{{Short description|American actor and filmmaker (1927–1989)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = William Kerwin | birth_name = | image = Cropped_Photo_of_William_Kerwin.jpg | caption = | other_names = {{ubl|Thomas Sweetwood|Thomas Wood|Rooney Kerwin}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1927|4|17}} | birth_place = San Diego, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1989|10|27|1927|4|17}} | death_place = Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Hanna Hertelendy|1953|1958|end=divorce}} * {{marriage|Connie Mason|1964}} }} | children = 3 }} '''William Kerwin''' (April 17, 1927 – October 27, 1989) was an American actor and filmmaker. He was most well known for his character roles in the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
== Career == Kerwin enjoyed some success on the stage and screen before being discovered by Herschell Gordon Lewis through the promotional short ''Carving Magic''. His first feature film with Lewis was ''Living Venus'', and he went on to star in some of the director’s best known works such as ''Blood Feast''. In addition to playing principal roles, Kerwin served variously as the assistant director, makeup technician, gaffer, key grip and prop man for Lewis’ films.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eyman |first1=Scott |title=Killer B's |work=Fort Lauderdale News |date=16 September 1984}}</ref> Kerwin was thus often involved in creating the gory practical effects that would become Lewis’ trademark.
Whether working with Lewis or other directors, Kerwin was closely associated with exploitation films. In particular, he was known for work in nudist films and splatter films.
Throughout his career, Kerwin often performed under pseudonyms such as Thomas Wood in order to appear in non-union productions. He was registered with the Screen Actors Guild under his real name of Willam Kerwin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Edwards |first1=Matthew |title=Film Out of Bounds: Essays and Interviews on Non-Mainstream Cinema Worldwide |date=2018 |publisher=McFarland |page=47 }}</ref>
== Personal life == Kerwin’s first marriage was to actress Hanna Hertelendy from 1953 to 1958. Kerwin had one daughter from his marriage to Hertelendy, costume designer Barbara Kerwin.
In 1964, Kerwin married Connie Mason, who he met while filming ''Blood Feast''. The couple had two daughters, Denise and Kim, and remained married until Kerwin's death in 1989.
Kerwin was the brother of director Harry Kerwin and appeared in several of his films throughout the 1970s including ''God's Bloody Acre'', ''Barracuda'' and ''Tomcats''.
All three of Kerwin’s daughters pursued film careers for at least a decade.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0450114/ | title=Barbara Kerwin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm2468226/ | title=Denise Kerwin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0450128/?ref_=m_ttfcd_cl27 |title = Kim Kerwin}}</ref> Half-sisters Barbara and Kim Kerwin had bit roles in Herschell Gordon Lewis’ ''The Gruesome Twosome''<ref>[https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0061733/?ref_=m_nm_knf_i1 The Gruesome Twosome (1967) - IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> as children; William Kerwin himself did not appear in this movie. Both girls also collaborated with their uncle Harry Kerwin; Barbara had a small role in ''Sweet Bird of Aquarius'' while Kim acted in ''Cheering Section''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0075832/?ref_=m_nm_knf_t3 |title = Cheering Section (1977)}}</ref> Denise, William Kerwin’s youngest daughter, is the only of the three to never work with Lewis or Harry Kerwin during her acting career.
A heavy drinker and smoker both on and off-camera throughout his life, Kerwin died from a heart attack on October 27, 1989 at his home in Hollywood, Florida at age 62.
