William Sadler reflects on comedy, horror, and Death

William Sadler is one of our most reliable – and hardest-working – character actors with nearly 180 film and television credits to his name. We had the chance to chat with the veteran about reprising his iconic role as Death in Bill & Ted Face the Music, his affinity for comedy and his recent horror output.

William Sadler is one of the hardest working thespians in the entertainment industry. This year, he reprises his iconic role as Death in Bill & Ted Face the Music. The actor recently sat down with us to discuss the new film, his affinity for comedy, and his recent horror output.

1428 Elm: Let’s go back in time 30 years. In 1990, you played the villain in Die Hard 2; a year later, you were Death in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. And while Death could be construed as the oldest villain of all, he’s such a likable guy. Was it a conscious decision on your part to jump into a comedic role in a PG-rated film?

William Sadler: I spent my whole career in theater before I got into film. I did 11 years of theater in New York, and it was almost all comedy. I was in the Neil Simon play, Biloxi Blues, for a year and a half on Broadway.

Back in high school, I did stand-up comedy. I have a huge funnybone, and I really love comedy, but when I got to Los Angeles, they took one look at me and said: “Oh, yeah, he’s a villain for sure – he could kill you and sit on your chest and eat a sandwich.”

I was the villain in Project X, Hard to Kill, and then Die Hard 2; Hollywood was very happy to keep me in that vein. And when Bogus Journey came along, I wanted to show the industry there was another side; I didn’t have to be a murderer.

What I loved about the Reaper was, he starts out being this really scary dude. [Bill & Ted] are dead, and he’s got their souls – he’s this really frightening figure that everybody thinks of as Death, and little by little, he comes unglued. He loses his grip on all of that, becoming a petulant loser…and by the end of it, he wants to be part of [Bill & Ted’s band, Wyld Stallyns]; he wants to be accepted by these guys.

I just thought that was a lovely transition, y’know? I really love doing comedy, and when I get a chance to, I jump on it.

1428 Elm: In Bogus Journey, Death is really not fond of Bill & Ted when he first meets them, but then they become friends, and he winds up playing bass in Wyld Stallyns. Do you think Death secretly wants friendship and acceptance, but is hindered by his eternal reputation as a reaper of souls?

William Sadler: [laughs] I think that’s probably completely accurate. But that’s kind of everybody, isn’t it? We all have these personas that we go through life with, and inside we’re all sentimental…we want to be loved. I think that’s exactly right.

1428 Elm: Maybe Death has spent so much time in his lonely lair, and hasn’t had anybody try to thaw him out of his isolated rut.

William Sadler: [laughs] Millions of years of killing people! In Hard to Kill, I killed six people…in Die Hard 2, I killed 130 people or something, and now, as the Reaper, I’ve claimed everybody that ever died.

1428 Elm: Seems like a natural segue from Die Hard 2 to Bogus Journey, because you’re just upping the body count…

William Sadler: Yeah, exactly!

1428 Elm: Let’s move on to Face the Music. I was happy to see the filmmakers did right by Death, and Bill & Ted, as well. In the movie, Death has a rift with Wyld Stallyns, which culminates in a poignant scene with Bill and Ted’s daughters. What was it like to interact with these new characters?

William Sadler: I found the two of them [Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving] just lovely to work with. It must’ve been a little intimidating to be young actors and step into the third installment of a franchise. That’s always a difficult thing, because the train’s already left the station, y’know?

We’ve all been riding this bus for years, and you’re the new kids – but they were really delightful to work with. I thought they were just fantastic. I loved the scene where they intercede for their dads, and it’s very moving. They understand the predicament Death finds himself in better than he does.

1428 Elm: The chemistry in that scene was great. And it gets to develop further as you near the end of the film. I liked that.

1428 Elm: Let’s move on to Face the Music. I was happy to see the filmmakers did right by Death, and Bill & Ted, as well. In the movie, Death has a rift with Wyld Stallyns, which culminates in a poignant scene with Bill and Ted’s daughters. What was it like to interact with these new characters?

William Sadler: I found the two of them [Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving] just lovely to work with. It must’ve been a little intimidating to be young actors and step into the third installment of a franchise. That’s always a difficult thing, because the train’s already left the station, y’know?

We’ve all been riding this bus for years, and you’re the new kids – but they were really delightful to work with. I thought they were just fantastic. I loved the scene where they intercede for their dads, and it’s very moving. They understand the predicament Death finds himself in better than he does.

1428 Elm: The chemistry in that scene was great. And it gets to develop further as you near the end of the film. I liked that.

William Sadler: Thank you. I think, if you get the chemistry right, the audience comes along. They get emotionally caught up in it, along with you.

1428 Elm: I know there’s hesitation when returning to a series after so many years: “Can you recapture the magic?” I think everyone involved in Face the Music did a good job of recapturing the “Bill & Ted magic.”

William Sadler: Fantastic. I’m really glad to hear you say that. That’s always the worry, because you can’t go back and create something for the first time again, because that was the first time. I felt that, as well, when Alex, Keanu, and myself finally got together in the makeup, on the set for the first time in 29 years.

As soon as we started the scene, it was like we’d never stopped. It was like we’d been filming Bogus Journey yesterday, and it was just another scene…[in Death voice:] “What’re you guys doing here?” I’m glad it came across that way, because I wanted it to.

1428 Elm: It was cool to see all those elements come back together so well.

William Sadler: With the pandemic going around the country, I hope people get a chance to see Face the Music safely. First of all, I think America and the world needs this movie right now. It would be a really nice break from all the bad news. And secondly, I hope people get a chance to see it safely. How do you open a movie [during a pandemic] when people can’t get together in a theater?

1428 Elm: My understanding is that they’re going to release it on VOD and in theaters. Maybe a drive-in kind of thing.

William Sadler: Oh, that’d be great! I only went to drive-ins during my childhood; I don’t think we ever went to the movie theater. I remember seeing Ben-Hur at the drive-in.

1428 Elm: Oh, wow.

William Sadler: [jokingly] Yeah, I’m old.

1428 Elm: To what you said, this is the movie 2020 really needs, given how rough of a year it’s been.

William Sadler: Excellent, thank you. I’m really glad to hear that.

1428 Elm: In Face the Music, the scenes in Hell are imaginative and very funny. What was your favorite on-set experience?

William Sadler: I loved that we get a chance to see Death’s house. I thought that was really cool. Kudos to the set designers, because he gets the best crib in the world. He’s got John Lennon’s piano, he’s got the stuff on the wall.

I guess my favorite part of the film would be the reconciliation [with Bill and Ted]; when everyone apologizes, and they get back together. That, and playing in the band was cool.

1428 Elm: I wanted to ask about some of your recent horror work. Earlier this year, before the theaters closed, I took in a screening of The Grudge, and was very happy to see you in that film. What was it like working with writer-director Nick Pesce?

William Sadler: Nick was fun to work with. I have socks in my sock drawer that are older than Nick. But that said, I thought he did a terrific job.

Again, that’s not an easy thing to do. That franchise has been around awhile, and it’s always hard to come on and do another installment when people already know the big surprises that are coming. He was perfect to work with, from an acting standpoint.

1428 Elm: You have a great scene that features some grotesque prosthetic makeup, and I thought that was one of the most effective images in a horror movie this year. Your performance is fantastic, but the makeup adds so much.

William Sadler: Thank you. That makeup about killed me – my face broke out. I’m having a really terrible time with make-ups these days.

My skin reacts to it, and my face swells up; my eyes swell shut, and I look hideous. So I’m glad it worked. You’re talking about the scene in the hospital, where he’s restrained at the table?

1428 Elm: Yeah, where he’s talking to Andrea Riseborough.

William Sadler: Yeah, exactly.

1428 Elm: So you were really suffering for your art in that scene.

William Sadler: When they took the makeup off, I started suffering. “Let’s do this and get it quickly, so I can get it off my face.”

1428 Elm: VFW is one of my favorite movies of 2020, where you were part of another great cast. As a veteran of action cinema, though your heart is in comedy, how did you prepare to make the character of Walter Reed such a standout?

William Sadler: I think part of the way I approached that film was, I looked for the funny in that character. Part of what makes that movie special is the camaraderie that the actors had for each other. Steve Lang and Marty Kove, and David Patrick Kelly, and so on…

We had all worked together before, we’d all been in the trenches together, in other shows. And so, when they threw us together, as veterans fighting for our lives…that camaraderie was easy to let fall over into the performances, so it looks like these men care about each other.

And as soon as they actually care about each other, the audience starts to care what happens to them. There are moments of levity that were written into the script, and some we found along the way. Like when I said, at one point, “Remember the Alamo.”

I came up with that, because it was just funny – it’s a battle cry, but it’s the wrong battle cry for this moment, because they all died at the freakin’ Alamo! You have to sprinkle in moments like that. It doesn’t make the movie a comedy; it gives people a second to breathe and laugh, and then you suck them right back into the action.

1428 Elm: I agree with what you said about the camaraderie. Within 10 minutes, I was invested in these guys, and everything that happens from that point onward, because you can tell they have an affection for each other.

William Sadler: Exactly, and you care about them then, because they clearly care about each other.

1428 Elm: And that gallows humor you mentioned is pitch-perfect. Those little “calm before the storm” moments carry a lot of weight and impact. I loved it.

William Sadler: Thank you.

1428 Elm: Thank you, Mr. Sadler. It’s been a real pleasure talking with you.

William Sadler: You’re very welcome. Stay safe out there.