Alex Winter: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American actor (born 1965)}} | {{Short description|English and American actor (born 1965)}} | ||
{{ | {{Distinguish|text=the Welsh television personality [[Alex Winters]]}} | ||
{{Use British English|date= | {{Use British English|date=October 2025}} | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date= | {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Alex Winter | | name = Alex Winter | ||
| image = | | image = Alex Winter Blue Moon-04 (cropped).jpg | ||
| alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | ||
| caption = Winter | | caption = Winter at 2025 [[New York Film Festival]] | ||
| birth_name = <!-- Valid citation required for full name for BLP. (WP:BLPPRIVACY) --> | | birth_name = <!-- Valid citation required for full name for BLP. (WP:BLPPRIVACY) --> | ||
| birth_date = {{birth | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|7|17|df=y}} | ||
| birth_place = London, England | | birth_place = London, England | ||
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|filmmaker}} | | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|filmmaker}} | ||
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| children = 3 | | children = 3 | ||
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'''Alexander Winter''' (born 1965) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, he is best known for playing Bill S. Preston, [[Esquire|Esq]]., in the 1989 film ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'' and its sequels ''[[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]'' (1991) and ''[[Bill & Ted Face the Music]]'' (2020). He is also known for his role as Marko in the 1987 vampire film ''[[The Lost Boys]]'', for co-writing, co-directing, and starring in the 1993 film ''[[Freaked]]'',<ref name=NYPost-WhatHappenedTo-2015>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Kyle|title=What happened to the other guy from 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'?|url=https://nypost.com/2015/03/25/what-happened-to-the-other-guy-from-bill-teds-excellent-adventure/|work=[[New York Post]]|date=25 | '''Alexander Ross Winter''' (born 17 July 1965) is an English and American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, he is best known for playing Bill S. Preston, [[Esquire|Esq]]., in the 1989 film ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'' and its sequels ''[[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]'' (1991) and ''[[Bill & Ted Face the Music]]'' (2020). He is also known for his role as Marko in the 1987 vampire film ''[[The Lost Boys]]'', for co-writing, co-directing, and starring in the 1993 film ''[[Freaked]]'',<ref name=NYPost-WhatHappenedTo-2015>{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Kyle|title=What happened to the other guy from 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'?|url=https://nypost.com/2015/03/25/what-happened-to-the-other-guy-from-bill-teds-excellent-adventure/|work=[[New York Post]]|date=March 25, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and for directing documentaries in the 2010s. | ||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
Winter was born in London, | Winter was born in London on 17 July 1965.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2025/07/17/Famous-birthdays-for-July-17-Carey-Hart-Alex-Winter/5841752726154/|title = Famous birthdays for July 17: Carey Hart, Alex Winter|date = July 17, 2025|accessdate = July 19, 2025|work = [[United Press International]]}}</ref> His mother, Gregg Mayer, is a New York-born dancer who trained with [[Martha Graham]], and founded a modern-dance company in London in the mid-1960s. His father, Ross Albert Winter, is an Australian who danced with Winter's mother's troupe and co-founded the Mid American Dance Company in St. Louis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800036528/bio |title=Alex Winter Biography |website=Yahoo! Movies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060918170016/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800036528/bio |archive-date=September 18, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> His father has English ancestry and his mother is Jewish, of [[History of the Jews in Ukraine|Ukrainian Jewish]] descent. His family wasn’t observant with their Judaism although he went to Jewish summer camp and learned [[Yiddish]] through his grandmother.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Gerri |date=July 6, 2020 |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/318479/hbo-doc-showbiz-kids-exposes-the-dark-side-of-child-stardom/|title=HBO Doc 'Showbiz Kids' Exposes the Dark Side of Child Stardom |website=Jewish Journal |access-date=August 4, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodwell |first=Hayley |date=June 26, 2018 |url=https://www.eightieskids.com/ten-surprising-facts-about-alex-winter/|title=Ten Things You Never Knew About Bill & Ted's Alex Winter |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221165036/https://www.eightieskids.com/ten-surprising-facts-about-alex-winter/ |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
Winter received training in dance as a child. When he was five, his family moved to [[Missouri]], where his father ran the Mid-American Dance Company (later, Modern American Dance Company<ref name="madcodance/our-story">{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://www.madcodance.com/our-story/ |website=MADCO | Winter received training in dance as a child. When he was five, his family moved to [[Missouri]], where his father ran the Mid-American Dance Company (later, Modern American Dance Company<ref name="madcodance/our-story">{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://www.madcodance.com/our-story/ |website=MADCO Dance |access-date=September 11, 2023}}</ref>), while his mother taught dance at [[Washington University in St. Louis]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Chris |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/12/people.watn.winter/index.html |work=People |title=Dude! It's Alex Winter! |date=November 12, 2002 |access-date=April 23, 2010|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205015428/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/12/people.watn.winter/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Schultz |first=Richard |date=August 1991 |title=Bill, Ted, Keanu and Alex: 4 Dudes in Search of Each Other |url=http://www.billandted.org/venice0891.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120051123/http://billandted.org/venice0891.html |archive-date=November 20, 2010 |magazine=Venice Magazine |access-date=August 4, 2025}}</ref> The two divorced in 1973.<ref name=People-BillTedsBogusAdv-1991>{{cite news |last1=Schindehette |first1=Susan |title=An Excellent Dude Goes to Hell|url=http://people.com/archive/an-excellent-dude-goes-to-hell-vol-36-no-5/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date= August 12, 1991 |language=en}}</ref> | ||
