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Bill Heck

Bill Heck

Actor · Born September 26, 1978 (48) · Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Bill Heck is an American actor who has appeared on Broadway and in television shows, such as The Leftovers and The Alienist, and films, including in the role of Billy Knapp in the Coen Brothers' western The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Heck was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but moved to Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, as a child. He graduated from the University of Evansville in Indiana and went to N.Y.U. to gain a graduate degree in acting.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
September 26, 1978 (48)
From
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
30 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 18% in 30 days

What are Bill Heck's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Survival
30%
Bonds
25%
Self
18%
Morality
16%
Society
6%
Power
2%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 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 2 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 5

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

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 1 · 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 5 · 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 7 · Full focus 1

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

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 4
Hero
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
10
Tense
7
Dread
3
Contemplative
5
Hopeful
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Bittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • 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 Bill Heck's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 25 of their 30 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bill Heck'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

32 credits, 30 with a MovieCove page.

  • If I Tell You(2024)

    as Brian

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Your Friends & Neighbors(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Mark

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Broken Land(2025)

    as Harley Tidwell

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Teacup(2024)

    Show 5 episodes · as Lt. Olsen

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Hold Your Breath(2024)

    as Henry Bellum

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Old Man(2022)

    Show 9 episodes · as Young Dan Chase

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Ray Donovan: The Movie(2022)

    as Young Mickey

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • I Know What You Did Last Summer(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as Bruce

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all shows

  • I'm Your Woman(2020)

    as Eddie

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Small Town Wisconsin(2020)

    as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Locke & Key(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · as Rendell Locke

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Little America(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs(2018)

    as Billy Knapp (segment "The Gal Who Got Rattled")

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • 1985(2018)

    as Slow Dancer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Alienist(2018)

    Show 3 episodes · as John Beecham

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • After Adderall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Gerard

  • The Leftovers(2014)

    Show 2 episodes · as Darren · as Meg's Fiancé

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2(2014)

    as G-5 Co-Pilot

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Taxi Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 12 episodes · as Special Agent Gregg James

  • Sleepy Hollow(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Mitch Talbot

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Americans(2013)

    Show 2 episodes · as Neil

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Pit Stop(2013)

    as Gabe

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Elementary(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Ty Morstan

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Pan Am(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Graham the photographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • Person of Interest(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Rick Morris

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Nonames(2010)

    as Simon

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Unit(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Philip

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Closer(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · as Wesley Reed

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Barista

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Medium(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as David Draper

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • NCIS(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Cory Mitas

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Without a Trace(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Jonah Westfield

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 31 titles from 2002 to 2026; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

1985 (2018)

$25K worldwide

Highest rated

1985 (2018)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

The Old Man (2022)

Film career

20022026

Peak 2013 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 2 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
Acting31 of 31: 31 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

By decade

2000s6 · acting2010s13 · acting2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 17% of 6 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 Bill Heck's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 30 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 30 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser18
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Nonames (2010)

95th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Midcredits 88th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the acting 83/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles; fans 88, detractors 63. 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 Heck's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 77 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles11–55 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 73 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 24 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 67 · intenseMedian 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 Bill Heck work with?

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

Directors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers