and Champions'' (1994) as Ben Choice * '' Top Dog'' (1995) as Nelson Houseman * '' Ripper Man'' (1995) as Charles Walkan * ''

Hourglass An hourglass (or sandglass, sand timer, sand clock or egg timer) is a device used to measure the passage of time. It comprises two glass bulbs connected vertically by a narrow neck that allows a regulated flow of a substance (historically sand) ...

'' (1995) as Jurgen Brauner * '' Desperate Obsession'' (1995) * '' American Hero'' (1995, Video Game) as Jack Armstrong * '' Lone Tiger'' (1996) as Marcus * '' Total Force'' (1996) as Drake * ''

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...

'' (1996) as Donald Crandall * ' (1996) as Clay * ''

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( it, Il Principe ; la, De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of ''The ...

'' (1996) as John * '' Absolute Force'' (1997) as Lt. John Drake * ''

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living Felidae, cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily pr ...

'' (1997) as Larry * '' Mr. Atlas'' (1997) as Phillip Frodden * '' The Man in the Iron Mask'' (1998) as Fouquet * '' Mixed Blessings'' (1998) as Carl Weaver * '' Diamondbacks'' (1998) as Ed Williams * ''

The Waterfront The Waterfront is a super-regional open air shopping mall spanning the three boroughs of Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall near Pittsburgh. The shopping mall sits on land once occupied by U.S. Steel's Homestead Steel Works plant, whic ...

'' (1998) as Salvatore Solleto * '' No Rest for the Wicked'' (1998) as Father Jeremy * '' The Prince and the Surfer'' (1999) as Johnny Canty (uncredited) * '' The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes'' (1999) as John Carver * '' Black Sea 213'' (2000) as Dean * '' The Hiding Place'' (2000) as Jack * '' Held for Ransom'' (2000) as Fred Donovan * '' The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course'' (2002) as President George Walker Bush (uncredited) * ''

'' (2003) as Mr. McFarland * '' The Entrepreneurs'' (2003) as Rotunno * '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004) as Mr. Kidman * ''Illusion Infinity'' (a.k.a. ''Paradise'', 2004) as Francis / Douglas / Henry / Patricia's Father / Older Alan * ''Pocket Angel'' (2004) * ''

Paradise, Texas Paradise is a city in Wise County, Texas, United States. The population was 475 in 2020. According to tradition, the area was a cowboy's "paradise", hence the name. In 1985, Blue Bell Ice Cream filmed a television commercial in Paradise, TX. T ...

'' (2005) as Mack Cameron * '' Shanghai Kiss'' (2007) as Adelaide's Father * '' Along the Way'' (2007) as Michael McCaffery * ''Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves'' (2008) as Thomas * '' Parasomnia'' (2008) as Dr. Emil Corso * ' (2008) (original title: '' Chinaman's Chance'') * '' An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong'' (2009) as Paul Maxwell * '' Call of the Wild'' (2009) as Heep * '' The Land That Time Forgot'' (2009) as Captain Burroughs * ''

Pound of Flesh Shylock is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Merchant of Venice'' (c. 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal antagonist. His defeat and conversion to Christianity form the climax of th ...

'' (2010) as Cameron Morris * ''Hello Stranger'' (2011) as Sheriff * '' 1 Nighter'' (2012) as Louie * ''Realm of the Mole Men'' (2012) as Willy * '' Welcome to the Men's Group'' (2016) as Larry * ''Railroad to Hell: A Chinaman's Chance'' (2018) as Thomas * '' The Shed'' (2019) as Ellis

Television

* '' Look Homeward, Angel'' (1972, TV Movie) as Eugene Gant * ''

Winesburg, Ohio ''Winesburg, Ohio'' (full title: ''Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small-Town Life'') is a 1919 short story cycle by the American author Sherwood Anderson. The work is structured around the life of protagonist George Willard, from the ...

'' (1973) * '' The Story of David'' (1976, TV Movie) as David * ''

The Moneychangers ''The Moneychangers'' is a 1975 novel written by Arthur Hailey. The plot revolves around the politics inside a major bank. Plot summary As the novel begins, the position of CEO of one of America's largest banks, ''First Mercantile American'', ...

