William Tepper (June 27, 1948 – October 4, 2017) was an American actor and screenwriter, best known for his lead role in Jack Nicholson's directorial debut, Drive, He Said (1971).
Biography from TMDB.
- January 1, 1948
- October 4, 2017 (aged 69)
- The Bronx, New York, USA
- Actor, producer and writer
- 6 on MovieCove · 9 credits in all
What are William Tepper's films like?
Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 1
Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 1
A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1
A split, not a type: Casual 2 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 1
A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1
Roles they play
- Heroas Hector in Drive, He Said (1971)
Moods and endings
- Happy2
- Bittersweet1
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous1
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 William Tepper's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).
Subscription and free streaming for William Tepper'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
9 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page.
Barry's Last Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Grilled(2006)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Bachelor Party(1984)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Breathless(1983)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Miss Right (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Heart Beat(1980)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Kojak(1973)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Call Her Mom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Drive, He Said(1971)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 78th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 9 titles from 1971 to 2011; peak year 1984.
Film career
Peak 1984 · their film career is on the way up. 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.
- 1971Screen debut· Drive, He Said
- 1971First top-billed film· Drive, He Said
How do William Tepper's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 29th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 31st percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th3
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 6 titles divides audiences: 4 are Mixed.
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 40. 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 William Tepper's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does William Tepper work with?
People who share at least 2 of William Tepper's MovieCove titles; Lisa Jane Persky shares the most, 2.
- Lisa Jane PerskyShared titles: Grilled (2006), Breathless (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Lisa Jane Persky
- Jack NitzscheShared titles: Breathless (1983), Heart Beat (1980)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Nitzsche