In 1978, Winter moved to the New York City area, where he and his mother lived in [[Montclair, New Jersey]].<ref name=NJ-DeepWeb-2015>{{cite news|last1=Whitty|first1=Stephen|title=Alex Winter's excellent adventure, from NJ to the 'Deep Web'|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/movies/index.ssf/2015/05/alex_winters_excellent_adventure_from_nj_to_the_de.html|work=[[NJ.com]]|date=29 | In 1978, Winter moved to the New York City area, where he and his mother lived in [[Montclair, New Jersey]].<ref name=NJ-DeepWeb-2015>{{cite news|last1=Whitty|first1=Stephen|title=Alex Winter's excellent adventure, from NJ to the 'Deep Web'|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/movies/index.ssf/2015/05/alex_winters_excellent_adventure_from_nj_to_the_de.html|work=[[NJ.com]]|date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> During this time Winter began performing as an actor on and off Broadway, commuting into New York City.<ref name=People-BillTedsBogusAdv-1991 /> He reports his experience in New Jersey as being positive.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Alex Winter – Exclusive Interview from Bill and Ted: Face the Music |url=http://famadillo.com/alex-winter-exclusive-interview-from-bill-and-ted-face-the-music/ |first=Maria |last=Spanadoris |magazine=Famadillo.com |access-date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> | ||
In 1983, after graduating from [[Montclair High School (New Jersey)|Montclair High School]], Winter was accepted into the [[Tisch School of the Arts]] at [[New York University]]. While at NYU, he met fellow aspiring filmmaker [[Tom Stern (director)|Tom Stern]].<ref name=WestchesterMag-Downloaded-2014>{{cite news|last1=Garrity|first1=Philip|title=The Revolution Will Be Digitized|url=http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/February-2014/The-Revolution-Will-Be-Digitized/|work=[[Westchester Magazine]]|date=January 29, 2014|language=en}}</ref> The two collaborated on a number of 16 mm short films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Audrey |date=2023 | In 1983, after graduating from [[Montclair High School (New Jersey)|Montclair High School]], Winter was accepted into the [[Tisch School of the Arts]] at [[New York University]]. While at NYU, he met fellow aspiring filmmaker [[Tom Stern (director)|Tom Stern]].<ref name=WestchesterMag-Downloaded-2014>{{cite news|last1=Garrity|first1=Philip|title=The Revolution Will Be Digitized|url=http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/February-2014/The-Revolution-Will-Be-Digitized/|work=[[Westchester Magazine]]|date=January 29, 2014|language=en}}</ref> The two collaborated on a number of 16 mm short films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fox |first=Audrey |date=October 1, 2023 |title=Freaked At 30: A Look Back At Alex Winter And Tom Stern's Cult Classic Comedy |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1406841/making-of-freaked-30th-anniversary-alex-winter-tom-stern/ |access-date=January 21, 2024 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
===Acting & directing=== | ===Acting & directing=== | ||
As an actor, Winter spent many years on Broadway with supporting roles in productions of ''[[The King and I]]'', ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]'', and the American premiere of [[Simon Gray]]'s ''Close of Play'' at the [[Manhattan Theatre Club]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=1981 | As an actor, Winter spent many years on Broadway with supporting roles in productions of ''[[The King and I]]'', ''[[Peter Pan (1954 musical)|Peter Pan]]'', and the American premiere of [[Simon Gray]]'s ''Close of Play'' at the [[Manhattan Theatre Club]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=February 25, 1981 |title=THEATER: 'CLOSE OF PLAY,' BY SIMON GRAY, OPENS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/25/theater/theater-close-of-play-by-simon-gray-opens.html |access-date=January 21, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> | ||
Winter dropped out of NYU film school before his senior year and moved to Hollywood, where he began to write and direct a number of short films and music videos. Winter continued to find work as an actor, | Winter dropped out of NYU film school before his senior year and moved to Hollywood, where he began to write and direct a number of short films and music videos. Winter continued to find work as an actor, making his feature film acting debut in the 1985 film ''[[Death Wish 3]]''. He would go on to have notable roles in such big productions as ''[[The Lost Boys]]'' (1987)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Thompson |first=Simon |date=October 1, 2022 |title=Alex Winter Recalls 'The Lost Boys' As The 80s Classic Arrives In 4K |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonthompson/2022/10/01/alex-winter-recalls-the-lost-boys-as-the-80s-classic-arrives-in-4k/ |access-date=January 21, 2024 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>and ''[[Rosalie Goes Shopping]]'' (1989)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=May 2, 1990 |title=Rosalie Goes Shopping |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rosalie-goes-shopping-1990|website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref> | ||
In 1989, Winter found international success when he co-starred with [[Keanu Reeves]], playing William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. in the smash-hit comedy ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', a role he reprised in its 1991 sequel, ''[[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]''.<ref>{{Cite | In 1989, Winter found international success when he co-starred with [[Keanu Reeves]], playing William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. in the smash-hit comedy ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', a role he reprised in its 1991 sequel, ''[[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Myers |first=Marc |date= November 24, 2025 |title=Alex Winter's Most Excellent and Bogus Journey |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/alex-winters-most-excellent-and-bogus-journey-11606231854 |website=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref> | ||
Following the success of ''Bill & Ted'', Winter and creative collaborators Tom Stern and Tim Burns were hired to develop a sketch comedy show for MTV. The result, 1991's ''[[The Idiot Box (TV series)|The Idiot Box]]'', was canceled after six episodes. Winter, Stern and Burns accepted a $12 million deal from [[20th Century Fox]] with Winter making | Following the success of ''Bill & Ted'', Winter and creative collaborators Tom Stern and Tim Burns were hired to develop a sketch comedy show for MTV. The result, 1991's ''[[The Idiot Box (TV series)|The Idiot Box]]'', was canceled after six episodes. Winter, Stern and Burns accepted a $12 million deal from [[20th Century Fox]] with Winter and Stern jointly making their feature film directorial debut and Winter starring in the 1993 science-fiction comedy ''[[Freaked]]''. The film was never widely released, despite positive reviews from ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''.<ref name=EW>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,308356,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126024823/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,308356,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 26, 2007|title=EW review of 'Freaked'|access-date=September 21, 2007|author=Burr, Ty|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=October 15, 1993}}</ref> It has since become a minor cult favourite.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fox |first=Audrey |date=August 31, 2020 |title=The Sabotage of ''Freaked and'' its Rebirth as a Cult Classic |url=https://crookedmarquee.com/the-sabotage-of-freaked-and-its-rebirth-as-a-cult-classic/ |website=Crooked Marquee |access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref> | ||
