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Bill Buell

Bill Buell

Actor · Born September 21, 1952 (74) · Taipei, Taiwan

Bill Buell was born on September 21, 1952. His film and TV credits include God's Pocket, Across the Universe, Spy Game, Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Love Letter, Requiem for a Dream, Quiz Show, Kinsey, TV: "Elementary" , Blue Bloods", "The Bronx Is Burning", "John Adams", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Law & Order", "Boardwalk Empire".

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
September 21, 1952 (74)
From
Taipei, Taiwan
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 34 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 65 days to Oct 28Up 104% in 30 days

What are Bill Buell's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Self
34%
Society
16%
Survival
10%
Morality
5%
Self-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 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 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 2

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 1

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 2 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Bittersweet
4
Melancholic
2
Absurd
2
Hopeful
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical2

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 Bill Buell's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 28 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bill Buell'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

34 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page.

  • Marty Supreme(2025)

    as Henry the Suitor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • A Shot Through the Wall(2020)

    as Gun Shop Owner

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Driveways(2019)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Monsterland(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Lee

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows

  • Ben Is Back(2018)

    as Dairy Farmer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Seven Seconds(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mac Dorsey

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Sneaky Pete(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Rusty

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Daredevil(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Gerlach

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • God's Pocket(2014)

    as Ray

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Print the Legend(2014)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Elementary(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Private Maggio

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Ralph

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Boardwalk Empire(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Donald Flance

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • The Vicious Kind(2009)

    as Rocky

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Box(2009)

    as Dr. Earl Stupe

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Good Heart(2009)

    as Roger Verne

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • John Adams(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Justice Lynde

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Across the Universe(2007)

    as Old Guy at Tavern

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • 30 Rock(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Gregory Dredd

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • Duane Hopwood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Dark Water(2005)

    as Mediator

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Palindromes(2004)

    as Mr. Wiener

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Spy Game(2001)

    as Fred Kappler

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The American Astronaut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Eddie

  • 100 Centre Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

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

    as Bernardo

  • Curb Your Enthusiasm(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Drunk

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · as Bob

  • Requiem for a Dream(2000)

    as Court Doctor

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Terry Ronsen

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Love Letter(1999)

    as Officer Dan

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to the Dollhouse(1995)

    as Mr. Wiener

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Wind(1992)

    as Danny

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Chris Paley · as Douglas Pomerantz · as Mr. Lundy

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 34 titles from 1990 to 2025; peak year 2006.

Biggest box office

The Love Letter (1999)

$9.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)

Midcredits 89th

Film career

19902025

Peak 2006 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. 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.

  • 1992Screen debut· Wind

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting34 of 34: 34 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score81st

By decade

1990s5 · acting2000s16 · acting2010s9 · acting2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 15 roles
9202

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.

How do Bill Buell's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 71st percentile, the median of all 17; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

A Shot Through the Wall (2020)

92nd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 48. 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 Bill Buell's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Bill Buell work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bill Buell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Todd Solondz shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors