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IMDbPro

Billy Burke(I)

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000276
Billy Burke
A young convict joins a firefighting program looking for redemption and a shortened prison sentence, he and other inmates work alongside elite firefighters to extinguish massive blazes across the region.
Play trailer2:36
Fire Country (2022– )
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Billy Burke was born and raised in Bellingham, Washington, USA. He began singing at age nine, and joined a band at age fifteen. He continued to work with bands and study/performing drama at Western Washington University. He performed in Seattle at the Annex Theater, New City Festival, and the A.H.A. Theater, though it was as a musician, not an actor, that Burke first moved to Los Angeles. A demo deal with a major record label that "didn't quite pan out", left him to explore the only other thing he "knew he was good at". With two independent films shot in his native Seattle under his belt, he began auditioning and very soon working as an actor.

He made his feature film debut in the independent film Daredreamer (1989). After a string of mostly "bad guy with facial hair" TV guest appearances, he landed his first studio picture role in the Zucker brothers' genre spoof Mafia! (1998). Capitalizing on his deadpan comedic sensibilities, he then won the title role in Dill Scallion (1999), the cult classic "mockumentary" about the rise and fall of a slightly touched country music singer. Co-starring in "Dill", was then fledgling writer/director Peter Berg. It was Berg who brought Billy back to television to play "Dr. Abe Matthews" in the acclaimed ABC drama Wonderland (2000). Although its life on the air was short-lived, Wonderland (2000) won the hearts of critics and fans, alike, and was recently re-released in its entirety on DirecTV.

Paramount's Along Came a Spider (2001) marked Billy's first revisit to studio films. He then returned yet again to television for the second season of Fox's mega hit series 24 (2001). His disturbing portrayal of abusive father and husband "Gary Matheson" still resonates as a fan favorite. In 2004, Billy teamed up with John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix in the firefighter drama Ladder 49 (2004). It was here that the studios once again began to recognize his on-screen magnetism. So, after another steady stream of notable television performances, he was cast alongside Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling in New Line's hit thriller Fracture (2007), directed by NYPD Blue (1993) creator Gregory Hoblit. This multi-layered turn as a flawed cop snared by his own aberrations caught the eye of Academy Award winning director Robert Benton. Benton swiftly invited Billy to join the cast of his and Lakeshore Entertainment's Feast of Love (2007), which included Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear. As fate would have it, neither Gregory Hoblit nor Lakeshore had seen enough of Burke's dry wit and unshakable persona, so when it came time to find a match for Diane Lane in Untraceable (2008), he got the call to play the rock solid "Detective Eric Box". Since arriving in Hollywood in the early 90s, Billy Burke has never stopped working. There are countless credits that come in between the aforementioned that of course, also serve as a testament to his gift and longevity. However, it was a chance viewing of Dill Scallion (1999) that struck an indelible head turn for director Catherine Hardwicke. The impression Billy's performance left, lasted until they met in 2007 while Hardwicke and Summit Entertainment were looking for someone to play "Charlie Swan" in their film adaptations of the bestselling book series The "Twilight" Saga. After a brief meeting and read-through of a few scenes, Billy and Catherine agreed... it was "meant to be". Summit followed suit and welcomed him into the franchise. Millions of fans around the world have concurred with the choice and the overwhelming response to his theatrical work has given him solace in the fact that he never got that record deal.
BornNovember 25, 1966
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 25, 1966
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000276
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos345

Billy Burke and Jordan Calloway in Fire Country (2022)
Billy Burke and Diane Farr in Fire Country (2022)
Billy Burke and Diane Farr in Fire Country (2022)
Billy Burke in Fire Country (2022)
Billy Burke and Kristen Connolly in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke and Josh Salatin in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke and Kristen Connolly in Zoo (2015)
Billy Burke in Zoo (2015)

