William Moseley (born November 11, 1951) is an American actor, primarily known for his performances in horror films. His best-known roles include

Chop Top Robert Sawyer, better known as "Chop-Top" is a fictional character from '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' franchise; created by Tobe Hooper and L. M. Kit Carson, Chop-Top makes his first appearance (portrayed by Bill Moseley) in the film '' The ...

in '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'' (1986), Otis B. Driftwood in

Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...

's ''Firefly'' trilogy, Luigi Largo in ''

Repo! The Genetic Opera ''Repo! The Genetic Opera'' is a 2008 American rock opera horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Based on the 2002 musical of the same name, written and composed by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, the film stars Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino ...

'' (2008), and The Magician in ''

Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival ''Alleluia! The Devil's Carnival'' (stylized onscreen as ''The Devil's Carnival: Alleluia!'') is a 2015 American musical fantasy horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Terrance Zdunich. It is a direct sequel to Bousman's 2012 ...

'' (2015). He had a recurring role as camp cook Possum on the HBO TV series ''

Carnivàle ''Carnivàle'' () is an American television series set in the United States Dust Bowl during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The series, created by Daniel Knauf, ran for two seasons between 2003 and 2005. In tracing the lives of disparate g ...

'' (2003-05). He has also released records with guitarist

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

in the band

Cornbugs Cornbugs was an American avant-garde metal band formed in 1995. Comprising vocalist Bill "Choptop" Moseley, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and keyboardist Travis Dickerson, the band released five albums, two DVDs, and three compilation ...

, as well as featuring on the guitarist's solo work.

Early life

Moseley was born in Stamford, Connecticut, and grew up in

Barrington Hills, Illinois Barrington Hills is a village located about northwest of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 4,114. It straddles approximately over four counties, Cook, Kane, Lake, and McHenry. The Village of Barri ...

. He is the son of Virginia Gillette (Kleitz), a journalist, and S. D. Moseley (Spencer Dumaresq Moseley), who was a member of the

Yale Corporation The Yale Corporation, officially The President and Fellows of Yale College, is the governing body of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Assembly of corporation The Corporation comprises 19 members: * Three ex officio An ''ex officio'' m ...

, All-American captain and center of the 1942 Yale football team, and chairman and chief executive of the

Railway Express Agency Railway Express Agency (REA), founded as the American Railway Express Agency and later renamed the American Railway Express Inc., was a national package delivery service that operated in the United States from 1918 to 1975. REA arranged trans ...

. His grandfather, George Moseley, also played football at Yale and was an All-American. He is a graduate of

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

. For a period of time, Moseley operated as a journalist, writing for such magazines as '' Omni'', '' National Lampoon'' and ''

Psychology Today ''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direc ...

''.

Acting career

At the age of 29, Moseley got his first film role in Alan Rudolph's ''Endangered Species'' as a cab driver. In 1985's ''Osa'' he played a character named "Quilt Face." His third role has become one of his most well known; he appeared as

Tobe Hooper Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work in the horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror fi ...

's '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'', after Tobe Hooper saw him in the independent short, ''The Texas Chainsaw Manicure''. In 2000 he reprised his role as Chop Top in '' All American Massacre'', which was directed by Tobe Hooper's son William, but the film was never released to the public. Two years after ''TCM 2'', he played Frank in 1988's ''Mamba''. Also in 1988 appeared as a soldier in the remake of the

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...

film ''

The Blob ''The Blob'' is a 1958 American science fiction horror film directed by Irvin Yeaworth, and written by Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson. It stars Steve McQueen (in his first feature film leading role) and Aneta Corsaut and co-stars Earl Rowe ...

''. He next played Darrell in the film '' Pink Cadillac'' starring

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

. He then played the lead role of Ricky Caldwell in '' Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!''. In 1990, Moseley appeared in four films: ''Crash and Burn'', ''

The First Power ''The First Power'' is a 1990 American neo-noir horror film written and directed by Robert Resnikoff, and starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Tracy Griffith, Jeff Kober and Mykelti Williamson. The film received mostly negative reviews, but was a ...

'', '' The End of Innocence'', and, playing Johnny, in

Tom Savini Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including ''Martin' ...

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...

's 1968 zombie film, ''

Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven pe ...

