Take the BuddyTV Personality Quiz: Which Prison Break Character Are You? William Edward Fichtner began his acting career as Josh Snyder in As the World Turns in 1987. Born in Cheektowaga, New York on November 27, 1956, he graduated from Maryvale High School and developed an interest in acting. He is best known as a character actor, taking on more supporting roles. Fichtner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice from Farmingdale State University. After graduating, he decided to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
William Fichtner has had a wide range of film credits. In 1997, he starred in Contact, following it up with the films Switchback and Armageddon. He was also seen in Equilibrium, Go, Heat, and played alongside a notable cast in Black Hawk Down. He also accepted minor roles in The Perfect Storm and Pearl Harbor during the early 2000s. Credited as Bill Fichtner, he lent his voice to the character Ken Rosenberg in the popular video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In 2004, he was seen in an episode of The West Wing where he portrayed a judge. He was also cast in The Chumscrubber, Nine Lives and The Longest Yard, while landing a part in the 2005-2006 science fiction drama series Invasion. He played Sheriff Tom Underlay until the show’s cancellation. He was next seen in the second season of the Fox series Prison Break, playing the character Alexander Mahone, veteran of the FBI. Fichtner soon earned several film roles, being cast in Ultraviolet as Garth, First Snow as Ed Jacomoi, and Blades of Glory as Darren MacElroy. He was also applauded for his supporting performance alongside Heath Ledger and Christian Bale in the 2008 blockbuster hit The Dark Knight. Fichtner is also known for his voicework, and has lent his voice to characters in American Dad! and the 2008 video game Turok.