'' (1976, TV Mini-Series) as Miles Eastin * ''

The Gift of Love ''The Gift of Love'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope drama romance film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack. The film's screenplay was based on the short story "The Little Horse" by Nelia Gardner White, or ...

'' (1978, TV Movie) as Rudi Miller * '' A Shining Season'' (1979, TV Movie) as John Baker * ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some s ...

'' (1980, TV Movie) as Dwight Worker * '' East of Eden'' (1981, TV Mini-Series) as Adam Trask * '' Love Leads the Way: A True Story'' (1984, TV Movie) as Morris Frank * '' Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun'' (1986, TV Movie) as Father Thomas O'Neil * '' The Hitchhiker'' (1987, TV Series) as Peter * '' Island Sons'' (1987, TV Movie) as Tim Faraday * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (1988, Episode: " The Hellgramite Method") as Miley Judson * '' Freddy's Nightmares'' (1989, TV Series) as Mr. Franklin * '' The Ray Bradbury Theater'' (1990, Episode: "

Here There Be Tygers "Here There Be Tygers" is a short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, originally published in the anthology '' New Tales of Space and Time'' in 1951. It was later collected in Bradbury's short story collections '' R is for Rocket'' and '' Th ...

") as Driscoll * '' Land of the Lost'' (1991, TV Series) as Tom Porter * '' 500 Nations'' (1995, TV Mini-Series) (voice) * '' Yakuza Connection'' (1995, TV Movie) as Ward Derderian * '' Personal Vendetta'' (1995, TV Movie) as Zach Blackwell * ''

Death Game ''Death Game'' (also known as ''The Seducers'') is a 1977 American psychological thriller film directed by Peter S. Traynor, and starring Sondra Locke, Seymour Cassel, and Colleen Camp. The film follows an affluent San Francisco businessman who ...

'' (1997, TV Movie) as Jack * ''Murder Seen'' (2000, TV Movie) as Detective Stepnoski * ''

Gideon's Crossing ''Gideon's Crossing'' is an American medical drama starring Andre Braugher. The series is loosely based on the experience of real-life physician Jerome Groopman and his book '' The Measure of Our Days''. It premiered on October 10, 2000, and ra ...

'' (2000, TV Series) as Rev. Chuck * ''

'' (2001, TV Series) as George W. Bush * ''

'' (2002, TV Series) as Vice Principal Cole * '' DC 9/11: Time of Crisis'' (2003, TV Movie) as President George W. Bush * '' Ike: Countdown to D-Day'' (2004, TV Movie) as Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith * '' NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service'' (2004, TV Series) as Ritt Everett * '' Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't'' (2005, TV Movie) as Clarence * ''

Vampire Bats Vampire bats, species of the subfamily Desmodontinae, are leaf-nosed bats found in Central and South America. Their food source is blood of other animals, a dietary trait called hematophagy. Three extant bat species feed solely on blood: the c ...

'' (2005, TV Movie) as Hank Poelker * ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

'' (2005, TV Series) as Carl Murphy * ''Deceit'' (2006, TV Movie) as Martin Ford * ''

'' (2007, TV Series) as Gibson Horne * ''

Holiday in Handcuffs ''Holiday in Handcuffs'' is a 2007 American crime comedy television film that originally aired on ABC Family on December 9 as a part of the network's 25 Days of Christmas programming block. The film stars Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Marki ...

'' (2007, TV Movie) as Dad Chandler * ''Deadly Suspicion'' (2008, TV Movie) as Sheriff Carl Lovett * '' Lone Rider'' (2008, TV Movie) as Gus * ''Bound by a Secret'' (2009, TV Movie) as Will Hutchinson

Video game

* '' Fox Hunt'' (1996) as Frank * '' American Hero'' (shot in 1995, cancelled in 1997, and finally released in 2021) as Jack Armstrong

Producer

* ''Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas'' (1991)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottoms, Timothy 1951 births American male film actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from Santa Barbara, California 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors