Known for his trademark sense of humor, his over-the-top acting style and his roles in numerous B-movies, Bruce Campbell was born on June 22, 1958 in Royal Oak, Michigan. He began acting as a teenager and was later involved in making short Super 8 movies with friends. He continued this as he entered Western Michigan University. After occasional roles in films, he became known for the cult horror film The Evil Dead, which premiered in 1981. A collaboration with good friend Sam Raimi—who he met in high school—Campbell appeared on screen and also worked behind it. Produced on a low budget, the film was rejected by most distributors because of its graphic violence, but after writer Stephen King endorsed it, the film was finally taken seriously.
Campbell was turned down for numerous high-profile roles—The Phantom, Darkman and Congo, among others—but he continued to star in several other films, either in a starring capacity or only as a cameo. He arguably received wider success on television, beginning with the lead role—a Harvard lawyer turned bounty hunter—in the modern Western series The Adventure of Brisco County Jr. This was followed by a role in the fourth season of the comedy Ellen, playing strict and straightforward bookstore manager Ed Billick. After playing the same recurring role in sister shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, he played the lead role in the short-lived syndicated comedy Jack of All Trades. He most recently starred in the drama series Burn Notice, as Navy SEAL-turned-moocher Sam Axe.
Campbell has also written several books, mostly inspired by his experiences as an actor. His autobiography, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor, hit bookshelves in 2002 and topped the bestseller list of The New York Times. He later wrote a comical novel, Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way, which parodied celebrity memoirs and told about his attempts to get roles in bigger, more prominent films.
Birmingham, Michigan, USA
Currently resides with his family in the Oregon wilderness
The L-shaped scar on his chin came from fighting with his brother, Don Campbell.
Son of Charlie Campbell.
He baby-sat Ted Raimi, the younger brother of Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi.
Often associated with Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert.
Thought by Sam Raimi and other directors to take "the best head shot in the business."
Was considered for the role of Agent Doggett on "The X Files" (1993).
Attended Western Michigan University for six months before leaving to continue his already budding acting career. [1976]
Now lives in a small town just outside of Medford, Oregon.
Screen-tested for the lead role in The Phantom (1996).
26 July 2003 - Received minor injuries in a car accident near Ashland, Oregon. He was hit by a man who was charged as DUI.
Considered to be the best "Reverse Actor" in Hollywood.
Announced the winner of the 2nd Annual SPACEY Awards on April 18th, 2004 for "Favorite Horror Movie" - 28 Days Later... (2002).
In Fargo (1996) and Intolerable Cruelty (2003), he is uncredited for playing soap actors.
Recorded a full length commentary for Bubba Ho-tep (2002) in character as Elvis.
He won the audition for the lead role in "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." (1993) by grabbing the back of his shirt collar and flipping himself. He then had to repeat the trick at every callback, totaling about 5 or 6 flips!.
Long time friend and frequent collaborator Sam Raimi originally wanted him to play the lead role in Darkman (1990) but the producers refused to cast him because they didn't think he could handle it. He appears at the end of the film as "Final Shemp".
Has been used several times by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (including twice as an uncredited soap opera actor).
Was the first choice to play Louis Creed in Pet Sematary (1989).
#22 on Tropopkin's Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100]
Favorite movie is The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
He appeared in every project of Sam Raimi's (including both TV shows) until the mid-'90s, when his scenes were cut from The Quick and the Dead (1995).
Auditioned for the role of "Bruce Wayne/Batman" in Batman Forever (1995).
Has expressed an interest in working with Kevin Smith.
He met his current wife (Ida Gearon) on the set of Mindwarp (1992).
Attended high school and remains close friends with director Sam Raimi and producer John Cameron.
1976 graduate of Birmingham Groves High School, Birmingham, Michigan.
Second cousin of actor, Bill Campbell.
Married his second wife in the same wedding chapel where Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis.
Once worked as a security guard at a beer brewery until a co-worker realized he was in The Evil Dead (1981).
Brisco County Jr was Bruce Campbell's favourite role.
