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Earl Hindman

Earl Hindman

Actor · Died December 29, 2003, aged 61 · Bisbee, Arizona, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Earl John Hindman (October 20, 1942 – December 29, 2003) was an American actor, best-known for his role as the kindly neighbor (whose lower face was always hidden from sight from the television viewer) Wilson W. Wilson Jr. on the television sitcom Home Improvement (1991–1999). Long before this role, however, he played bad guys in two 1970s thrillers, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and The Parallax View. Hindman's most famous and enduring pre-Home Improvement role was as Bob Reid in Ryan's Hope. He played the role in 459 episodes during the years 1975-1989. Ex-police officer Bob Reid was everybody's best friend who never got the girl, and was the long-suffering brother of the soap's serial bride Delia Reid Ryan Ryan Coleridge. Hindman's wife Molly McGreevey was also on the soap 1977-1981 as Polly Longworth, best friend to media tycoon Rae Woodard. Description above from the Wikipedia article Earl Hindman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia​

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 20, 1942
Died
December 29, 2003 (aged 61)
From
Bisbee, Arizona, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 37 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 63 days to Oct 26

What are Earl Hindman's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 36th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action 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
Morality
30%
Self
20%
Bonds
18%
Power
12%
Survival
9%
Society
8%
Ideas
2%
Justice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 4 · Dark 9

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

Grounded 11 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 9 · Intense 4

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 1 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

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

A split, not a type: Resolved 7 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 2 of 3 analyzed roles.

Ally
2 of 3
Trickster
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
8
Dread
3
Warm
3
Bittersweet
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

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 Earl Hindman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Earl Hindman'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

37 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Tim Allen Presents: A User's Guide to Home Improvement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Narrator / Wilson Wilson Jr.

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Sheriff

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Final(2001)

    as Official

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Hercules(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Pericles · as Pericles (voice)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Stay the Night(1992)

    as Mike Kettman Sr

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Home Improvement(1991)

    Show 203 episodes · as Wilson Wilson Jr.

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Fires Within(1991)

    as Sergeant

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Ballad of the Sad Cafe(1991)

    as Henry Macy

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Defense Attorney Riley

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Rising Son(1990)

    as Victor

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Kojak: It's Always Something (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Donley

  • Talk Radio(1988)

    as Chet / Black John / Jerry (voice)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • War and Remembrance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Wade McClusky

  • The Red Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Stern

  • Three Men and a Baby(1987)

    as Satch

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Kojak: The Price of Justice(1987)

    as Danny

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • One Police Plaza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Det. Jake Stern

  • Spenser: For Hire(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Equalizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 3 episodes · as Findlay · as Lt. Elmer

  • Silverado(1985)

    as J.T.

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Harry Carson

  • Murder in Coweta County(1983)

    as J.H. Potts

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Taps(1981)

    as Lieutenant Hanson

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Brink's Job(1978)

    as FBI Agent # 3

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Greased Lightning(1977)

    as Beau Welles

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Ryan's Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 56 episodes · as Bob Reid

  • Shoot It Black, Shoot It Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Garrity

  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974)

    as Brown

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Parallax View(1974)

    as Deputy Red

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Key West(1973)

    as Rick

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pueblo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as QMT Charles B. Law, Jr.

  • Who Killed Mary Whats'ername?(1971)

    as Whitey

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • A Memory of Two Mondays (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as William

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as William

  • The Ultimate Degenerate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Bruno (as Leo Heinz)

  • The Kiss of Her Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Don

  • Teenage Mother(1967)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 37 titles from 1967 to 2003; peak year 1974.

Biggest box office

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991)

$185K worldwide

Highest rated

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Home Improvement (1991)

Film career

19672003

Peak 1974 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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
Acting37 of 37: 37 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score56th

By decade

1960s3 · acting1970s11 · acting1980s12 · acting1990s8 · acting2000s3 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

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.

How do Earl Hindman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Teenage Mother (1967)

68th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles; fans 77, 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 Earl Hindman's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 42 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 48 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Earl Hindman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Earl Hindman's MovieCove titles; Robert Q. Lovett shares the most, 2.