''. In 1993, he had a small role in the cult hit ''

Army of Darkness ''Army of Darkness'' is a 1992 American comedy horror film directed, co-written and co-edited by Sam Raimi, co-produced by Robert Tapert and Bruce Campbell and co-written by Ivan Raimi. Starring Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, it is the third insta ...

'' as the Deadite Captain. A year later, he was featured in the video game ''

Corpse Killer ''Corpse Killer'' is a horror-themed rail shooter developed and published by Digital Pictures for the Sega CD, Sega CD 32X, 3DO, Sega Saturn, Windows 95 and Macintosh computers. An interactive variation on the zombie film genre, it utilizes li ...

''. In 1995, he did voiceover work for Anders Jacobsson's horror comedy film '' Evil Ed''. He would not, however, have another role as popular as Chop Top until 2003, when he starred as the maniacal Otis B. Driftwood (named after

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

's character from '' A Night at the Opera'') in

's directorial debut ''

House of 1000 Corpses ''House of 1000 Corpses'' is a 2003 American black comedy horror film written, co-scored, and directed by Rob Zombie in his directorial debut, and the first film in the ''Firefly'' film series. It stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon, K ...

''. As Otis, he again became an icon in the horror community. In 2005, he reprised the role of Otis in the sequel '' The Devil's Rejects'' and in 2009 he played Otis in a voice cameo in Rob Zombie's animated film

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto ''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'' is a 2009 American adult animated superhero film directed, co-written and co-produced by Rob Zombie. The film was written by Zombie and Tom Papa from Zombie's comic book series of the same name. The film w ...

. Moseley's performance in ''Rejects'' inspired an independent campaign for a Best Supporting Actor

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

nomination, which failed. He played in other Rob Zombie films such as ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

'' and the ''

Grindhouse A grindhouse or action house is an American term for a theatre that mainly shows low-budget horror, splatter and exploitation films for adults. According to historian David Church, this theater type was named after the "grind policy", a fil ...

'' fake trailer segment '' Werewolf Women of the SS''. Moseley, Bill (2007)

In 2008, Moseley played the role of Luigi Largo in ''

''. In this futuristic, genetic opera, he was able to network with

Nivek Ogre Kevin Graham Ogilvie (born December 5, 1962), known professionally as Nivek Ogre, is a Canadian musician, performance artist and actor, best known for his work with the industrial music group Skinny Puppy, which he co-founded with cEvin Key. Sin ...

Skinny Puppy Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial music group formed in Vancouver in 1982. The group is among the founders of the industrial rock and electro-industrial genres. Initially envisioned as an experimental side-project by cEvin Key (Kevin Crompto ...

and

ohGr ohGr is an American industrial band formed by Nivek Ogre and Mark Walk of Skinny Puppy. Early ohGr releases incorporated hip hop and synth-pop influences, and in contrast to Skinny Puppy, utilized conventional structures and a lighter tone. Og ...

, subsequently appearing on

's new album '' Devils in my Details''. He mainly speaks at the beginning or ending of the songs in vivid, poetic rants. He appears on ''Eyecandy'', ''Feelin' Chicken'', ''Psychoreal'', ''Timebomb'', ''Smogharp'', and ''Witness''. Additionally, in 2008, Moseley appeared as a telemarketer in the music video for

Combichrist Combichrist is an American aggrotech / industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist was formed in Atlanta, Georgia and is ...

's Sent to Destroy". Moseley contributed songs to the 2008 soundtrack of ''Vampira: The Movie'', a documentary by

Kevin Sean Michaels Kevin Sean Michaels is an American film director, artist, producer and entertainer. Biography and career Michaels is best known as an Art Director for Troma Entertainment as well as directing and producing his own documentaries, ''Vampira: Th ...

Maila Nurmi Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress who created the campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon, where she worked in tuna and s ...

, in which he also stars. It was released on Collectables Records, a division of Alpha Video. He appears as Kozlowski in

Robert Lieberman Robert Lieberman (born July 16, 1947) is an American motion picture and television director. Personal life Lieberman was married from June 27, 1990 to June 7, 2001 to actress Marilu Henner; the divorced couple has two children, Nicholas Morga ...