1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) (post-production) (voice)
2. White on Rice (2009) (completed) (voice) .... Muramoto
3. "Burn Notice" .... Sam Axe (28 episodes, 2007-2009)
4. "The Replacements" .... Uncle Phil (4 episodes, 2006-2009)
5. Hellboy: The Science of Evil (2008) (VG) (voice) .... Lobster Johnson
6. Spider-Man 3 (2007) (VG) (voice) .... The Narrator
7. My Name Is Bruce (2007) .... Bruce Campbell
8. Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007) (voice) .... Chicken Bittle
9. "Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!" .... Captain Shuggazoom (1 episode, 2006)
10. The Ant Bully (2006) (voice) .... Fugax
11. Ant Bully (2006) (VG) (voice: English version) .... Fugax
12. Touch the Top of the World (2006) (TV) .... Ed Weihenmayer
13. The Woods (2006) .... Joe Fasulo
14. Evil Dead: Regeneration (2005) (VG) (voice) .... Ash
15. Sky High (2005) .... Coach Boomer
16. Man with the Screaming Brain (2005) .... William Cole
17. Alien Apocalypse (2005) (TV) .... Dr. Ivan Hood
18. "Megas XLR" .... Magnaminous / ... (2 episodes, 2004)
19. Spider-Man 2 (2004) .... Snooty Usher
20. The Ladykillers (2004) (uncredited) .... Humane Society Worker
21. "My Life as a Teenage Robot" .... Himcules (1 episode, 2003)
22. "Duck Dodgers" .... Pork Piggler (1 episode, 2003)
23. Intolerable Cruelty (2003) (uncredited) .... Soap opera actor on TV
24. Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (2003) (VG) (voice) .... Ash
25. Drugs (2003) (V) .... Bruce
26. Terminal Invasion (2002) (TV) .... Jack
27. Serving Sara (2002) .... Gordon Moore
28. Bubba Ho-tep (2002) .... Elvis
29. "Charmed" .... FBI Agent Jackman (1 episode, 2002)
30. Spider-Man (2002) .... Ring Announcer
31. The Majestic (2001) .... Roland the Intrepid Explorer
32. "The Legend of Tarzan" .... Max Liebling (1 episode, 2001)
33. Hubert's Brain (2001) (voice) .... Thompson
34. "Beggars and Choosers" .... Jack (1 episode, 2001)
35. "Jack of All Trades" .... Daring Dragoon / ... (22 episodes, 2000-2001)
36. Timequest (2000) .... William Roberts
37. Evil Dead: Hail to the King (2000) (VG) (voice) .... Ash / Evil Ash
38. Icebreaker (2000) .... Carl Greig
39. Tachyon: The Fringe (2000) (VG) (voice) .... Jake Logan
40. "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" .... Autolycus / ... (12 episodes, 1995-1999)
41. "Xena: Warrior Princess" .... Autolycus (8 episodes, 1996-1999)
42. From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) (V) .... Barry
43. "The X Files" .... Wayne Weinsider (1 episode, 1999)... aka "The X-Files" (USA)
44. La patinoire (1998) .... Actor
... aka The Ice Rink (USA)
45. "Timecop" .... Agent Tommy Maddox (1 episode, 1998)
46. Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure (1998) (TV) .... Pierce Thomas 'PT' Madison
47. The Love Bug (1997) (TV) .... Hank Cooper
48. "Ellen" .... Ed Billik (7 episodes, 1996-1997)
... aka "These Friends of Mine" (USA: first season title)
49. McHale's Navy (1997) .... Virgil
50. Running Time (1997) .... Carl
51. Menno's Mind (1997) .... Mick Dourif, Rebel Leader
52. In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory (1997) (TV) .... Jeff Erickson
53. "Weird Science" .... Gene the Genie (1 episode, 1997)
54. Pitfall 3-D: Beyond the Jungle (1997) (VG) (voice) .... Pitfall Harry
55. Missing Links (1997) (TV) .... Ray
56. Broken Helix (1997) (VG) (voice) .... Burton
57. Assault on Dome 4 (1996) (TV) .... Alex Windham ... aka Chase Moran
58. Escape from L.A. (1996) .... Surgeon General of Beverly Hills
59. Tornado! (1996) (TV) .... Jake Thorne
60. Fargo (1996) (uncredited) .... Soap Opera Actor
61. "Homicide: Life on the Street" .... Jake Rodzinsky (2 episodes, 1996)
62. "American Gothic" .... Lt. Drey (1 episode, 1995)
63. "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" .... Bill Church Jr. (3 episodes, 1995)
64. Congo (1995) .... Charles Travis
65. The Demolitionist (1995) (uncredited) .... Raffle Winner