== Filmography == === Film === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes !! References |- | 1959 || ''Carving Magic'' || Joe || Short promotional film sponsored by Swift & Company. || <ref name="imdb">{{cite web | url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0450138/bio?ref_=m_nm_ftrgte_cont_1 | title=William Kerwin}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.criterionchannel.com/carving-magic | title=Carving Magic}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" | 1961 || ''Living Venus'' || Jack || While his character is credited as Jack, he is referred to throughout the movie as John V. Norwall || <ref name="afi">{{cite web |last1=n.a. |title=AFI Catalog of Feature Films - Living Venus |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/19455-LIVING-VENUS?cxt=filmography |website=AFI |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref> |- | ''The Long Rope'' || Steve Matthews || ||<ref>{{cite web|author=Tim Peelman |url=https://rarefilmm.com/2019/07/the-long-rope-1961/ |title=The Long Rope (1961) – rarefilmm | The Cave of Forgotten Films |publisher=Rarefilmm.com |date=2021-02-06 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" | 1963 || ''Blood Feast'' || Detective Pete Thornton || Credited as Thomas Wood ||<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/blood-feast-digging-into-the-guts-of-the-very-first-splatter-film |title=Happy birthday, "Blood Feast": digging into the guts of the very first "splatter" film | Features |publisher=Roger Ebert |date=July 3, 2013 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | ''Goldilocks and the Three Bares'' || Tommy Sweetwood || Credited as Tommy Sweetwood ||<ref>{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Goldilocks_and_The_Three_Bares |title=Goldilocks and The Three Bares - The Grindhouse Cinema Database |publisher=Grindhousedatabase.com |date= |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1964 || ''Two Thousand Maniacs!'' || Tom White || rowspan ="2" | Credited as Thomas Wood ||<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.arrowvideo.com/product/two-thousand-maniacs/889| title = Arrow Video US - Cult, Classic & Horror Movies}} </ref> |- | rowspan="2"|1967 || ''A Taste of Blood'' || Dr. Hank Tyson || <ref>{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.moviefone.com/movie/a-taste-of-blood/1076559/main/ |title=A Taste of Blood (1967) - Movie |publisher=Moviefone |date=1967-08-09 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- |''Playgirl Killer'' ||Bill||Also known as ''Decoy for Terror'' |- | 1968 || ''Suburban Roulette'' || Marty Conley || |- | 1969 || ''Childish Things'' || Mr. Sullivan || ||<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|author=pankaj |url=https://rarefilmm.com/2019/04/childish-things-1969/ |title=Childish Things (1969) – rarefilmm | The Cave of Forgotten Films |publisher=Rarefilmm.com |date=2019-12-25 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1971 ||''Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things'' || Lead Detective || Credited as Thomas Wood ||<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.mondo-digital.com/auntmartha.html| title = Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things}} </ref> |- | 1973 || ''House of Terror'' || Russell Donovan || Uncredited |- | 1974 || ''Impulse'' || Soldier || ||<ref>{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Impulse |title=Impulse - The Grindhouse Cinema Database |publisher=Grindhousedatabase.com |date= |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1976 || ''No Way Back'' || Goon #4 || ||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/No_Way_Back |title=No Way Back - The Grindhouse Cinema Database |publisher=Grindhousedatabase.com |date=2018-05-23 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1977 || ''Tomcats'' || Detective Tom Garrett || Credited as Thomas Dowling ||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/40289/TOMCATS-1977/ |title=TOMCATS (1977) - SCREEN ARCHIVES ENTERTAINMENT |publisher=Screenarchives.com |date= |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1978 || ''Barracuda'' || Sheriff Ben Williams || ||<ref>{{cite web|last=Gardner |first=Caine |url=https://www.thefilmyap.com/movies/barracuda-1978/ |title=Barracuda (1978) |publisher=The Film Yap |date=2014-08-10 |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1981 || ''Absence of Malice'' || Walker || rowspan="2" | Credited as Rooney Kerwin ||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/absence-of-malice/cast/100633/ |title=Absence of Malice - Full Cast & Crew |publisher=TV Guide |date= |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |- | 1985 || ''The Heavenly Kid'' || Suburbaner ||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-heavenly-kid/cast/125752/ |title=The Heavenly Kid - Full Cast & Crew |publisher=TV Guide |date= |accessdate=2021-11-27}}</ref> |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes !! References |- | 1958 || ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' || Tom || 5 episodes ||<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chance |first1=Norman |title=Who was Who on TV, Volume 3 |date=2011 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation}}</ref> |- | 1982 || ''Romance Theatre'' || Jacob || 5 episodes || |- |1985 |''Miami Vice'' |Paul |1 episode | |}
== References == {{reflist}} {{authority control}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0450138}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerwin, William}} Category:1927 births Category:1989 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male stage actors