W. Earl Brown

William Earl Brown (born September 7, 1963) is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, musician, and songwriter. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Kenny, the cameraman in the film Scream, Warren in the film There's Something About Mary (1998), Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006), and the voice and motion capture of Bill in the video game The Last of Us (2013). He has appeared in films such as Backdraft, The Master, Being John Malkovich, The Sessions, Vanilla Sky, The Lone Ranger, and Bloodworth (which he also wrote and produced), as well as series such as Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, The X-Files, Six Feet Under, Preacher, Bates Motel, True Detective, American Horror Story, Chicago Fire, Psych, and The Mandalorian.

Early life Brown was born in Golden Pond, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor's degree from Murray State University before moving to Chicago, where he received an MFA from DePaul University Theatre School in 1989.

Career After his breakout performance in Steppenwolf Theatre Company's outreach staging of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, Brown began working in television and film. He appeared in films such as Backdraft, The Babe, Excessive Force, and Rookie of the Year. In 1993, he moved to Los Angeles and was cast in Wes Craven's New Nightmare. He also had a minor role in Craven's Vampire in Brooklyn, and a bigger one as a news cameraman working for Gale Weathers in Craven's Scream. He played Warren in the 1998 comedy film There's Something About Mary and later took roles in Being John Malkovich, Vanilla Sky, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, The Alamo, and The Big White.

In 2009, Brown wrote, produced, and appeared in the film Bloodworth. His 2010s film credits include The Master, The Sessions, The Lone Ranger, Brother's Keeper, and Wild. On television, he is best known for his portrayal of Dan Dority on the HBO series Deadwood (2004–2006). He has also guest starred on Bates Motel, Rectify, Luck, American Horror Story, Justified, Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue, X-Files, The Mentalist, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ellen, Seinfeld, True Detective, and others. He also portrayed singer Meat Loaf in VH1's television film Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back. In 2013, he performed the voice and motion capture of Bill in the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us.