66. The Quick and the Dead (1995) (scenes deleted) .... Wedding Shemp
67. "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." .... Brisco County Jr. (27 episodes, 1993-1994)
68. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) .... Smitty
... aka Hudsucker
69. Army of Darkness (1992) .... Ash
70. Mindwarp (1992) .... Stover
71. Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) .... John Loftmore
72. Eddie Presley (1992) .... Asylum Attendant
73. Lunatics: A Love Story (1991) .... Ray
74. Darkman (1990) .... Final Shemp
75. Maniac Cop 2 (1990) .... Jack Forrest
76. Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1990) .... Robert Van Helsing
77. The Dead Next Door (1989) (voice)
78. Moontrap (1989) .... Ray Tanner
79. "Generations" (1989) TV series .... Alan Stuart (unknown episodes)
80. Intruder (1989) .... Officer Howard
81. Maniac Cop (1988) .... Jack Forrest
82. "Knots Landing" .... Joel Benson (1 episode, 1987)
83. Evil Dead II (1987) .... Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
84. Stryker's War (1985) (uncredited) .... Video Newscaster
85. Crimewave (1985) .... Renaldo 'The Heel'
86. Going Back (1984) .... Brice Chapman
87. Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter (1982) .... Cleveland Smith
88. The Evil Dead (1981) .... Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
89. Torro. Torro. Torro! (1981)
90. Shemp Eats the Moon (1978) .... Shemp Malone
91. Within the Woods (1978) .... Bruce
92. It's Murder! (1977) .... Police Officer on Bicycle
93. Oedipus Rex (1972) .... Kreon
There is a large element of me in every role I do. Actors who say they can dive inside a character are either schizophrenic or lying.
[When asked what he would want with him if stuck on a deserted island] "A continent."
[about Assault on Dome 4 (1996) (TV) and Moontrap (1989)]: The movies that are the easiest to make are the hardest to watch.
[about his fans] Thanks for being very loyal . . . they're very well-informed and they're very loyal. Tell 'em I'll need them on that opening weekend.
[About the Evil Dead trilogy] For me, the first film was frankly about learning how to act. I can watch [The Evil Dead (1981)] from about halfway on without cringing . . . When Army of Darkness (1992) came around, we decided to make a different type of movie altogether and made an action-adventure picture with the same imbecile.
Don't aspire to be a B-movie director, you'll be there soon enough.
If you go to Hollywood, you've already sold out. By the sheer act of going there, you're saying, 'I need to go there because this is the only way I can get my movie made.' Baloney! Indiana's the place to make your movie. Pontiac, Michigan. Whatever. Then you're just making it on the merits of the movie. You don't have to have any discussions about what's hip now. Who can we get to do the soundtrack? You can actually put a score to your movie instead of a soundtrack. I get this thing all the time. Filmmakers go, 'Can I send you a script? You'll read it and attach yourself and we'll package it.' Why can't you get the money based on nothing, just the script? This whole packaging thing is out of control. Then you get absurd casting because it's all packaged by the same talent agency. The sensibility is so bizarre.
I can't vouch for the script because they never gave us full scripts for Spider-Man (2002). They would only give you the pages, and they all had serial numbers, and if it ever wound up on the Internet, they would sue you and murder you and take your children.
[On why he turned down the chance to reprise his role in a sequel to Bubba Hotep]: Don Coscarelli is a very passionate filmmaker. We got to a few points that we couldn't reconcile. I want to keep our friendship, so we parted ways. So I'm not part of that project.
It seemed that my lot in life was to either have big parts in small films or small parts in big films.