's 2009 thriller film '' The Tortured'', and in 2012 played as The Magician in '' The Devil's Carnival''. Moseley has also provided voice-over recordings for the Florida-based heavy metal band – Generichrist and also British goth-metal band Sinnergod on the track "Overture" which features on their 2013 debut album ''Seven Deadly Sinphonies''. He later made appearances in ''

Texas Chainsaw 3D ''Texas Chainsaw 3D'' (stylized on-screen simply as ''Texas Chainsaw'') is a 2013 American slasher film directed by John Luessenhop, with a screenplay by Adam Marcus, Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms. It is the seventh installment in ''The T ...

'' and '' American Exorcist''. In 2019, Moseley appeared in '' Gothic Harvest'' with

Lin Shaye Linda Shaye (born October 12, 1943) is an American film, television, and theater actress. In a career spanning over forty years, she has appeared in more than a hundred feature films. She is perhaps best known for her starring role as Elise Rain ...

and Sofia Mattsson, directed by

Ashley Hamilton Ashley George Hamilton (born September 30, 1974) is an American actor, comedian and singer-songwriter. He made his acting debut in the 1993 film '' Beethoven's 2nd''. He has since starred in films such as '' Lost in Africa'' (1994), '' Off ...

. He also reprised his role as Otis B. Driftwood in ''

3 From Hell ''3 from Hell'' is a 2019 American horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Rob Zombie. It is the third installment in the ''Firefly'' trilogy, which began with ''House of 1000 Corpses'' (2003), and stars Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Mose ...

''. ''Horror Fuel'' magazine reports that Moseley will star in the horror film ''Jasper'' alongside

Michael Berryman Michael John Berryman (born September 4, 1948) is an American character actor. Berryman was born with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, a rare condition characterized by the absence of sweat glands, hair, and fingernails; his unusual physical a ...

Kane Hodder Kane Warren Hodder (born April 8, 1955)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905–1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Americ ...

and Bill Oberst in 2022. He recorded voiceovers for

Ice Nine Kills Ice Nine Kills (sometimes stylized in all capital letters or abbreviated to INK, and formerly known as Ice Nine) is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspire ...

' 2021 horror film-themed album '' The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood''.

Music career

Moseley (as Chop Top) was the lead singer of

, a three-man band he had between 1999 and 2007 with avant-garde rock/metal guitarist

and

Deli Creeps The Deli Creeps were an avant-garde band consisting of singer Maximum Bob, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Pinchface and various bass players, most recently Daniel Monti. Though Buckethead is the only member who makes a consistent effort to hide ...

' drummer,

Pinchface Michael Andrew Hakopian, better known as Pinchface is the drummer of the Deli Creeps, Giant Robot II, and the Cornbugs. He has also appeared on numerous Buckethead albums, such as '' Population Override'' and '' Giant Robot'' (tracks "I Come ...

. He also contributed vocal parts to the songs ''I Come in Peace'' (as a news reporter) and ''Onions Unleashed'' (as Onions) from Buckethead's album '' Giant Robot'' (1994) and ''Jowls'' from Buckethead's album '' Monsters and Robots'' (1999), also as Chop Top. Moseley, along with

Rani Sharone Rani Sharone (born 1978) is the bassist/guitarist for the band Stolen Babies. He is the twin brother of drummer Gil Sharone. In 2010, Sharone and actor Bill Moseley William Moseley (born November 11, 1951) is an American actor, primarily known ...

, released the album ''No Way Down'', calling themselves Spider Mountain.

Personal life

Moseley is married to actress Lucinda Jenney. He previously dated model Lisa Lindsay-Hogg. Moseley and Lindsay-Hogg have two daughters: Marion Moseley, an actress, and Jane Moseley, a model, painter and sculptor based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

In popular culture

A sample of Moseley shouting "dog will hunt!" in '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'' is used in the hit Primus song "

Jerry Was a Race Car Driver "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" is a song by the American funk metal band Primus (band), Primus. It was released as the first single from their 1991 album ''Sailing the Seas of Cheese'' and reached number 23 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart. The ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

References

External links

Chop Top's BBQ, Bill Moseley's official site
* * Interview with Bill Moseley a
Eye for Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moseley, Bill 1951 births Living people Male actors from Illinois American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Stamford, Connecticut Yale University alumni People from Barrington Hills, Illinois Cornbugs members