Brown also writes and performs with the country music band Sacred Cowboys.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 Backdraft Paramedic 1992 The Babe Herb Pennock 1993 Rookie of the Year Billy Frick (Bullpen Catcher) 1993 Excessive Force Vinnie DiMarco 1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Morgue Attendant 1995 Without Evidence Grace 1995 Vampire in Brooklyn 'Thrasher' 1996 Scream Kenny 1997 Kiss the Girls Locksmith 1998 Deep Impact McCloud 1998 There's Something About Mary Warren Jensen 1999 Being John Malkovich J.M. Inc. Customer 2000 Dancing at the Blue Iguana Bobby 2000 Lost Souls William Kelson 2001 Vanilla Sky Barman 2001 Sugar & Spice Hank 'The Terminator' Rogers 2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Bucky From Kentucky 2003 Dunsmore Ronny Roy Pritcher 2004 Killer Diller Holister 2004 The Last Shot Willie Gratzo 2004 The Alamo David Burnet 2005 The Big White Jimbo 2005 Kids in America Boss McGinn 2010 Bloodworth Brady Bloodworth Also writer and producer 2010 The Last Rites of Ransom Pride Matthew2011Still Screaming: The Ultimate Scary Movie RetrospectiveHimselfDocumentary film 2012 The Sessions Rod 2012 The Master Fighting Businessman 2013 A Single Shot Puffy 2013 AIC 23 Alan Poole McLard Short film, also co-writer 2013 The Lone Ranger Mustached Ranger 2013 Beneath the Harvest Sky Roger 2013 Knights of Badassdom Randy 2013 Brother's Keeper Turner Monroe 2014 Wild Frank 2014 Draft Day Ralph Mowry 2015 Chasing Ghosts Roger Simons 2015 Black Mass Johnny Martorano 2016 Porcupine Owen Talbott 2016 Spaceman Dick Dennis 2018 Dad Band Jim Jimbo Short film, also writer 2019 The Highwaymen Ivy Methvin 2021 No Man of God Warden Wilkenson 2021 The Unforgivable Mac Whelan 2023 The Dead Don't Hurt Alan Kendall 2024 Shirley George Wallace Television Year Title Role Notes 1992 Angel Street Patrolman Unknown episode 1993 The Untouchables Jack Zuta 2 episodes 1993 The Woman Who Loved Elvis Pete Television film 1993 Bakersfield P.D. Hood Episode: "The Ex-Partner" 1994 Seinfeld Al Episode: "The Stand In" 1994 Murder, She Wrote Guard Episode: "Murder of the Month Club" 1994 Lily in Winter Sheriff Boyd Television film 1995 Ellen Customer #3 Episode: "Gladiators" 1995 The Single Guy The Cabbie Episode: "Neighbors" 1995 Nowhere Man Roy Episode: "It's Not Such a Wonderful Life" 1996 Project ALF Ernie Television film 1996 A Season in Purgatory Fatty Malloy Television film 1996 Caroline in the City Floyd Gerber Episode: "Caroline and the Therapist" 1996 The Cherokee Kid Calloway Television film 1997 Diagnosis: Murder Dusty Wilton Episode: "Murder, Country Style" 1997 Smart Guy Sonny Episode: "The Dating Game" 1997 Bella Mafia Fredrico Luciano Television film 1998 Profiler Raymond Boudreaux Episode: "The Sum of Her Parts" 1999 Martial Law Larry Gambozza Episode: "Big Trouble" 2000 Chicago Hope Harry Cram Episode: "Cold Hearts" 2000 NYPD Blue Bruce Rhodes Episode: "Welcome to New York" 2000 Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back Meat Loaf Television film 2000 Angel Menlo Episode: "The Shroud of Rahmon" 2001 CSI Roger Peet Episode: "Justice Is Served" 2001 Charmed Shadow / Warlock Episode: "Pre-Witched" 2001 Dead Last Victor Korsky Episode: "The Problem with Corruption" 2001 WANTED COMIX Drew Lujan Episode: "Frank and Beans" 2001 Wolf Lake Bruce Cates Episode: "Excitable Boy" 2002 Philly Billy Temple Episode: "Brotherly Love" 2002 The X-Files Robert M. Fassl Episode: "Underneath" 2002 Six Feet Under Pete Episode: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" 2002 Push, Nevada Shadrach 5 episodes 2003 NYPD Blue Terry Parkhurst Episode: "22 Skidoo" 2004 Cold Case Victor Lake Episode: "Maternal Instincts" 2005 CSI: Miami Jesse Kramer Episode: "Whacked" 2004–06 Deadwood Dan Dority 36 episodes; also wrote one episode 2006 Standoff Doug Frohmer Episode: "Man of Steele" 2007 Numbers Abner Stone Episode: "Nine Wives" 2007 Psych Dwayne Tancana Episode: "Bounty Hunters!" 2007 The Minister of Divine 'Buzz' Unsold pilot 2008 The Mentalist Rulon Farnes Episode: "Redwood" 2009 Hawthorne Mr. Deegan Episode: "Trust Me" 2009 CSI 'Slick' Episode: "Appendicitement" 2010 Justified Cal Wallace Episode: "Blowback " 2010 Miami Medical Jesse Episode: "Medicine Man" 2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Phil Critter Episode: "Smoldering Children" 2011 Burn Notice Zechariah Episode: "Besieged" 2011 Breakout Kings Cliff Krauss Episode: "Paid in Full" 2011 Scream: The Inside Story Himself Documentary film 2012 Luck Mulligan 2 episodes 2012 Blue Eyed Butcher Thomas Dean Television film 2012 Perception Frank Prentice Episode: "Faces" 2012 Major Crimes Jim Martino Episode: "Before and After" 2013 The Sixth Gun General Oliander Hume Unsold pilot 2013 Bates Motel Keith Summers Episode: "First You Dream, Then You Die" 2013 Rectify The Stranger Episode: "Drip, Drip" 2013 Rogue Charlie 5 episodes 2013 Longmire R.J. Watts Episode: "The Road to Hell" 2014 Ground Floor 'Digger' Tomkins Episode: "Dynamic Duo" 2014 Grey's Anatomy Herb Cramer Episode: "Throwing It All Away" 2014 Chicago Fire Dave Bloom 3 episodes 2015 American Crime Tom Carlin 10 episodes 2015 True Detective Detective Teague Dixon 5 episodes 2015 Documentary Now! Mitch Dragando Episode: "Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee, Part 1" 2015 Wicked City Captain Dan Wilkinson 4 episodes 2016 Archer Head Biker (voice) Episode: "The Handoff" 2016–17 Preacher Hugo Root 11 episodes 2017 Training Day Chief Wade Episode: "Wages of Sin" 2017 I'm Dying Up Here Teddy 7 episodes 2017–18 Superstition The Dredge 3 episodes 2019 Deadwood: The Movie Dan Dority Television film 2019 Reprisal Witt 7 episodes 2020 Hoops (voice) Episode: "The Scout" 2020 The MandalorianTaanti Episode: "Chapter 9: The Marshal" 2022 The Book of Boba Fett 2 episodes 2022 Hacks Michael 7 episodes 2022 Five Days at Memorial Ewing Cook 7 episodes 2023 Paul T. Goldman Royce Rocco 4 episodes 2023 Hello Tomorrow! Big Fred 6 episodes 2023 The Ghost and Molly McGee Lord Doom (voice) 2 episodes 2024 Yellowstone Deputy Spears Episode: "Desire Is All You Need" 2025–2026 Fire Country Wes Fox Guest Role (2 episodes) 2025–present Sheriff Country Wes Fox Main Role 2026 The Boys Greg Dupree Episode: One-Shots Video games Year Title Role Notes 2013 The Last of Us Bill Voice and motion capture 2025 The Last of Us Part II Remastered No Return mode