Billy Bryan
Biography
William "Billy" Bryan was born in Newport News, Virginia to an opera singing artist/engineer father who taught him to draw and sing, and a choir-directing, ball-of-fire preacher’s-daughter mother who taught him to pattern, to sew, and to smile. Inspired by Jim Henson and the Muppets, Billy started building and performing puppet shows while in High School. In 1976, after graduating from Syracuse University with a BFA in Metalsmithing, Billy hitchhiked and hopped freights across the country to pursue his show biz dreams in Los Angeles. Within two weeks of arriving in Hollywood, he was building a banana costume for Elton John’s tour, and he’s been working steadily ever since. Five years in the NBC Wardrobe Department prepared him for the hectic pace of the movie effects industry. In 1981, he left NBC and started working for a short time in Sid and Marty Krofft’s shop, where he met Mark Siegel, who recommended him to design and construct the stillsuits for Dune. Soon thereafter, he was hired to fabricate and portray the Staypuft Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters at Richard Edlund’s Boss Films. At Boss Films, Billy befriended Randy Cook and Steve Johnson, who each would eventually employ him at their respective FX studios, Cook’s Ruckus Inc. for 3 years and then Johnson’s XFX (later Edge FX) for over 15 years. In addition to his long tenure with Steve Johnson, Billy has shared his boundless imagination, problem-solving skills, and innovative fabrication talents with many of Hollywood’s leading character creators and FX shops, including Carlo Rambaldi, All Effects Company, Optic Nerve Studios, Proteus FX, MastersFX, KNB EFX, Alterian, Rick Baker’s Cinovation Studios, and nearly a year at Stan Winston Studio working on A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Jurassic Park 3. Billy’s memorable creative contributions to movies can be seen in Men in Black, Jackass Forever, The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Curse of Chucky, The Village, The Cat in the Hat, Bicentennial Man, Species 1 & 2, Army of Darkness, Pet Sematary II & Tenacious D In the Pick of Destiny, to name just a few.
Known For & Full Filmography10 Titles
Drama Series - 1974, 16 episodes • as Hywel
A one-hour anthology television series of one-off contemporary and classic dramas produced by the BBC.
Movie - 1984, 2h 15m • as Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (uncredited)
After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world.
Movie - 1992, 2h 15m • as Pit Deadite #2
Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
Drama Series - 1982, 16 episodes • as The Hen Puppeteer
A live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales.
Movie - 1999, 2h 15m • as Puppeteer
Richard Martin buys a gift, a new NDR-114 robot. The product is named Andrew by the youngest of the family's children. "Bicentennial Man" follows the life and times of Andrew, a robot purchased as a household appliance programmed to perform menial tasks. As Andrew begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martin family soon discovers they don't have an ordinary robot.
Movie - 2015, 2h 15m • as Self
An in-depth, feature length documentary on the surprisingly tumultuous creation of cult classic Army of Darkness.
Movie - 1976, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
In medieval Spain, an young, traveling philosopher tragically falls in love with his pupil, when he is hired by an uneducated Lord to tutor his beautiful wife.
Movie - 1983, 2h 15m • as The Hen Puppeteer
Imaginative and creative Jack seeks adventure while trying to provide for himself and his mother. Will he ever solve the mystery of how his father died?
Movie - 1976, 2h 15m • as Hywel
' Whatever you think of me doesn't change what you are. Rabble who've heard of socialism and think it's ten pints a night. Go on, vote me out ...'
Movie - 1979, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
This ghost story, set at the turn of the century, centers on the plight of elderly dowager Marianna, who is tormented by the alleged specter of a young man roaming the corridors of her mansion. After spotting a face in an old photograph that seems to match the old woman's description of the "visitor", Marianna's sister decides to check things out and see if any of this is for real.