Gil Birmingham is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Billy Black in The Twilight Saga film series. He is known in television for his role as Chief Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone and recurring roles as George Hunter in Banshee and Virgil White in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Early life and education
Birmingham was born in San Antonio, Texas, to a Comanche family. His family moved frequently during his childhood, due to his father's career in the military. He learned to play the guitar at an early age and considers music his "first love". After obtaining a Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California, he worked as a petrochemical engineer. He changed fields and became an actor.
Career
Music videos
In the early 1980s, a talent scout spotted Birmingham at a local gym, where he had been bodybuilding and entering bodybuilding contests. He was recruited for his first acting experience, in a music video for Diana Ross, for her 1982 hit song "Muscles".
Theme parks
After appearing in Ross' music video, Birmingham began to pursue acting as his primary career. He studied acting with Larry Moss and Charles Conrad. He portrayed the character of Conan the Barbarian in Universal Studios Hollywood's theme park attraction .
Television
In 1986, Birmingham made his television debut on an episode of the series Riptide. By 2002, he had a recurring role as the character Oz in the medical dramaBody & Soul, starring Peter Strauss. In 2005, he was cast as the older Dogstar in the Steven Spielberg six-part miniseries Into the West. He has appeared in a number of television series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, 10 Items or Less, Nip/Tuck, Castle, The Mentalist, House of Cards and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He has also had roles in several television films, such as Gentle Ben and Gentle Ben 2, Dreamkeeper, The Lone Ranger, and Love's Long Journey.
Films
In 2001, Birmingham appeared in his first feature film, The Doe Boy, in which he portrayed Manny Deadmarsh. In 2008, Birmingham was cast as the character Billy Black in The Twilight Saga film series. He performed in all five of the films. The Twilight series has led to roles in other major film roles, including that of Sheriff Johnny Cortez in Love Ranch, and Cal Bishnik in Shouting Secrets. In September 2011, Birmingham appeared in the film Crooked Arrows, cast in the role of Ben Logan. Birmingham voiced Wounded Bird in the animated film Rango and has provided voice work for the television series The Wild Thornberrys and the film Night at the Museum. He played the partnering Texas Ranger to Jeff Bridges' character in the 2016 bank robbery film Hell or High Water. In the Chickasaw Nation production of , Birmingham plays Thomas Benjamin 'T.B.' Thompson, Mary Frances 'Te Ata' Fisher's father. Birmingham attended the film's premiere in Moore, Oklahoma, on September 13, 2016. He was featured in The Space Between Us as Shaman Neka, which was released on February 3, 2017. He was featured as the father of a girl who dies on an Arapaho reservation in the 2017 filmWind River.