[[File:Alex Winter.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Winter at the 1999 [[Cannes Film Festival]]]] | [[File:Alex Winter.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Winter at the 1999 [[Cannes Film Festival]]]] | ||
Winter did not return to directing until 1999, when he filmed the psychological thriller ''[[Fever (1999 film)|Fever]]''. The film was shown at film festivals worldwide, including Official Selection in the Director's Fortnight at [[Cannes]]. | Winter did not return to directing until 1999, when he filmed the psychological thriller ''[[Fever (1999 film)|Fever]]'' which starred [[Henry Thomas]] in the lead role. The film was shown at film festivals worldwide, including Official Selection in the Director's Fortnight at [[Cannes]]. The ''[[New York Daily News]]'' praised the film, calling it "a claustrophobic mind bender. Winter sustains an aura of creepiness worthy of [[Roman Polanski]]." | ||
After a seven year hiatus, Winter directed and acted in the [[Ben 10: Race Against Time|live-action adaptation]] of the hit [[Cartoon Network]] series ''[[Ben 10]]'', which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2007 and garnered the highest ratings in the channel's history. He also directed its sequel, ''[[Ben 10: Alien Swarm]]'', which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2009 and captured over 16 million viewers in its premiere weekend. As of 2008, he was attached to write the screenplay for the [[Howard Stern]]-produced remake of ''[[Rock 'n' Roll High School]]''.<ref>{{Citation|last=Sciretta|first=Peter|title=Alex Winter to Write Howard Stern's Rock 'n' Roll High School Remake|publisher=/Film|date=July 30, 2008|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/30/alex-winter-to-write-howard-sterns-rock-n-roll-high-school-remake|access-date=June 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105051444/http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/30/alex-winter-to-write-howard-sterns-rock-n-roll-high-school-remake/|archive-date=January 5, 2010|url-status = dead | After a seven year hiatus, Winter directed and acted in the [[Ben 10: Race Against Time|live-action adaptation]] of the hit [[Cartoon Network]] series ''[[Ben 10]]'', which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2007 and garnered the highest ratings in the channel's history. He also directed its sequel, ''[[Ben 10: Alien Swarm]]'', which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2009 and captured over 16 million viewers in its premiere weekend. As of 2008, he was attached to write the screenplay for the [[Howard Stern]]-produced remake of ''[[Rock 'n' Roll High School]]''.<ref>{{Citation|last=Sciretta|first=Peter|title=Alex Winter to Write Howard Stern's Rock 'n' Roll High School Remake|publisher=/Film|date=July 30, 2008|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/30/alex-winter-to-write-howard-sterns-rock-n-roll-high-school-remake|access-date=June 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105051444/http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/30/alex-winter-to-write-howard-sterns-rock-n-roll-high-school-remake/|archive-date=January 5, 2010|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 2010, he was attached to direct a 3D-remake of the 1987 horror film ''[[The Gate (1987 film)|The Gate]]'', which was scheduled for release in 2011 but the film was never made.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenread.de/the-gate-3d-alex-winter-interview-english|title=Remaking ''The Gate'' – Interview Alex Winter|access-date=August 12, 2010|publisher=screen/read| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100909165838/http://www.screenread.de/the-gate-3d-alex-winter-interview-english| archive-date= September 9, 2010 |url-status = live}}</ref> | ||
Winter's 2012 VH1 rock doc ''[[Downloaded (film)|Downloaded]]'' earned worldwide critical acclaim at theatrical and festival screenings. Winter's multiple award-winning 2015 documentary [[Deep Web (film)|''Deep Web'']] had its world premiere at SXSW and a broadcast premiere in the U.S. on the Epix network alongside a global festival tour. The film went wide in September 2015, opening as the #1 documentary on iTunes. | Winter's 2012 VH1 rock doc ''[[Downloaded (film)|Downloaded]]'' earned worldwide critical acclaim at theatrical and festival screenings. Winter's multiple award-winning 2015 documentary [[Deep Web (film)|''Deep Web'']] had its world premiere at SXSW and a broadcast premiere in the U.S. on the Epix network alongside a global festival tour. The film went wide in September 2015, opening as the #1 documentary on iTunes. | ||
In 2013, he | In 2013, he featured in the thriller ''[[Grand Piano (film)|Grand Piano]]'', starring [[Elijah Wood]] and [[John Cusack]], in his first major feature film role after 20 years.<ref>{{cite web |last=Falk |first=Ben |date=October 2, 2013|title='Bill and Ted' Star Alex Winter Explains Why He Left (and Returned to) Acting |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bill-and-ted-star-alex-winter-explains-why-he-left-98892417427.html |website=Yahoo! |access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref> | ||
In 2016, Winter released a short documentary entitled ''Relatively Free''<ref> | In 2016, Winter released a short documentary entitled ''Relatively Free''<ref>{{cite web |last=Winter |first=Alex |date=December 21, 2016 |title= Relatively Free |url=https://fieldofvision.org/relatively-free |website= Field of Vision |access-date=August 4, 2025}}</ref> about journalist [[Barrett Brown]]'s release from prison. This was followed in 2017 by another short documentary, ''Trump's Lobby''<ref>{{cite web |last=Winfrey |first=Graham |date=January 20, 2017 |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/field-of-vision-short-film-trumps-lobby-alex-winter-watch-1201770915/ |title=Field of Vision Debuts Short Documentary ‘Trump’s Lobby’ |website= IndieWire |access-date=August 4, 2025}}</ref> | ||
In 2018, Winter released two documentaries, | In 2018, Winter released two documentaries, ''The Panama Papers'', about the [[Panama Papers]], and ''[[Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain]]'', which premiered in Los Angeles on November 16, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blockchainbeach.us/event-calendar/2018/11/17/trust-machine-film-blockchian-101-eduactional-workshop-and-industy-panel-9l3ph-7x5xs/ |title=Alex Winter LA Premier with Blockchain Beach & Singular DTV |work=BlockchainBeach.us |access-date=November 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7407496/mediaviewer/rm4057164544/ |title=Trust Machine LA Premier with Alex Winter, Rosario Dawson & Austin Davis |work=IMDB.com |access-date=November 16, 2018}}</ref> In July 2015, Winter began work on a biographical documentary of the rock guitarist and composer [[Frank Zappa]]. The Zappa Family Trust publicly gave its approval to Winter's plans for the film.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Grow |first=Kory |title=Frank Zappa Documentary by Alex Winter Starts Production|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/frank-zappa-documentary-by-alex-winter-starts-production-20150724|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 24, 2015 }}</ref> Released on November 27, 2020, ''[[Zappa (2020 film)|Zappa]]'' was the first documentary with access to his archives, and was the highest funded documentary in crowdfunding history, via [[Kickstarter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2016/04/frank-zappa-pic-highest-ever-funded-documentary-on-kickstarter-1201733193/ |title=Frank Zappa Pic Highest-Funded Documentary Ever On Kickstarter With Final $1.12M{{Snd}} Update |author=Anita Busch |date=April 21, 2016 |work=deadline.com |access-date=October 18, 2018}}</ref> | ||
[[File:Alex Winter at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Winter at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival]] | |||
In April 2011, Winter's ''Bill & Ted'' co-star Keanu Reeves confirmed that a third installment of the film series was under way; the film was in development for most of the 2010s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill & Ted 3|website=[[NME]] |url=https://www.nme.com/movies/news/keanu-reeves-confirms-that-bill-and-ted-3-is-on-the/211337|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410001804/http://www.nme.com/movies/news/keanu-reeves-confirms-that-bill-and-ted-3-is-on-the/211337|archive-date=April 10, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Grdn">{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Hadley|date=April 17, 2014|title=Bill & Ted's 25th birthday: party on, dudes!|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/apr/17/bill-and-ted-25th-birthday-party-on|access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kaye |first=Ben |date=April 13, 2016|title=Bill & Ted 3 is finally going into production|url=http://consequence.net/2016/04/bill-ted-3-is-finally-going-into-production/|access-date=February 12, 2017|work=consequence.net}}</ref> Winter returned as Bill Preston in the film, ''[[Bill & Ted Face the Music]]'', which was released on August 28, 2020;<ref name=":2" /> with Reeves describing the plot as, "Basically, they're supposed to write a song to save the world and they haven't done that."<ref>{{cite web|last=Young |first=Alex |date=February 11, 2017|title=Keanu Reeves confirms new Bill & Ted movie, and it's got a bonkers plot|url=http://consequence.net/2017/02/keanu-reeves-confirms-new-bill-ted-movie-and-its-got-a-bonkers-plot/|access-date=February 12, 2017|work=consequence.net}}</ref> In January 2024, Alex hinted about a possibility of a 4th film "Bill & Ted 4".<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Ehrlich |first=Brenna |date=January 18, 2024 |title=Alex Winter Talks Becoming a Horrifying Ogre, 'Bill & Ted 4,' and Breaking Up Big Tech |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/alex-winter-destroy-all-neighbors-bill-and-ted-4-big-tech-ai-1234948181/ |access-date=January 21, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
Winter’s feature documentary ''[[The YouTube Effect]]'', was produced in 2022 by Winter and his company, Trouper Productions, in partnership with [[Gale Anne Hurd]] and [[Glen Zipper]]. The film premiered at Tribeca in June 2022, completed a sold-out theatrical run in July 2023, and was released worldwide on digital from Drafthouse Films on August 8, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=Morfoot |first=Addie |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/alex-winter-youtube-effect-doc-alamo-drafthouse-1235608718/ |title='Bill & Ted' Star Alex Winter's YouTube Doc Scores Theatrical Release Courtesy Drafthouse Films (EXCLUSIVE) |website=Variety |date=May 11, 2023 }}</ref> | |||
Winter' | In 2024, Winter produced and co-starred in the gonzo horror-comedy ''[[Destroy All Neighbors]]'' which premiered on [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] and in limited theaters in January 2024. | ||
In 2025, Winter produced, directed and starred in the feature film ''[[Adulthood (2025 film)|Adulthood]]'',<ref>{{cite web |last=Ntim |first=Zac |url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/alex-winter-adulthood-kaya-scodelario-billie-lourd-republic-pictures-1236144152 |title=Alex Winter's 'Adulthood' Starring Josh Gad & Kaya Scodelario Lands U.S. & Canadian Rights Deal |website=Deadline |date=October 22, 2024 }}</ref> which is set to release in 2025. In the fall of 2025, Winter will return to Broadway, co-starring with [[Keanu Reeves]] in ''[[Waiting For Godot]]'', directed by [[Jamie Lloyd (director)|Jamie Lloyd]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/theater/keanu-reeves-broadway-godot.html |title=Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter to Star in 'Waiting for Godot' on Broadway |work=The New York Times |date=August 1, 2024 |last1=Paulson |first1=Michael |access-date=August 2, 2025}}</ref> | |||
===Technology and piracy activism=== | ===Technology and piracy activism=== | ||
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=== Activism against Elon Musk === | === Activism against Elon Musk === | ||
In response to the political activities of [[Elon Musk]] and the [[Department of Government Efficiency]], in February 2025, Winter helped amplify national [[Tesla Takedown]] protests outside of [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] showrooms. He has stated that the intention was to be anti-Elon Musk and not Tesla. Winter, an avid electric vehicle owner, called Musk a “toxic figurehead” for the company and had a goal for Tesla to part ways with Musk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew J. |date=2025 | In response to the political activities of [[Elon Musk]] and the [[Department of Government Efficiency]], in February 2025, Winter helped amplify national [[Tesla Takedown]] protests outside of [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]] showrooms. He has stated that the intention was to be anti-Elon Musk and not Tesla. Winter, an avid electric vehicle owner, called Musk a “toxic figurehead” for the company and had a goal for Tesla to part ways with Musk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins |first=Andrew J. |date=February 25, 2025 |title='Tesla Takedown' wants to hit Elon Musk where it hurts |url=https://www.theverge.com/tesla/618572/tesla-takedown-wants-to-hit-elon-musk-where-it-hurts |access-date=February 27, 2025 |website=The Verge }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tesla showrooms are being hit by a wave of anti-DOGE protests |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/91279578/tesla-showrooms-are-being-hit-by-a-wave-of-anti-doge-protests |website=FastCompany |date=February 15, 2025 |last1=Peters |first1=Adele |access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=George |first=Patrick |date=February 25, 2025 |website= Inside Evs |url=https://insideevs.com/news/751777/tesla-takeover-alex-winter-interview/ |title='We Are Growing': Tesla Takeover Protests Aren't over, Filmmaker Says |access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
