Bill Bailey (born September 2, 1938) is an American actor and author, primarily providing supporting roles in film and television throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

A number of Internet databases have misattributed his work to the British comedian Bill Bailey.

[citation needed] Bailey was born in a small rural town in North Carolina and attended Sanford Central High School.

[2] He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1960 with a degree in philosophy, spent some time in the US Army, and then as prison guard in Canada.

He married a Texan heiress, and moved to Houston, Texas where he managed a ranch and took part in motorbike scrambling and sports car rallying.