William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series Falling Skies."Kindly Keep Your Mitts Off My Planet" by Katrina Onstad at nytimes.com He also appeared in the films The Client (1994), Armageddon (1998), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Remember the Titans (2000), The Punisher (2004), American Honey (2016), Halloween (2018), Minari (2020), and Train Dreams (2025)."‘Minari’ Wins Big With North Carolina Film Critics Association, Chloé Zhao’s Directing Winning Streak Continues" by Clayton Davis at variety.com He appeared opposite Kevin Costner in four films: No Way Out (1987), The Postman (1997), and Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (both 2024), as well as having a guest role in seasons 3 and 4 of Costner's Paramount Network series Yellowstone (2020–2022). Patton played Deputy Marnes in season one of the 2023 TV series Silo.
Patton was nominated alongside castmates for his ensemble work in Minari and Yellowstone at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2020 and 2021, and won two Obie Awards for Best Actor in Sam Shepard's play Fool for Love and the Public Theater production of What Did He See?."Seasoned actor takes on diversity of roles" by Bill Thompson, The Post and Courier (21 Dec, 1997) Retrieved from
Early life William Rankin Patton was born on June 14, 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,"Revisionist with a cause" by Jim Schembri, The Age (2 Feb, 2001) [Late Edition] Retrieved from the eldest of three children. His mother’s name was Laura McClenagan Patton and his father's name was Bill Patton. Bill Patton was a playwright and acting/directing instructor who was a Lutheran minister and served as a chaplain at Duke University. The original posting of the date of this article was May 7, 2010, which cannot be substantiated from the archived article. Patton was raised on a farm, where his parents ran a foster home for wayward teenagers.
Career Theater Patton had lead roles in Sam Shepard's play Fool for Love and in the Public Theater production of What Did He See?
Film and television Will portrayed character Ox Knowles on Ryan's Hope from 1982 to 1983. Patton portrayed the evil antagonist in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and had a significant role in No Way Out (1987) opposite Kevin Costner, his first major film. He went on to play the role of General Bethlehem, again opposite Kevin Costner, in the 1997 The Postman. He portrayed coach Bill Yoast in Remember the Titans (2000), and FBI agent Melvin Purvis in the 1991 made-for-television film Dillinger, Retrieved from before a supporting actor performance in Armageddon (1998). Patton performed the role of Alan Wilson for five episodes on the TV show 24 (2009).
Patton also appeared in Silkwood (1983), The Client (1994), Copycat (1995), The Spitfire Grill (1996), Entrapment (1999), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), The Mothman Prophecies (2002), The Punisher (2004), The Fourth Kind (2009), Brooklyn's Finest (2010), Minari (2020) and The Forever Purge (2021). Patton had a guest role in seasons 3 and 4 of Costner's Paramount Network series Yellowstone (2020-2022)."Yellowstone season 4 reveals new cast members and teaser ahead of fall premiere" by Nick Romano at Entertainment Weekly
Patton portrayed the character of Sam Conroy in the film American Violet (2008).American Violet review by Todd McCarthy at variety.com From 2011 to 2015, he starred as Colonel Weaver in the TNT sci-fi television series Falling Skies, executive-produced by Steven Spielberg. In 2018, Patton portrayed Officer Frank Hawkins in the horror reboot of Halloween,"Film Review: ‘Halloween’" by Peter Debruge at variety.com and reprised his role in its two Halloween sequels, Halloween Kills (2021)"‘Halloween Kills’ Review: It Will Feed Your Nostalgia…for Mediocre Slasher Sequels" by Owen Gleiberman at variety.com and Halloween Ends (2022)."‘Halloween Ends’ Review: Michael Myers Gets a Disciple, and Jamie Lee Curtis Mopes, as the Series Ends…But Not Really (Rinse, Slash, Repeat)" by Owen Gleiberman at variety.com He also portrayed Avery Sunderland in the DC Universe TV series Swamp Thing in 2019."‘Swamp Thing’ Casts Andy Bean, Derek Mears in Lead Roles" by Margeaux Sippell at variety.com
Patton's Yellowstone costar, Kevin Costner, identified Patton in May 2023 as an actor that will join him again, this time in Horizon, a "Civil War saga" based on four scripts which Costner intends to write, direct, and act in, covering a 15-year period of "pre- and post-Civil War... settlement of the American west".
Audiobooks Patton has recorded more than forty-five audiobooks, including works by Stephen King, James Lee Burke, and Al Gore.
Critical reception
Patton's acting work has been noted, critically and by colleagues. Speaking with regard to Patton's presence in the Yellowstone cast, executive producer and fellow cast member Kevin Costner "praise[d]" Patton as "very dynamic in his own way, formidable and detailed", adding that he was "a fantastic actor" and that "[i]t was good to see Will on the set." Some of his best rated films are The Scent of Rain and Lightning (2017) and Minari (2020). As to his participation in television he has overall positive reviews especially in shows like Swamp Thing (2019).
Awards and recognition Patton won two Obie Awards for best actor for his theatrical performances in Fool for LoveWinners 1984 at www.obieawards.com and What Did He See?.Winners 1989 at www.obieawards.com He was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Postman (1997).
More recently, Patton was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 27th SAG Awards alongside his fellow cast members, for their work in Minari (2020), and for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the 28th SAG Awards alongside his fellow cast members, for their work in Yellowstone (2021).
Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 1983 Variety Mark King Blank Bar Customer Silkwood Joe 1985 The Beniker Gang Forest Ranger Desperately Seeking Susan Wayne Nolan After Hours Horst 1986 Chinese Boxes Lang Marsh Belizaire the Cajun Matthew Perry 1987 No Way Out Scott Pritchard 1988 Wildfire Mike Stars and Bars Duane Gage 1989 Signs of Life Mr. Coughlin 1990 Everybody Wins Jerry A Shock to the System Lieutenant Laker Bright Angel Woody Uncredited"Bright Angel - Full Cast & Crew" at www.tvguide.com 1991 The Rapture Deputy Foster Cold Heaven Father Niles 1992 In the Soup 'Skippy' 1993 The Paint Job Wesley Midnight Edition Jack Travers Romeo Is Bleeding Martie 1994 Tollbooth Dash Pepper Natural Causes Michael Murphy Judicial Consent Alan Warwick Judicial Consent review by Caren Weiner Campbell at ew.com The Client Sergeant Hardy The Puppet Masters Dr. Graves 1995 Copycat Inspector Nicoletti 1996 Plain Pleasures The Spitfire Grill Nahum Goddard "Care of the Spitfire Grill" by Leonard Klady at variety.com Fled Detective Matthew 'Gib' Gibson Fled review by Ty Burr at ew.com 1997 Inventing the Abbotts Lloyd Abbott Hounddogg This World, Then the Fireworks Lieutenant Morgan The Postman General Bethlehem Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor 1998 OK Garage Sean Armageddon Charles 'Chick' Chapple I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Preacher 1999 Breakfast of Champions 'Moe' The Truck Driver Entrapment Hector Cruz Jesus' Son John Smith 2000 Gone in 60 Seconds Atley Jackson Trixie W. 'Red' Rafferty Remember the Titans Coach Bill Yoast 2002 The Mothman Prophecies Gordon Smallwood 2004 The Punisher Quentin Glass 2006 Road House 2 Nate Tanner 2007 Code Name: The Cleaner Riley A Mighty Heart DSS Special Agent Randall Bennett The List Michael Harriston Dog Days of Summer Eli Cottonmouth 2008 Wendy and Lucy The Mechanic American Violet Sam Conroy Lucky Days J.C. 2009 Barbarian Princess Sanford B. Dole Looking at Animals Raymond The Canyon Henry The Canyon review by Rob Nelson at variety.com The Fourth Kind Sheriff August Waking Madison Madison's Father The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Old Man Dobyne 2010 Brooklyn's Finest Lieutenant Bill Hobarts Meek's Cutoff Solomon Tetherow Knucklehead Vic Sullivan Knucklehead review by John Anderson at variety.com 2012 The Girl Tommy Abigail Harm The Visitor / Narrator 2014 The November Man Perry Weinstein 2016 American Honey Backseat Cowboy 2017 The Scent of Rain and Lightning Senior Megan Leavey Jim 2018 Boarding School Dr. Sherman An Actor Prepares Wisdom Halloween Deputy Frank Hawkins 2019 Blood on Her Name Richard Tiller Hammer Stephen Davis Radioflash Frank 2020 Minari Paul Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 2021 The Devil Below Schuttmann The Forever PurgeCaleb TuckerHalloween Kills Deputy Frank Hawkins 2022Halloween Ends 2023 Janet Planet Wayne2024 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 Owen Kittredge Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 2025 Train Dreams Narrator (voice)TBA Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3 Owen Kittredge Filming You Can't Win Foot and A Half George Post-production
Television Year Title RoleNotes 1981 Kent State Peter Television film 1982 CBS Library Ben Moody Episode: "Robbers, Rooftops and Witches" 1982–1983 Ryan's Hope 'Ox' Knowles Contract role 1984–1985 Search for Tomorrow Kentucky Bluebird 26 episodes 1985 The Equalizer Officer Nick Braxton Episode: "Lady Cop" 1987 A Gathering of Old Men Lou Dimes Television film 1990 Nasty Boys Raymond Batiste Episode: "Flesh and Blood" 1991 Dillinger FBI Agent Melvin Purvis Television film Deadly Desire Giles Menteer Television film 1992 Lincoln and the War Within Ward Lamon Television film In the Deep Woods Eric Gaines Television film A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story Frank Maxwell Television film Roseanne Grant Episode: "Of Ice and Men" 1993 Taking the Heat Hadley Television film 1995–1997 VR.5 Dr. Frank Morgan 5 episodes 1997 The Protector Jeff Unknown episodes 2001–2003 The Agency Jackson Haisley Main role 2004Family Sins Philip Rothman Television film The Last Ride Aaron Purnell Television film 2005 Into the West James Fletcher Episode: "Wheel to the Stars"2006–2007 Numbers Lieutenant Gary Walker 4 episodes 2009 24 Alan Wilson 5 episodes American Experience John Wilkes Booth (voice) Episodes: "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Craig Haliday Episode: "Unshockable"2011–2015 Falling Skies Captain Dan Weaver Main role 2016 The Good Wife Mike Tascioni 4 episodes 2017 Shots Fired Sheriff Daniel Platt Main role 2019 Swamp Thing Avery Sunderland Main role 2020–2022 Yellowstone Garrett Randall Recurring role; nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2022–2024 Outer Range Wayne Tillerson Main role 2023 Silo Deputy Marnes4 episodes TBA The Magnificent Seven Cyrus T. Clemons Upcoming series The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey Lou Smith
Voice work
Audio books