Winter was married to Sonya Dawson, with whom he had a son, born in 1998. The couple later divorced. In 2010, he married [[Ramsey Ann Naito]]. They have two children.<ref>{{cite | Winter was married to Sonya Dawson, with whom he had a son, born in 1998. The couple later divorced. In 2010, he married [[Ramsey Ann Naito]]. They have two children.<ref>{{cite web |last=Horsburgh |first=Susan |website=People |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20138519,00.html |date=November 18, 2002 |title=Alex Winter, the Slacker from Bill & Ted's Excellent Edventure, Finds Directing More Bodacious Than Acting |access-date=May 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101180954/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20138519,00.html |archive-date=November 1, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
Winter maintains dual British and American citizenship.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Alex Winter #215 |series=Kevin Pollak's Chat Show |date=September 8, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=madCGXOGY8fzw3ns&v=APqSSs2IWMQ |number=215 |last=Pollak |first=Kevin (host)}}</ref> | |||
Winter | In 2018, Winter revealed that he suffered "intense and prolonged" [[child sexual abuse]]<ref name="havoc" /> at the hands of an older man while acting on Broadway.<ref name=BBCRadio5Live-ChilesOnFriday-2018>{{cite news |last1=Chiles |first1=Adrian |last2=Winter |first2=Alex |title=Chiles on |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09pkw8v#play |work=[[BBC Radio 5 Live]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=February 2, 2018 |format=Audio interview, starts at 1:07}}</ref> Winter refused to name his abuser, stating he is deceased. He has said that he experienced [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]] due to the abuse, saying, "I had extreme PTSD for many, many years, and that will wreak havoc on you."<ref name="havoc">{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2020 |last=Smith |first=David |title=Alex Winter: 'I had extreme PTSD for many, many years. That will wreak havoc' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/21/alex-winter-i-had-extreme-ptsd-for-many-many-years-that-will-wreak-havoc |access-date=September 21, 2020 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=February 2, 2018 |website=[[BBC]]|title=Starring in Bill and Ted was 'therapeutic' says abused actor Alex Winter |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42919654 |access-date=January 21, 2024 }}</ref> | ||
In | In September 2025, Winter signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in [[Palestinian genocide accusation|genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people]]."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Film Workers Pledge to End Complicity |url=https://filmworkersforpalestine.org/#endingcomplicity |access-date=2025-09-09 |website=Film Workers For Palestine |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
==Filmography== | ==Filmography== | ||
| Line 84: | Line 87: | ||
! Year | ! Year | ||
! Title | ! Title | ||
! width="65" | ! width="65" | Director | ||
! width="65" | | ! width="65" | Screenwriter | ||
! width="65" | ! width="65" | Producer | ||
! Notes | ! Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 159: | Line 162: | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| Documentary film on [[Napster]] and its community<ref>{{cite web|last=Cangialosi |first=Jason |title=Interview: Alex Winter on Napster Documentary 'Downloaded' |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/interview-alex-winter-napster-documentary-downloaded-182000625.html | | | Documentary film on [[Napster]] and its community<ref>{{cite web |last=Cangialosi |first=Jason |title=Interview: Alex Winter on Napster Documentary 'Downloaded' |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/interview-alex-winter-napster-documentary-downloaded-182000625.html |website=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=May 1, 2012 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513022550/http://movies.yahoo.com/news/interview-alex-winter-napster-documentary-downloaded-182000625.html |archive-date=May 13, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=":2" /> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| rowspan="2" | 2015 | | rowspan="2" | 2015 | ||
| Line 166: | Line 169: | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| Documentary film<ref>{{cite web|title= | | Documentary film<ref>{{cite web |last=Winter |first=Alex |date=November 21, 2013 |title=Deep Web: The Untold Story of Bitcoin and the Silk Road |website=Kickstarter |url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alexwinter/deep-web-the-untold-story-of-bitcoin-and-the-silk |access-date=December 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''[[Smosh: The Movie]]'' | | ''[[Smosh: The Movie]]'' | ||
| Line 211: | Line 214: | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| Documentary film on | | Documentary film on child actors in Hollywood | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''[[Zappa (2020 film)|Zappa]]'' | | ''[[Zappa (2020 film)|Zappa]]'' | ||
| Line 224: | Line 227: | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| Documentary film on | | Documentary film on YouTube | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | | 2025 | ||
| ''[[Adulthood ( | | ''[[Adulthood (2025 film)|Adulthood]]'' | ||
| {{yes}} | | {{yes}} | ||
| {{no}} | | {{no}} | ||
| Line 354: | Line 357: | ||
| rowspan="2" | 2025 | | rowspan="2" | 2025 | ||
| ''[[Absolute Dominion]]'' | | ''[[Absolute Dominion]]'' | ||
| | | Dr. Jehuda Bruno | ||
| Post-production | | Post-production | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''[[Smurfs (film)|Smurfs]]'' | | ''[[Smurfs (film)|Smurfs]]'' | ||
| Hefty | | Hefty Smurf | ||
| Voice | | Voice | ||
|} | |} | ||
| Line 368: | Line 371: | ||
! Year | ! Year | ||
! Title | ! Title | ||
! width="65"| | ! width="65"| director | ||
! width="65"| | ! width="65"| screenWriter | ||
! width="65" | ! width="65"| Producer | ||
! Notes | ! Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 630: | Line 633: | ||
|2025 | |2025 | ||
| ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'' | | ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'' | ||
| Vladimir | | [[Vladimir (Waiting for Godot)|Vladimir]] | ||
| 2025 Broadway revival<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Benjamin |date=August 1, 2024 |title=Keanu Reeves to make Broadway debut opposite Bill & Ted co-star Alex Winter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/aug/01/keanu-reeves-alex-winter-broadway |access-date=August 1, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> | | 2025 Broadway revival<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Benjamin |date=August 1, 2024 |title=Keanu Reeves to make Broadway debut opposite Bill & Ted co-star Alex Winter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/article/2024/aug/01/keanu-reeves-alex-winter-broadway |access-date=August 1, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 648: | Line 651: | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter, Alex}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Winter, Alex}} | ||
[[Category:1965 births]] | |||
[[Category:Living people]] | [[Category:Living people]] | ||
[[Category:American Ashkenazi Jews]] | |||
[[Category:American activists for Palestinian solidarity]] | |||
[[Category:American documentary film directors]] | [[Category:American documentary film directors]] | ||
[[Category:American film producers]] | |||
[[Category:American male child actors]] | [[Category:American male child actors]] | ||
[[Category:American male film actors]] | [[Category:American male film actors]] | ||
[[Category:American male screenwriters]] | [[Category:American male screenwriters]] | ||
[[Category:American male television actors]] | [[Category:American male television actors]] | ||
| Line 660: | Line 665: | ||
[[Category:American music video directors]] | [[Category:American music video directors]] | ||
[[Category:American people of Australian descent]] | [[Category:American people of Australian descent]] | ||
[[Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent]] | [[Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent]] | ||
[[Category:American television directors]] | [[Category:American television directors]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:American television writers]] | ||
[[Category:English emigrants to the United States]] | [[Category:English emigrants to the United States]] | ||
[[Category:Film directors from London]] | [[Category:Film directors from London]] | ||
[[Category:Film directors from New Jersey]] | [[Category:Film directors from New Jersey]] | ||
[[Category:Film directors with disabilities]] | [[Category:Film directors with disabilities]] | ||
[[Category:Film producers from London]] | [[Category:Film producers from London]] | ||
[[Category:Jewish American activists for Palestinian solidarity]] | |||
[[Category:Jewish American anti-Zionists]] | |||
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]] | [[Category:Jewish American male actors]] | ||
[[Category:Jewish American screenwriters]] | [[Category:Jewish American screenwriters]] | ||
[[Category:Jewish American television writers]] | [[Category:Jewish American television writers]] | ||
[[Category:Male actors from London]] | [[Category:Male actors from London]] | ||
[[Category:Montclair High School (New Jersey) alumni]] | [[Category:Montclair High School (New Jersey) alumni]] | ||
[[Category:Male actors from Montclair, New Jersey]] | [[Category:Male actors from Montclair, New Jersey]] | ||
[[Category:People with post-traumatic stress disorder]] | |||
[[Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni]] | [[Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni]] | ||
[[Category:Writers from London]] | [[Category:Writers from London]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Writers from Montclair, New Jersey]] | ||
[[Category:Yiddish-speaking people]] | |||
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]] | [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] | ||
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]] | [[Category:21st-century American male actors]] | ||
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]] | [[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]] | ||
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]] | [[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:32, 2 December 2025
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Distinguish". Template:Use British English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image Alexander Ross Winter (born 17 July 1965) is an English and American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, he is best known for playing Bill S. Preston, Esq., in the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and its sequels Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). He is also known for his role as Marko in the 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys, for co-writing, co-directing, and starring in the 1993 film Freaked,[1][2] and for directing documentaries in the 2010s.
Early life
Winter was born in London on 17 July 1965.[3] His mother, Gregg Mayer, is a New York-born dancer who trained with Martha Graham, and founded a modern-dance company in London in the mid-1960s. His father, Ross Albert Winter, is an Australian who danced with Winter's mother's troupe and co-founded the Mid American Dance Company in St. Louis.[4] His father has English ancestry and his mother is Jewish, of Ukrainian Jewish descent. His family wasn’t observant with their Judaism although he went to Jewish summer camp and learned Yiddish through his grandmother.[5][6]
Winter received training in dance as a child. When he was five, his family moved to Missouri, where his father ran the Mid-American Dance Company (later, Modern American Dance Company[7]), while his mother taught dance at Washington University in St. Louis.[8][9] The two divorced in 1973.[10]
In 1978, Winter moved to the New York City area, where he and his mother lived in Montclair, New Jersey.[11] During this time Winter began performing as an actor on and off Broadway, commuting into New York City.[10] He reports his experience in New Jersey as being positive.[12]
In 1983, after graduating from Montclair High School, Winter was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. While at NYU, he met fellow aspiring filmmaker Tom Stern.[13] The two collaborated on a number of 16 mm short films.[14]
Career
Acting & directing
As an actor, Winter spent many years on Broadway with supporting roles in productions of The King and I, Peter Pan, and the American premiere of Simon Gray's Close of Play at the Manhattan Theatre Club.[15]
Winter dropped out of NYU film school before his senior year and moved to Hollywood, where he began to write and direct a number of short films and music videos. Winter continued to find work as an actor, making his feature film acting debut in the 1985 film Death Wish 3. He would go on to have notable roles in such big productions as The Lost Boys (1987)[2]and Rosalie Goes Shopping (1989)[16]
In 1989, Winter found international success when he co-starred with Keanu Reeves, playing William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. in the smash-hit comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, a role he reprised in its 1991 sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.[17]
Following the success of Bill & Ted, Winter and creative collaborators Tom Stern and Tim Burns were hired to develop a sketch comedy show for MTV. The result, 1991's The Idiot Box, was canceled after six episodes. Winter, Stern and Burns accepted a $12 million deal from 20th Century Fox with Winter and Stern jointly making their feature film directorial debut and Winter starring in the 1993 science-fiction comedy Freaked. The film was never widely released, despite positive reviews from The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.[18] It has since become a minor cult favourite.[19]
Winter did not return to directing until 1999, when he filmed the psychological thriller Fever which starred Henry Thomas in the lead role. The film was shown at film festivals worldwide, including Official Selection in the Director's Fortnight at Cannes. The New York Daily News praised the film, calling it "a claustrophobic mind bender. Winter sustains an aura of creepiness worthy of Roman Polanski."
