PROFESSIONAL BIO

WILLIAM SHOCKLEY

William Shockley has amassed a unique body of work with an evocative edge. With stand out performances in such films as SHOWGIRLS, DREAM LOVER and ROBOCOP, Shockley also won over audiences for six years as 'Hank Lawson', the moody saloonkeeper and brothel owner in CBS' highly regarded drama, "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman", starring Jane Seymour.

 As evidence to his character's popularity, Shockley was given a development deal by CBS and starred in his own series, a "Dr. Quinn" spin-off series, "California".

Shockley will next be seen in two 2010 feature film releases, LAST WILL, a dark drama centered on the power and corruption of a wealthy Kansas City family, co-starring with Tatum O’Neal, Tom Berringer and James Brolin, and THE GUNDOWN, a western drama co-written with Dustin Rikert, exploring the power struggles in an Arizona frontier town, co-starring with Peter Coyote, Andrew Walker and Sheree J. Wilson, a Silver Bullet Films and Freewill Films co-production, Executive Produced by Vince Morella.

Shockley is in post-production on DUG UP, a redneck, run-and-gun Zombie comedy, co-written with Dustin Rikert, produced by Freewill Films, Executive Producer Vince Morella, co-starring with Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Sheree J. Wilson, Ezra Buzzington and Greg Travis.

Shockley begins filming THRIFTSTORE COWBOY in November 2010, co-written with Dustin Rikert.  Freewill Films will produce, with Vince Morella as Executive Producer and Dustin Rikert directing.

Other recent films include TREASURE RAIDERS, an action thriller shot on location in Moscow, Russia, co-starring with  David Carradine, Steven Brand and Sherilyn Fenn, and CAT CITY, a film noir thriller that Shockley co-wrote with Brent Huff, co-starring with Rebecca Pidgeon, Julian Sands and Brian Dennehy. CAT CITY unveils a story of greed, passion and revenge in a Palm Springs real estate investment scam gone terribly wrong.

Shockley also co-wrote with Brent Huff the feature film WELCOME TO PARADISE, co-starring with Crystal Bernard, Brian Dennehy and Nick Searcy. WELCOME TO PARADISE is a family film about a "left of center" female preacher that is demoted to a small church in Paradise, Texas. She finds a town and congregation in need of her unique vision, as well as a man that just might prove to be the love of her life.

Shockley also co-starred in MADISON with Jim Caviezel, Bruce Dern, Mary McCormack and Brent Briscoe, as well as JOYRIDERS with Martin Landau, and the comedy SUCKERS, with Daniel Benzali and Lori Laughlin.

Born in Lawrence, Kansas, Shockley was raised in a gypsy lifestyle, moving twenty times in nearly as many years. Settling in Texas, he attended the University of Texas in Austin and graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Political Science.

He then moved to Dallas, Texas, and while studying acting and doing local theatre, was signed by an agent and soon cast in director Paul Verhoeven's cult hit, ROBOCOP, starring Peter Weller and Nancy Allen.

Shockley arrived in Los Angeles the day the film opened in 1987, and has worked steadily ever since. Following a slew of episodic and movie-of-the-week roles, Shockley won a lead role in the feature film HOWLING: REBIRTH, then appeared in 20th Century Fox's THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE with Andrew 'Dice' Clay, as well as GIRL IN THE CADILLAC and STREET ASYLUM.

Having first worked with Paul Verhoeven on ROBOCOP, Shockley had the opportunity to work with Verhoeven again on the controversial film, SHOWGIRLS, with Gina Gershon and Elizabeth Berkley. Shockley played rock star 'Andrew Carver', described by British Premiere magazine as "a prince of darkness", and lauded by The New York Times as "breathtakingly crude".

He also appeared in the Nicholas Kazan film, DREAM LOVER, with James Spader and Madchen Amick. Shockley's memorable performance was singled out by The New York Time's Janet Maslin as "scene stealing".

In television, Shockley starred opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the CBS sitcom, "Bagdad Cafe", and then starred opposite Teri Garr in the critically acclaimed ABC series, "Good & Evil".

Jackie Collins cast him back to back in two of her popular NBC mini-series, "Lucky Chances" with Nicolette Sheridan and "Lady Boss" with Kim Delaney. Shockley also starred with Janine Turner in the CBS telefilm, "Stolen Women", playing 'General George Custer'. Charleston's The Post & Courier wrote, "William Shockley threatens to steal this show with a convincing, condemning portrayal of that narcissistic scourge of the plains."

Aside from acting, Shockley does extensive 'voice over' work in television and radio advertising. He is currently or has been the voice on campaigns for Sony, Sprint, Bausch & Lomb, AT&T, Toyota, Siemens, Cisco Systems, Isuzu, Fruit of the Loom and XM Satellite Radio, to name a few.

In the world of "on air" radio, Shockley hosted 52 weeks of THE ROAD, a syndicated country music program airing in 200 cities. The program featured "live" country music concert tracks mixed with interviews with the artists. THE ROAD was nominated by Billboard Magazine as "Best Syndicated Radio Program".

Shockley is also a partner in "Cafe Josie", a restaurant in Austin, Texas featuring cuisine of the American tropics.  

For more information, go to: cafejosie.com.