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By Nicole Gawel
In 1956, a star was born in Long Island and later moved to Cheektowaga, graduating from Maryvale High School in 1974. He and the world just wouldn’t know of his fate until earning multiple degrees. A requirement in college led him down the right path to his destiny of acting.
Although he may have an illustrious career in the spotlight, actor William Fichtner who now lives in California still has his heart in Cheektowaga and Western New York. Fichtner was honored as the first recipient of the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival’s (BNFF) Walk of Fame-Trail of the Stars’ star Saturday, April 9 on Main Street in Buffalo between the Market Arcade Film and Arts Center and Shea’s.
“We chose Bill Fichtner as the first recipient because of his great career and connection to Western New York,” said Bill Cowell, founder and president of the BNFF.
Many from the neighborhood in which Fichtner grew up, his friends, family and even owners of the places he hung out and still visits when he comes back turned out for the ceremony. The ceremony included the color guard and singing of the National Anthem by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines, the unveiling of Fichtner’s star, hand and feet imprinting, autographs and pictures. A proclamation was given by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown citing that the day would be declared William Fichtner Day.
“This is the fifth year the BNFF has been around and it is ever growing and really establishing itself as a really amazing festival and is noteworthy for all filmmakers and this year is no exception,” said Fichtner.
Roughly a year ago, Cowell contacted Fichtner and asked if he’d be interested in being honored as the first star on the trail of stars.
“It’s a great honor because it is my hometown,” said Fichtner. “I still love to come home. I feel like my heart has always been in Western New York and always will be and to have this sort of recognition for the things that I have done is incredible. We have a lot of people in the entertainment industry from WNY that are amazing. I’m humbled and honored and really excited to be back home and get to be with my sisters and my dad and my friends and to be asked by the BNFF to be recognized this way.”
After graduating from Maryvale, Fichtner went on to SUNY Farmingdale where he earned an associates in criminal justice and then transferred to SUNY Brockport where he received a bachelors in criminal justice and political science. This is where the story starts.
In order to meet all of the requirements to graduate from Brockport, Fichtner needed to take a fine arts course. He didn’t want to be stuck in a lecture hall taking intro to theatre and pursued a different route instead taking an improvisational class.
“I took the improvisational class and loved it. I had a chance to do something that I never really did in high school,” said Fichtner from his home in California. “After that class, the teacher said that if I really enjoyed it that I should do more of it.”
After graduating, while working at Mulligan’s Beach Club in Sunset Bay, Fichtner contemplated life and what he was going to do after school. His college sweetheart gave him a gift of a paperback book entitled How To Be A Working Actor. Fichtner read it over and over again that summer. The book discussed what steps were to be taken to become a professional actor.
“Back in the 1970s when I graduated college it wasn’t like it is today, the age of information,” said Fichtner. “If someone said they were going to be an actor, you looked at them like they were from Mars. It wasn’t something that people did. You did other things in your life. That was for someone else. It’s different today. People have access to everything and anything is a possibility now.”
Fichtner read the book, moved to New York City, got a job waiting tables and enrolled in the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts.
“Like all things, you need special people in your life that support you and want you to do well,” said Fichtner. “When I told my mom that I’d like to move to New York City and become an actor there was never a hesitation from her, or question as to what was I thinking, or if I was crazy. My mother was absolutely supportive from the very first time I never mentioned it. She told me I could do anything and that’s what I did.”
Since that fateful journey, Fichtner has appeared in Entourage, Prison Break, was the bank manager in The Dark Knight, was Darren MacElroy in Blades of Glory, Captain Knauer in The Longest Yard, was Attorney Ken Rosenberg in Grand Theft Auto video games, Colonel Willie Sharp in Armageddon, Danny’s father in Pearl Harbor, was in Grace Under Fire, and As the World Turns to name a few. Recently, he was in the accountant in Drive Angry with Nicholas Cage.
“I am someone who tends to pick roles that mean a lot to me,” said Fichtner. “I don’t take just any job. I like to take things that I think are really challenging, interesting. Do I have a favorite role? I really don’t decide to do anything unless I really want to do it, so I have a lot of favorite roles. Usually when something comes along that I find really exciting and challenging I want to do it and there are many of them. One of the highlights was a film with Jeff Bridges, The Amateurs. Black Hawk Down, The Perfect Storm and Contact were all roles that were challenging and I was very excited to be a part of them. The Perfect Storm and Black Hawk Down were my favorites because they were based on true stories. There is a different sort of journey when you’re playing something based on a true story because they are real events with real people and in these particular films there is a tragic element to both stories. There is a real commitment by the actor to make sure you really honor the real people that were involved in this and that is always a special circumstance to be in as an actor.”
Even though Fichtner is living on the other side of the country, he lives everyday through his morals, values and the upbringing instilled in him while growing up in Cheektowaga. He is humble and down to earth and speaks fondly of the Western New York area and his friends and family. His roots are still firmly planted in the area.
One can tell that Fichtner truly is a hometown boy. He still roots heavily for the Sabres and is equally a fan of the Buffalo Bills. Fichtner noted that if Buffalo had any other team he’d be a big fan of them too. He is always rooting for the University at Buffalo Bulls, Niagara, Canisius and every other college and sports team from Western New York.
“I love my hometown teams,” said Fichtner.
Unfortunately the L.A. Kings and Anaheim Ducks don’t always play the Buffalo Sabres every year, but when they do come to California, Fichtner is there with his son. Fichtner told of a story that when the Sabres played the Kings last year, he took his son, who wore a Thomas Vanek jersey to the game. After the game, Vanek signed his son’s jersey and Drew Stafford gave him a stick in which most of the team signed. That stick has a real place of honor in Fichtner’s house.
With the Sabres in the playoffs, Fichtner is excited about the future of the team.
“I hope I can met Terry Pegula someday and say thank you because he has everyone believing and he has a real commitment to turn this team around,” said Fichtner. “Since Pegula took over there is a real difference in the team. We have real young talent on the Sabres. I’ll be a fan of Ryan Miller until the last day he plays and then some. Stafford has had an amazing season this year too. We’re just catching the tip of the iceberg. The heart of the Sabres really comes through. This is just the beginning. Teams go through rhythms and the Sabres are on an upswing and everyone can feel it and the league knows it now. I don’t know if they are going to win the Stanley Cup this year, but they are going to be a force to reckon with, this year and ever year coming up in the foreseeable future. I have a lot to look forward to when it comes to my Sabres.”
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