After a seven year hiatus, Winter directed and acted in the live-action adaptation of the hit Cartoon Network series Ben 10, which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2007 and garnered the highest ratings in the channel's history. He also directed its sequel, Ben 10: Alien Swarm, which aired on Cartoon Network in November 2009 and captured over 16 million viewers in its premiere weekend. As of 2008, he was attached to write the screenplay for the Howard Stern-produced remake of Rock 'n' Roll High School.[20] In 2010, he was attached to direct a 3D-remake of the 1987 horror film The Gate, which was scheduled for release in 2011 but the film was never made.[21]
Winter's 2012 VH1 rock doc Downloaded earned worldwide critical acclaim at theatrical and festival screenings. Winter's multiple award-winning 2015 documentary Deep Web had its world premiere at SXSW and a broadcast premiere in the U.S. on the Epix network alongside a global festival tour. The film went wide in September 2015, opening as the #1 documentary on iTunes.
In 2013, he featured in the thriller Grand Piano, starring Elijah Wood and John Cusack, in his first major feature film role after 20 years.[22]
In 2016, Winter released a short documentary entitled Relatively Free[23] about journalist Barrett Brown's release from prison. This was followed in 2017 by another short documentary, Trump's Lobby[24]
In 2018, Winter released two documentaries, The Panama Papers, about the Panama Papers, and Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain, which premiered in Los Angeles on November 16, 2018.[25][26] In July 2015, Winter began work on a biographical documentary of the rock guitarist and composer Frank Zappa. The Zappa Family Trust publicly gave its approval to Winter's plans for the film.[27] Released on November 27, 2020, Zappa was the first documentary with access to his archives, and was the highest funded documentary in crowdfunding history, via Kickstarter.[28]
In April 2011, Winter's Bill & Ted co-star Keanu Reeves confirmed that a third installment of the film series was under way; the film was in development for most of the 2010s.[29][30][31] Winter returned as Bill Preston in the film, Bill & Ted Face the Music, which was released on August 28, 2020;[32] with Reeves describing the plot as, "Basically, they're supposed to write a song to save the world and they haven't done that."[33] In January 2024, Alex hinted about a possibility of a 4th film "Bill & Ted 4".[34]
Winter’s feature documentary The YouTube Effect, was produced in 2022 by Winter and his company, Trouper Productions, in partnership with Gale Anne Hurd and Glen Zipper. The film premiered at Tribeca in June 2022, completed a sold-out theatrical run in July 2023, and was released worldwide on digital from Drafthouse Films on August 8, 2023.[35]
In 2024, Winter produced and co-starred in the gonzo horror-comedy Destroy All Neighbors which premiered on Shudder and in limited theaters in January 2024.
In 2025, Winter produced, directed and starred in the feature film Adulthood,[36] which is set to release in 2025. In the fall of 2025, Winter will return to Broadway, co-starring with Keanu Reeves in Waiting For Godot, directed by Jamie Lloyd.[37]
Technology and piracy activism
Winter began devoting a lot of his attention to the internet not just because he liked technology, but also because "I found this community there." Winter liked the idea of large numbers of anonymous users discussing a variety of topics in an anonymous space. "I found that really striking then. And it seemed liked the beginning of something." He has criticized media companies and news outlets for exaggerating how many people used Napster for digital piracy.
Winter's interest in technology, the Internet and privacy inspired him to make the 2012 documentary film Downloaded, about internet file sharing and Napster, and the 2015 film Deep Web, about the Silk Road, bitcoin, and the dark web.[32]
Activism against Elon Musk
In response to the political activities of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, in February 2025, Winter helped amplify national Tesla Takedown protests outside of Tesla showrooms. He has stated that the intention was to be anti-Elon Musk and not Tesla. Winter, an avid electric vehicle owner, called Musk a “toxic figurehead” for the company and had a goal for Tesla to part ways with Musk.[38][39][40]
Personal life
Winter was married to Sonya Dawson, with whom he had a son, born in 1998. The couple later divorced. In 2010, he married Ramsey Ann Naito. They have two children.[41] Winter maintains dual British and American citizenship.[42]
In 2018, Winter revealed that he suffered "intense and prolonged" child sexual abuse[43] at the hands of an older man while acting on Broadway.[44] Winter refused to name his abuser, stating he is deceased. He has said that he experienced PTSD due to the abuse, saying, "I had extreme PTSD for many, many years, and that will wreak havoc on you."[43][32]
In September 2025, Winter signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."[45]
Filmography
Film
- Directing
| Year | Title | Director | Screenwriter | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | NYU Sight & Sound Project | Yes | No | No | Co-director with Tom Stern; Short film |
| 1985 | Squeal of Death | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Aisles of Doom | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Bar-B-Que Movie | Yes | No | No | ||
| 1990 | Howie Meets the Ghost of Environmental Disasters Yet to Come | Yes | No | No | |
| 1991 or 1992 | Meals on Wheels | Yes | Yes | No | Co-director with Tom Stern, co-writer; Short film |
| 1993 | Freaked | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-director with Tom Stern, co-writer, co-producer |
| 1999 | Fever | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Ben 10: Race Against Time | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2009 | Ben 10: Alien Swarm | Yes | No | No | |
| 2012 | Downloaded | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film on Napster and its community[46][32] |
| 2015 | Deep Web: The Untold Story of Bitcoin and the Silk Road | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film[47][32] |
| Smosh: The Movie | Yes | No | No | ||
| 2016 | Anyone Can Quantum | Yes | No | Yes | Short film |
