Timothy Bottoms

Actor

About

Also Known As

Timothy James Bottoms

Birth Place

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Born

August 30, 1951

Biography

Filmography

Bound By a Secret (2009)

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong (2009)

The Land That Time Forgot (2009)

Lone Rider (2008)

Shanghai Kiss (2007)

The Governor's Wife (2007)

Photos & Videos

View All

Seance On A Wet Afternoon (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Last Minute Doubts

Last Picture Show, The (1971) -- (Movie Clip) She Was Just A Girl

Family & Companions

Alicia Bottoms

Wife

Folksinger. Married in 1975; divorced in 1978.

Marcia Morehart

Wife

Artist. Had on-again, off-again relationship for several years before marrying in 1984.

Biography

This sensitive actor made a big splash in 1971 in Dalton Trumbo's "Johnny Got His Gun" and Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show," but his initial career fanfare sputtered and he subsequently starred in TV productions and feature films of dubious artistry. Timothy Bottoms first performed on stage in his home town of Santa Barbara, CA, and toured Europe in 1967 as a member of the Santa Barbara Madrigal Society. He especially scored as Sonny, the football star who beds the coach's neglected wife (Cloris Leachman) in "The Last Picture Show." In 1973, Bottoms offered a good turn as a law student who locks horns with his authoritarian professor (John Houseman) in "The Paper Chase." He went on to appear as Mia Farrow's emotionally and sexually constricted husband in the remake of "Hurricane" (1979). More recently, after some hesitation, he reprised his role as the middle-aged, somewhat emotionally distraught Sonny in Bogdanovich's lackluster sequel "Texasville" (1990).

His TV work began in earnest in 1976 when Bottoms played King David, the Israelite warrior-psalmist in the miniseries "David" (ABC). That same year, he was a white-collar Wall Street type who goes to prison and becomes the "companion" of a lifer in order to survive in "The Moneychangers," an ABC miniseries. Bottoms portrayed a dying track star who spends his last days coaching a girls' track team in "A Shining Season" (CBS, 1979), and had the role of Adam Trask in the 1980 ABC miniseries of "East of Eden." In 1987, he made "Island Sons," an ABC movie-pilot that co-starred his actor brothers Joseph Bottoms, Sam Bottoms, and Benjamin Bottoms. He turned filmmaker in the 90s, making the documentary "Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas," which aired on Showtime in 1991. By then, Bottoms was starring on the ABC Saturday morning series "Land of the Lost" (1991-93), playing a single father stuck in a prehistoric world. He has since played a private investigator in futuristic L.A. in the 1996 Showtime "Roger Corman Presents" movie "Death Game."

Filmography

Life Events

1967

Toured Europe as a member of Santa Barbara Madrigal Society

1971

Came to prominence as Sonny in Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show"

1971

Film acting debut, "Johnny Got His Gun"

1976

TV debut in Arthur Hailey's "The Moneychangers"

1980

Starred in the ABC miniseries "East of Eden"

1981

Appeared on stage with brother Joseph in Lanford Wilson's "Fifth of July"

1987

Co-starred with brothers Joseph, Sam and Benjamin in the busted ABC pilot "Island Sons"; aired as TV-movie

1989

Starred as Seaman Miller in "Return to the River Kwai"

1990

Reprised role as Sonny in "Texasville", the sequel to "The Last Picture Show" also directed by Bogdanovih

1991

Produced first documentary feature, "Picture This: The Life and Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas", about the making of "Texasville"

1991

Starred in the Saturday morning show "Land of the Lost" (ABC)

2000

Co-starred with Kim Hunter in the independent feature "The Hiding Place"

2001

Portrayed George W. Bush in the Comedy Central sitcom "That's My Bush!", created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone

2004

Cast in the comedy "The Girl Next Door"

Photo Collections

The Paper Chase - Movie Poster

The Last Picture Show - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from The Last Picture Show (1971). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.