Known for

Kristen Stewart, Michael Welch, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, and Jackson Rathbone in Twilight (2008)
Twilight
5.3
  • Charlie Swan
  • 2008
Nicolas Cage and Amber Heard in Drive Angry (2011)
Drive Angry
5.4
  • Jonah King
  • 2011
Amanda Seyfried, Max Irons, and Shiloh Fernandez in Red Riding Hood (2011)
Red Riding Hood
5.4
  • Cesaire
  • 2011
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
4.9
  • Charlie Swan
  • 2011

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Billy Burke, Diane Farr, Jules Latimer, Kevin Alejandro, Max Thieriot, Jordan Calloway, and Stephanie Arcila in Fire Country (2022)
    Fire Country
  • Rob Lowe, Gina Torres, Jim Parrack, Sierra Aylina McClain, Julian Works, Ronen Rubinstein, Brian Michael Smith, Natacha Karam, and Rafael L. Silva in 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020)
    9-1-1: Lone Star
  • Rylea Nevaeh Whittet and Margaret Qualley in Maid (2021)
    Maid
  • Jensen Ackles, Robin Atkin Downes, Josh Duhamel, and Katee Sackhoff in Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (2021)
    Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two
    • (voice)
  • Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021)
    Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One
    • (voice)
  • Billy Burke in Primitive (2020)
    Primitive
  • Liam Hemsworth in Most Dangerous Game (2020)
    Most Dangerous Game
  • Missy Peregrym and Zeeko Zaki in FBI (2018)
    FBI
  • Gabrielle Union in Breaking In (2018)
    Breaking In
  • Mary McDonnell, G.W. Bailey, Michael Paul Chan, Raymond Cruz, Tony Denison, Robert Gossett, Jon Tenney, Phillip P. Keene, and Kearran Giovanni in Major Crimes (2012)
    Major Crimes
  • Billy Burke, Kristen Connolly, Alyssa Diaz, Nonso Anozie, and James Wolk in Zoo (2015)
    Zoo
  • Good After Bad (2017)
    Good After Bad
  • Jason Beghe, Marina Squerciati, and Tracy Spiridakos in Chicago P.D. (2014)
    Chicago P.D.
  • Lights Out (2016)
    Lights Out
  • Alicia Silverstone, Billy Burke, and AJ Michalka in Angels in Stardust (2016)
    Angels in Stardust

Producer

  • Billy Burke in Primitive (2020)
    Primitive
  • Divine Access (2015)
    Divine Access
  • Something More

Writer

  • Erik Palladino, Gina Philips, Jeremy Sisto, Ever Carradine, Bianca Lawson, and Oz Perkins in Dead & Breakfast (2004)
    Dead & Breakfast
  • Something More

Videos155

"Mercy"
Clip 0:57
"Mercy"
"Fight Coming"
Clip 0:32
"Fight Coming"
"Hydrogen Truck"
Clip 1:02
"Hydrogen Truck"
"Save Her" from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Clip 0:32
"Save Her" from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Clip 0:46
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
"Wolfpack Fight Scene" from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Clip 0:47
"Wolfpack Fight Scene" from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Twilight: Clip - Ballet Studio
Clip 0:57
Twilight: Clip - Ballet Studio
Twilight: Clip - What If IÂ’m the Bad Guy
Clip 0:58
Twilight: Clip - What If IÂ’m the Bad Guy
Untraceable
Clip 1:05
Untraceable
Untraceable
Clip 1:11
Untraceable
Untraceable
Clip 1:05
Untraceable
Drive Angry
Interview 0:22
Drive Angry

Personal details

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    • Official Site
    • YouTube Channel
    • November 25, 1966
    • Everett, Washington, USA
    • Pollyanna RoseJune 15, 2008 - 2017 (divorced, 1 child)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His daughter's name is Bluesy LaRue Burke.
  • Quotes
    [2012, on] Komodo (1999) There are things you do for art and there are things you do for commerce. I am not embarrassed about saying that I had an amazing time in Australia making that movie. Was it a piece of genius? No. But I remember having such a great time making it. It was me and Jill Hennessy and Kevin Zegers, and we had a ball, actually. We shot it on the Gold Coast of Australia, and every weekend we'd go down to either Sydney or Melbourne and have a blast. I don't really remember what the movie was about, but, uh, there were some lizards in it, right?

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