Nicknamed "Billy", he was born William E. Wirth on June 23, 1962 in New York City, in the United States.

Wirth moved to Los Angeles, California in the mid 1980s to pursue an acting career, which began with a role in the 1985 feature film, 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.

He took part in the global-hit television game show American Gladiators, competing during the series' first season in 1989 and advancing to the first-half semi-finals before failing to win the title.

[3] He also appeared in the official Electric Crown music video by the American heavy metal band, Testament in 1992.