| Relatively Free | Yes | No | Yes | Documentary short on Barrett Brown | |
| 2017 | Trump's Lobby | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2018 | The Panama Papers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
| Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2020 | Showbiz Kids | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film on child actors in Hollywood |
| Zappa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film about Frank Zappa | |
| 2023 | The YouTube Effect | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film on YouTube |
| 2025 | Adulthood | Yes | No | Yes | [48] |
- Acting
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | NYU Sight & Sound Project | Geek | Short film |
| 1985 | Squeal of Death | Howie / various characters | Short film; Aired on Night Flight and West Coast Cable |
| Death Wish 3 | Hermosa | ||
| 1987 | The Lost Boys | Marko | Credited as Alexander Winter |
| Medium Rare | Timmy | ||
| 1988 | Haunted Summer | Dr. John William Polidori | |
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Bill S. Preston, Esq. | |
| Rosalie Goes Shopping | Schatzi Greenspace | ||
| Aisles of Doom | Grendel T.W. Ulcerous | Short film; Aired on Night Flight and West Coast Cable | |
| Entering Texas a.k.a. Bar-B-Que Movie | Mexican hitchhiker | Short film; Part of Stuart S. Shapiro's Impact Video Magazine | |
| 1990 | Howie Meets the Ghost of Environmental Disasters Yet to Come | Howie | Short film; Part of Nigel Dick-directed Save the Planet: A CBS/Hard Rock Cafe Special |
| 1991 | Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | Bill S. Preston, Esq. / Evil Robot Bill / Granny Preston | |
| 1991 or 1992 | Meals on Wheels | Dweeb | Short film; Made for The Playboy Channel's Inside Out late night anthology series |
| 1993 | Freaked | Ricky Coogin | |
| 1997 | The Borrowers | TV Gangster | Cameo |
| 1999 | Fever | Subway passenger | |
| 2013 | Grand Piano | Assistant | |
| 2015 | Smosh: The Movie | Uncle Keith | |
| 2019 | In Search of Darkness | Himself | Documentary film |
| 2020 | Bill & Ted Face the Music | Bill S. Preston, Esq. | |
| In Search of Darkness: Part II | Himself | Documentary film | |
| 2022 | In Search of Tomorrow | ||
| Blue's Big City Adventure | Cab Driver | ||
| 2024 | Destroy All Neighbors | Vlad / Public Defender | |
| 2025 | Absolute Dominion | Dr. Jehuda Bruno | Post-production |
| Smurfs | Hefty Smurf | Voice |
Television
- Directing
| Year | Title | director | screenWriter | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Idiot Box | Yes | Yes | No | 6 episodes; Co-director with Tom Stern, co-writer of 1 episode: "The Best of the Idiot Box" |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Yes | No | No | Various segments |
| 2005 | Dirty Famous | Yes | No | No | |
| 2005–2007 | The Andy Milonakis Show | Yes | No | No | |
| 2007 | Ben 10: Race Against Time | Yes | No | Yes | Television film |
| 2009 | Ben 10: Alien Swarm | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2011 | Blue Mountain State | Yes | No | No | Episodes "The Corn Field" and "The Corn Field 2" |
| 2011–2013 | Supah Ninjas | Yes | No | No | 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Level Up | Yes | No | No | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | Marvin Marvin | Yes | No | No | Episode "Mr. Earth" |
| Betas | Yes | No | No | Episode "Show & Tell" | |
| 2014 | Maker Shack Agency | Yes | No | No | Episode "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Bella and the Bulldogs | Yes | No | No | Episode "Tornado Afraido" |
| Kirby Buckets | Yes | No | No | Episodes "Gimme Some Room" and "All Hands on Dexter" | |
| 2016 | Quantum Is Calling | Yes | No | Yes | Television film |
- Acting
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Jeffrey Sims | Episode: "Mama's Boy" |
| 1990 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures | Bill S. Preston, Esq. (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 1991 | The Idiot Box | Various roles | 6 episodes |
| 1993 | Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's | Stinx on Ice | TV movie |
| 2007 | Ben 10: Race Against Time | Constantine Jacobs | |
| Bones | Monte Gold | Episode: "The Girl in the Gator" | |
| Saul of the Mole Men | King Mole Man (voice) | 5 episodes | |
| 2009 | Ben 10: Alien Swarm | Nanomech (voice) | TV movie |
| 2012, 2019 | Robot Chicken | Bill S. Preston, Esq., Steve Burns, Earl the Lego Man (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Into the Dark | The Voice (voice) | Episode: "The Body" |
Music videos
| Year | Song | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Higher Ground" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Actor |
| "Knock Me Down" | Co-director with Tom Stern; Actor, as Young Man | ||
| "Taste the Pain" | Director | ||
| 1990 | "Who's the Mack?" | Ice Cube | Co-director with Tom Stern |
| "Me & Elvis" | Human Radio | ||
| "Decadence Dance" | Extreme | ||
| 1991 | "Photograffitti" | Director | |
| 1993 | "The Jackal" | Ronny Jordan | |
| 1994 | "Hard Act to Follow" | Brother Cane | Actor |
| "Milquetoast" | Helmet | Director | |
| "Wilma's Rainbow" | |||
| 1995 | "1 to 1 Religion" | Bomb the Bass feat. Carlton | |
| "Verklemmt" | Foetus | ||
| 1996 | "If 6 Was 9" | Axiom Funk | |
| 1997 | "Bug Powder Dust" | Bomb the Bass feat. Justin Warfield | |
| "Exactly What You Wanted" | Helmet | ||
| 2003 | "Talamanam Sound Clash" | Tabla Beat Science | Concert DVD; Co-director with Zane Vella |
Theatre
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–1978 | The King and I | Louis Leonowens | 1977 Broadway revival, Replacement part |
| 1979–1981 | Peter Pan | John Darling | 1979 Broadway revival |
| 1981 | Close of Play | Matthew | American Premiere, Manhattan Theater Club |
| 2025 | Waiting for Godot | Vladimir | 2025 Broadway revival[49] |
References
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- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- Script error: No such module "Official website".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Template:Trim/ Template:PAGENAMEBASE at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Template:PAGENAMEBASE at the Internet Broadway DatabaseTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck
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