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William B. Davis

William B. Davis

Highest Rated: 66% The X-Files (1998)

Lowest Rated: 11% The Messengers (2007)

Birthday: Jan 13, 1938

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Through the run of one of the biggest cult hits in television history, William B. Davis put a new face on villainy, an institutional, eerily real incarnation of evil identified ominously by wafting smoke and the glow of a cigarette. A native Ontarian, Davis trained as an actor in esteemed company in the U.K. during the 1960s before returning to Canada to work as a theatrical director and drama teacher, eventually relocating to Hollywood North, Vancouver, BC. The 1980s saw him garnering small parts in inauspicious Canadian-shot television and movie projects, but he would establish a regular imprint in 1993 with a new science fiction series, "The X-Files" (Fox, 1993-2002). Davis played the shadowy, stoic intelligence operative predominantly known only by his credited billing, Cigarette Smoking Man. The show became a cultural phenomenon, with CSM ending up one of the most speculated-over villains in the buzz-happy realm of sci-fi fandom. It also made him a frequent guest star on a flurry of sci-fi and horror TV shows and movies through the 1990s and early 2000s. He would remain one of Canada's best-renowned thespian talents, both under the lights and behind them, yet be irrevocably identified as one of the creepiest personas in TV history, a gray-suited archetype of cold-blooded Machiavellianism.

Highest rated movies

66% 72% The X-Files
55% 72% It's a Wonderful Knife
40% 38% The Tall Man
19% 35% Passengers
11% 44% The Messengers

Filmography

Movies

Credit
55% 72% It's a Wonderful Knife Roger Evans (Character) $811.3K 2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet Crystal's Shadow Mr. M (Character) - 2019
No Score Yet 72% Residue Lamont (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Abduct Zane (Character) - 2016
No Score Yet 62% Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Impossible Dream Harper (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet 71% Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Truth Be Told Harper (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Focus Mr. Grant (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet 16% Stonados Ben (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Singularity Principle Lawrence Cason (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Mountain Runners Henry Engberg (Character) - 2012
40% 38% The Tall Man Sheriff Chestnut (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 11% Behemoth William Walsh (Character) - 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Amazon Falls Calvin (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet 20% Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf Dr. Robert Parker (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Death Among Friends Mr. Dutton (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 22% The Shortcut Benjamin Hartley (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 30% Possession Dr. Creane (Character) - 2008
19% 35% Passengers Jack (Character) $270.7K 2008
No Score Yet 55% Numb Peter Milbank (Character) - 2007
11% 44% The Messengers Bank Manager Price (Character) $35.4M 2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Her Fatal Flaw Richard O'Brien (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Secret of Hidden Lake Judge Landers (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet 12% Sisters Dr. Bryant (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet 13% Dark Storm General Killion (Character) - 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Last Round Mitchell (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 50% Max Rules Rick Brinkley (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Murder 19C: Detective Murdoch Mysteries -- Except the Dying Alderman Godfrey Shepcote (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 57% The Cradle Will Fall Dist. Atty. Alex Myerson (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 24% Snakehead Terror Doc Jenkins (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 50% Word of Honor Lewis Kaplan (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 57% Damaged Care Dr. Sam Verbush (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 4% Mindstorm Parish (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 17% Out of Line Russell (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Anthrax Tye Crow (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 27% The Proposal Agent Frank Gruning (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Becoming Dick Dr. Hardwin (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Murder Most Likely Detective Inspector (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perpetrators of the Crime Henderson (Character) - 1999
66% 72% The X-Files Cigarette-Smoking Man (Character) $83.9M 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Voyage of Terror Dr. Norman Ellisy (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Circumstances Unknown Gene Reuschel (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet When the Vows Break Dr. Alexander (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 64% Anything to Survive Dr. Reynolds (Character) - 1990

TV

Credit
90% 79% Upload David Choak (Character) 2023
86% 56% The Midnight Club Unknown (Guest Star) 2022
86% 54% 50 States of Fright Frank (Character) 2020
74% 85% The X-Files CIA Agent (Character),
Cancer Man (Guest Star),
Writer
1993-2000 2002 2016 2018
88% 86% Continuum Older Alec Sadler (Guest Star) 2012-2015
75% 89% Human Target Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
81% 86% Caprica Minister Chambers (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fear Itself Father Chris (Character) 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stephen Hawking's Sci Fi Masters President (Character) 2007
No Score Yet 89% Stargate SG-1 Damaris (Guest Star) 2005-2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kingdom Hospital Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
78% 69% Smallville Mayor William 'Billy' Tate (Guest Star) 2002-2003
No Score Yet 57% Andromeda Professor Logitch (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Outer Limits Dr. Frank Biemler (Guest Star) 1996 2001
No Score Yet 75% Sliders Unknown (Guest Star) 1995
No Score Yet 68% MacGyver Unknown (Guest Star) 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wiseguy Inspector 2 (Guest Star) 1988-1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Danger Bay Unknown (Guest Star) 1987-1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet 21 Jump Street Mr. Wickenton (Guest Star) 1987-1988
No Score Yet 42% Airwolf Newman (Guest Star) 1987