Gil Birmingham

Gil Birmingham (born July 13, 1953) is an esteemed American actor renowned for his role as Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater in the Paramount Network's television series Yellowstone. He is also recognized for his portrayal of Billy Black in The Twilight Saga film series and recurring television roles as George Hunter in Banshee and Virgil White in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he stems from diverse roots, with a father of Comanche descent and a mother of Spanish descent. His command over the guitar from an early age indicates his first love as music. Initially, he achieved a Bachelor of Science from the USC Price School of Public Policy and landed into a career as a petrochemical engineer, but later decided to venture into acting.

His transition into acting was initiated when a talent scout noticed him at a gym, leading to his first acting role in a music video for Diana Ross's hit song 'Muscles'. Following this experience, Birmingham decided to shift his focus to acting, learning from renowned personalities like Larry Moss and Charles Conrad. He made his mark in the TV industry with his debut in the series Riptide, later engaging in numerous recurring and lead roles in various series. His film career holds an impressive assortment of roles, from voicing characters in animated films to significant roles in critically-acclaimed films such as Hell or High Water. His performance as Manny Deadmarsh in The Doe Boy won an accolade at Sundance International Filmmaker’s Award in 2001 demonstrating his exceptional acting ability.