Bruce McGill

Born: July 11th 1950
Where: San Antonio, Texas

McGill first attracted attention as motorcycle fratboy D-Day in John Landis' National Lampoon's Animal House.

Other career highlights include anti-tobacco dictrict attorney Ronald Mottley in Michael Mann's The Insider and golf legend Walter Hagen in The Legend of Bagger Vance.

Probably best known for his portrayals of masculine authority figures ranging from military personnel to lawmen to politicians, McGill honed his craft in theatre.

National Lampoon put him on the map and he went on to play the role of football player Billy Clyde Puckett (originated by Burt Reynolds) in Semi-Tough in 1980.

Minor roles followed in Silkwood and he had a rare lead as American expatriate author Ernest Hemingway in Waiting for the Moon.

He offered memorable turns as the officious sheriff in 1992's My Cousin Vinny and a nasty treasury agent in Cliffhanger alongside Sylvester Stallone.

The prolific performer delivered a chilling portrait of a Southern racist who teaches his son to hate in John Singleton's overlooked Rosewood.

McGill offered a small but memorable turn as a district attorney questioning whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) in The Insider and portrayed the hedonistic golf pro in "The Legend of Bagger Vance.

He continued to rack up an impressive resume, essaying character turns in a diverse array of films including the crime thriller Exit Wounds, Billy Crystal's baseball drama 61* and the Farrelly brothers' manic Shallow Hal.

Other appearances included Michael Mann's disappointing biopic Ali and the Tom Clancy thriller The Sum of All Fears.

Hee got to sink his comedic teeth into a broad but endearing role as a Southern senator with a gay dog opposite Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde 2.

In 2003, he delivered standout character turns in Matchstick Men and Runaway Jury.

Recent work includes the Tom Cruise thriller Collateral and the Ron Howard biopic Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe.