William Cort: Movies & Filmography

William Phelps Greer III, known professionally as William Cort and sometimes credited as Bill Cort, was an American actor born on July 8, 1936, in El Paso, Texas. He built a prolific career in television and film, appearing in numerous productions over three decades from 1963 until his death in 1993. Cort became perhaps best known for his role in the early 1970s television series Dusty's Trail, a spin-off of The Beverly Hillbillies, which cemented his place in American pop culture history. Throughout his extensive career, Cort made guest appearances on an impressive array of popular television shows spanning multiple decades and genres, demonstrating his remarkable versatility as a character actor. His television credits include iconic series such as Combat!, The F.B.I., Little House on the Prairie, Family Ties, Starsky & Hutch, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Ropers, Lou Grant, The Montefuscos, One Day at a Time, Dynasty, Hart to Hart, Three's Company, Hazel, The Golden Girls, The Bradys, Empty Nest, Dallas, Three's a Crowd, Murder, She Wrote, and Growing Pains, among many others. In addition to his prolific television work, Cort appeared in several notable films during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He had roles in the cult classic comedy Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and the darkly satirical Heathers (1988), before appearing in the massively successful 1990 supernatural romance Ghost, which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. These film appearances showcased his ability to transition effectively between the small and big screen. Cort passed away on September 23, 1993, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 57, after a battle with cancer. His death marked the end of a career that had spanned thirty years and left a lasting impression on American entertainment, with his body of work continuing to be appreciated by audiences through reruns and various media platforms.