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W. Earl Brown

W. Earl Brown

Actor, also writer and producer · Born September 7, 1963 (63) · Murray, Kentucky, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 1 other major award body

William Earl Brown (born September 7, 1963) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Kenny in the film Scream (1996), Warren in the film There's Something About Mary (1998), Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006), and the voice and motion capture of Bill in the video game The Last of Us (2013). He has appeared in films such as Backdraft, The Master, Being John Malkovich, The Sessions, Vanilla Sky, The Lone Ranger, and Bloodworth (which he also wrote and produced), as well as series such as Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, C.S.I., C.S.I. Miami, The X-Files, Six Feet Under, Preacher, Bates Motel, True Detective, American Horror Story, Chicago Fire, and The Mandalorian.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 7, 1963 (63)
From
Murray, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Actor, also writer and producer
Titles
91 on MovieCove · 117 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27

What are W. Earl Brown's films like?

Across their 31 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
24%
Morality
22%
Bonds
16%
Survival
15%
Society
12%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Self-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 26 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 7 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 18 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 5 of 11 analyzed roles.

Shadow
5 of 11
Threshold guardian
2 of 11
Hero
1 of 11
Trickster
1 of 11
Herald
1 of 11
Ally
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
13
Contemplative
12
Absurd
7
Bittersweet
5
Other
26

How their films linger

Bittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet14
  • Ambiguous10

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch W. Earl Brown's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 72 of their 91 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (19).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for W. Earl Brown's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

117 credits, 91 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Sheriff Country(2025)

    Show 20 episodes · as Wes Fox

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Dead Don't Hurt(2023)

    as Alan Kendall

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Shirley(2024)

    as George Wallace

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Hello Tomorrow!(2023)

    Show 6 episodes · as Big Fred

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Paul T. Goldman(2023)

    Show 2 episodes · as Royce Rocco

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Fire Country(2022)

    Show 3 episodes · as Wes Fox

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Book of Boba Fett(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Weequay Proprietor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • The Unforgivable(2021)

    as Mac Whelan

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Ghost and Molly McGee(2021)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lord Doom (voice)

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • American Sausage Standoff(2019)

    as Jimmy Jerry Lee Jones Jr.

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • No Man of God(2021)

    as Warden Wilkenson

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Hacks(2021)

    Show 7 episodes · as Michael

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Reprisal(2019)

    Show 7 episodes · as Witt

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Mandalorian(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Weequay Proprietor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Boys(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Reverend Greg Dupree

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • I Lost My Mother's Ashes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Mortician

  • Deadwood: The Movie(2019)

    as Dan Dority

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Highwaymen(2019)

    as Ivy Methvin

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Yellowstone(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Spears

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Dad Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Producer · Writer · as Jimbo

  • Superstition(2017)

    Show 1 episode · as The Dredge

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • Spaceman(2016)

    as Dick Dennis

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Preacher(2016)

    Show 11 episodes · as Hugo Root

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Wicked City(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Dan Wilkinson

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Black Mass(2015)

    as John Martorano

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • American Crime(2015)

    Show 11 episodes · as Tom Carlin

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Wild(2014)

    as Frank

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Draft Day(2014)

    as Ralph Mowry

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Chasing Ghosts(2014)

    as Roger Simons

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • True Detective(2014)

    Show 5 episodes · as Detective Teague Dixon

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • A Single Shot(2013)

    as Puffy

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Beneath the Harvest Sky(2013)

    as Roger Cyr

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Ranger(2013)

    as Mustached Ranger

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Sixth Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as General Oliander Hume

  • Rectify(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as The Stranger

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Brother's Keeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Turner Monroe

  • Alice in Chains: AIC 23 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Writer · as Alan Poole McLard

  • Bates Motel(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Keith Summers

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Chicago Fire(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dave Bloom

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Master(2012)

    as Fighting Businessman

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Perception(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Prentice

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Longmire(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as R.J. Watts

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Sessions(2012)

    as Rod

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Blue-Eyed Butcher(2012)

    as Thomas Dean

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Phil Critter

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Rites of Ransom Pride(2010)

    as Matthew

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Pickin' and Grinnin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Parson

  • Miami Medical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Justified(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Cal Wallace

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Bloodworth(2010)

