He was born William Shockley on September 17th in Lawrence, Kansas. However, William considers himself a Texan since as a youngster, he grew up Texas. At the age of seven, he was introduced to the performing arts when his mother made him take guitar lessons. From then on, he has always been in a band, but it's his acting he's known for. After graduating high school, William attended the University of Texas and earned his degree in Political Science. After college, he moved on to Paris and Milan for four months and upon his return to the States, he began seriously pursuing his passion for the arts. He relocated to Dallas and enrolled in acting classes. His first acting experience was on stage. In 1986, William earned his SAG card when he won a role in Robo Cop (1987). From there on, his acting credits in film and t.v. movies were numerous: Howling V: The Rebirth (1989), Love and Lies (1990), Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990), Lucky/Chances (1990), Quiet Little Neighbourhood (1990), Shoot First: A Cop's Vengeance (1991), Switch (1991), Lady Boss (1992), Dream Lover (1994), Showgirls (1995), Girl in the Cadillac (1995), Stolen Woman, Captured Hearts (1997), The Joyriders (1999) and Madison (2001).