Billy Wirth is an American actor, film producer, and artist, perhaps best known for his role as Dwayne in the 1987 film, The Lost Boys.

Billy Wirth
Billy Wirth in 1975
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
  • writer
Years active1985–present
Websitehttp://www.billywirth.com/

Life and career

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Wirth is the son of a lawyer father and an artist mother. His paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants. His mother, who was born in Iowa, had Native American,[1] English, Scottish and Irish ancestry.[citation needed]

He was a student at Collegiate School, where he was a classmate of musician John Hermann,[2] and attended Brown University,[citation needed] where he was discovered by photographer Karen Michele,[citation needed] while they were both in their teens. Karen Michele went on to have a career in photography and Billy used the first headshots Karen took to begin a modeling career in New York.[citation needed] He moved to California in the 1980s to pursue an acting career, which began with a role in the 1985 feature, Seven Minutes in Heaven. His performance as Dwayne in The Lost Boys followed, and he landed a starring role in the 1988 film War Party.

 
John Hermann (left), Wirth (bottom right) and a classmate in 1975

Wirth continued acting, working in both film and television, appearing for example in Abel Ferrara's 1993 film Body Snatchers as well as Sex and the City and CSI. He took part in the television series American Gladiators, competing during the series' first season in 1989 and advancing to the first-half semifinals before falling.[3]

He appeared in the official video of Electric Crown of the thrash metal band Testament in 1992.

He also starred in Charmed as Matthew Tate. Since 1999, he has been writing, directing, and producing independent films. His work on directing, writing, and producing his 2001 film MacArthur Park has earned him several award nominations.[citation needed] In addition to his work in the film industry, Wirth is a musician and artist.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film and TV credits

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 Seven Minutes in Heaven "Zoo" Knudsen Film
1985 The Equalizer Ralph Episode: "Mama's Boy"
1986 The Ellen Burstyn Show Johnny Episode: "Pilot"
1987 Nothing in Common Joey D. TV series
1987 The Lost Boys Dwayne Film
1988 War Party Sonny Crowkiller Film
1989 American Gladiators Contestant / Himself 3 episodes
1989 Wiseguy Eddie Tempest Episodes: "The Rip-Off Stick", "High Dollar Bop", "Hip Hop on the Gravy Train"
1990 Parker Kane Jesse TV movie
1991 Tales from the Crypt Ted Morgan Episode: "Split Second"
1992 Red Shoe Diaries Thomas K. Butler, The Workman TV movie
1992 Who Killed the Baby Jesus Travis Adams Film
1992 Crow's Nest Tommy Crosetti Film
1993 Body Snatchers Tim Young Film
1994 The Fence Terry Griff Film
1994 Judicial Consent Martin Film
1994 Final Mission Tom "Outlaw" Waters Direct-to-video
1995 Venus Rising Nick Film
1995 Boys on the Side Nick Film
1995 Children of the Dust Corby / White Wolf TV movie
1996 Starlight Kieran Film
1996 Space Marines Zack Delano Film
1997 Last Lives Malakai Film
1998 Relax... It's Just Sex Jared Bartoziak Film
1998 Martial Law Kevin Seidel Episode: "Extreme Measures"
1998 Charmed Matthew Tate Episode: "The Witch Is Back"
1999 Kismet Fantasy Guy Short film, also Director
1999 Me and Will Charlie Film
2000 Sex and the City Dr. Mark Raskin Episode: "Drama Queens"
2001 American Reunion Brad Film
2002 Looking for Jimmy Billy Film
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Aaron Westonson Episode: "Eleven Angry Jurors"
2004 The Talent Given Us Billy Film
2004 The Drone Virus Stephen Roland Film
2005 Summerland Garrett Episode: "The Wisdom to Know the Difference"
2006 Seven Mummies Travis Film
2006 Running Out of Time in Hollywood Billy Film
2009 Powder Blue David Film
2009 Duress The Detective Film
2011 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Billy Gray Episode: "To the Boy in the Blue Knit Cap"
2012 Being Flynn Travis Film
2014 Echoes Joe Film
2014 Chicago PD Charlie Pugliese Season 1 Episode 13, 14, & 15
2015 Cats Dancing on Jupiter Oleg Film
2015 Midlife Brian Film
2015 Alto Ceasar Bellafusco Film
2015 Scorpion Mark Willis Episode: "Area 51"
2018 Betrayed Mike Wolf Film
2018 Space Diner Tales Souldbird Episode: "Pilot"
2019 Hell to Pay Killian Short film
2019 Eternal Code Mark Pellegrini Film
2019 Godfather of Harlem Detective Kramer Episode: "The Nitty Gritty"

Awards

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Sundance Film Festival
Year Award Category/Recipient Result
2001 Grand Jury Prize Dramatic for: MacArthur Park Nominated
Taos Talking Picture Festival
Year Award Category/Recipient Result
2001 Taos Land Grant Award for: MacArthur Park Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "The Fight Over 'War Party'". L.A. Times. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  2. ^ The Dutchman (the Collegiate School yearbook), 1975 edition, page 33
  3. ^ Murray, Noel (June 25, 2015). "American Gladiators gave misfit athletes a second chance to be champions". The A.V. Club.
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