    Producer · Screenplay · as Brady Bloodworth

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Archer(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Head Biker (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Hawthorne(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Deegan

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Smash: Motorized Mayhem(2009)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • 1% (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Sailor

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Rulon Farnes

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Burn Notice(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Zechariah

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Psych(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Dwayne Tancana

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Big White(2005)

    as Jimbo

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Kids in America(2005)

    as Boss McGinn

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Grey's Anatomy(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Herb Cramer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Abner Stone

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Shot(2004)

    as Willie Gratzo

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Alamo(2004)

    as David Burnet

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Deadwood(2004)

    Show 36 episodes · Writer · as Dan Dority

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Killer Diller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Holister

  • Cold Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Victor Lake

  • Dunsmore(2003)

    as Ronny Roy Pritcher

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Pauly Shore Is Dead(2003)

    as Bucky from Kentucky

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Jesse Kramer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Push, Nevada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Vanilla Sky(2001)

    as Barman

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Dancing at the Blue Iguana(2000)

    as Bobby

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Wolf Lake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Bruce Cates

  • Six Feet Under(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Pete

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Sugar & Spice(2001)

    as Hank 'Terminator' Rogers

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Lost Souls(2000)

    as William Kelson

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Slick · as Thomas Pickens / Roger Peet

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • FreakyLinks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back(2000)

    as Meat Loaf

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Being John Malkovich(1999)

    as First J.M. Inc. Customer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Angel(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Menlo

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Charmed(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Shadow / Warlock

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Martial Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Larry Gambozza

  • There's Something About Mary(1998)

    as Warren Jensen

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Deep Impact(1998)

    as McCloud (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Bella Mafia(1997)

    as Fredrico Luciano

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Kiss the Girls(1997)

    as Locksmith

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Smart Guy(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Sonny

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Scream(1996)

    as Kenny

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Cherokee Kid(1996)

    as Calloway

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Profiler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Raymond Boudreaux

  • A Season in Purgatory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Fatty Malloy

  • A Season in Purgatory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Fatty Malloy

  • Wiseguy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Dubois

  • Project: ALF(1996)

    as Ernie

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Vampire in Brooklyn(1995)

    as Thrasher

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Without Evidence(1995)

    as Grace

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Caroline in the City(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Floyd Gerber

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • The Single Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Cabbie

  • Nowhere Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Roy

  • Lily in Winter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Sheriff Boyd

  • New Nightmare(1994)

    as Morgue Attendant

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Dead Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Ken

  • Chicago Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Cram

  • Ellen(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Customer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Dusty Wilton

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert M. Fassl

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Rookie of the Year(1993)

    as Billy Frick

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Excessive Force(1992)

    as Vinnie DiMarco

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Woman Who Loved Elvis(1993)

    as Pete

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Untouchables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Babe(1992)

    as Herb Pennock

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Backdraft(1991)

    Dialect Coach · as Paramedic

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Seinfeld(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Al

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Guard

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Red Blooded (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Deputy Joe Paul

  • Roadside Picnic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as Buzzard

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 116 titles, 114 of them dated from 1984 to 2025; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

There's Something About Mary (1998)

$370M worldwide

Highest rated

Deadwood (2004)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19842025

Peak 2013 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting116 of 116: 111 only acting, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thWriting4 of 116: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing2 of 116: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 116: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

116 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1980s2 · acting1990s34 · 34 acting · 1 crew2000s28 · 28 acting · 1 crew2010s38 · 38 acting · 3 crew2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 12th · top billed in 0% of 36 roles
9196010616

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 major nominations and no wins, 2007.

  1. 2007
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Dramatic Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do W. Earl Brown's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 49th percentile, the median of all 48; across their 26 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Approval · how many liked their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Reach · how many have seen their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 26

Midcredits score across 91 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up33
  • 50th to 74th23
  • 25th to 49th21
  • Below 25th14

Shape of the crowd

35 of their 91 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved19
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser35
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed28

Most divisive · actor

The Woman Who Loved Elvis (1993)

87th percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

True Detective (2014)

Midcredits 98th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is W. Earl Brown's work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles17–87 · median 52 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles18–71 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles44–91 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles20–67 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles16–74 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does W. Earl Brown work with?

People who share at least 2 of W. Earl Brown's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Hawkes shares the most, 3.

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles