Sam Bottoms

Sam Bottoms Headshot

Actor • Producer

Birth Name: Samuel John Bottoms

Birth Date: October 17, 1955

Death Date: December 16, 2008

Birth Place: Santa Barbara, California

Siblings: Timothy Bottoms, Joseph Bottoms

Sam Bottoms grew up in a family of actors. All three of his brothers have tried their hand at the craft, with brother Timothy ("Johnny Got His Gun," "The Last Picture Show") the most well known. Sam's career, however, was distinguished by Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War epic "Apocalypse Now," in which he played the California surfer turned riverboat gunner, Lance B. Johnson. The role of a So-Cal surfer was not far from Bottoms' real-life background; he had grown up as a surfer in Santa Barbara. Bottoms portrayed Johnson as a wide-eyed, eager-to-please greenhorn whose innocence seems to serve as his protection in the hostile jungle.

Bottoms got his first acting job when he followed his brother down to the set of "The Last Picture Show." He was spotted hanging around, and wound up in the picture as Billy, the speech-impaired street sweeper. Bottoms also appeared in a couple of Clint Eastwood Westerns, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Bronco Billy." He never really got to work on another film at the level of "Apocalypse Now," but he did have a solid career that, in later years, centered on television. He played Cal Trask in the TV miniseries version of "East of Eden" and guest-starred on episodes of "21 Jump Street," "Murder, She Wrote," and "NYPD Blue," among others. He died of a brain tumor at the age of 53.

Credits

Sherrybaby

Actor
Bob Swanson Sr.
Movie
2006
76%

Winter Passing

Actor
Brian
Movie
2005

Havoc

Actor
Lt. Maris
Movie
2005

ShopgirlStream

Actor
Dan Butterfield
Movie
2005
61%

The Unsaid

Actor
Joseph Caffey
Movie
2001

Shadow Fury

Actor
Mitchell Madsen
Movie
2001

Looking Through Lillian

Actor
Gene
Movie
2001

Joseph's Gift

Actor
Robert Keller
Movie
1998

My Neighbor's Daughter

Actor
Dennis Cromwell
Movie
1997

Snide & Prejudice

Actor
Therapist Schaub
Movie
1997

Rescate Nuclear

Actor
Movie
1995

Project Shadowchaser III

Actor
Kody
Movie
1995

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
David Lewis
Series
1993
83%

The Trust

Actor
James Baker
Movie
1993

Dolly, Mi Muñeca

Actor
Movie
1992

Dolly Dearest

Actor
Elliot Wade
Movie
1992

North of Chiang Mai

Actor
Movie
1992

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's ApocalypseStream

Actor
Movie
1991
100%

Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas

Producer
Movie
1991

The Witching of Ben Wagner

Actor
Mr. George `'Dad'` Wagner
Movie
1990

Ragin' Cajun

Actor
Legs
Movie
1990

After School

Actor
Father Michael McCarren
Movie
1988

21 Jump StreetStream

Guest Star
Series
1987

Hunter's Blood

Actor
David Rand
Movie
1987

Island Sons

Actor
Sam Faraday
Movie
1987

Gardens of StoneStream

Actor
Lt. Webber
Movie
1987
44%

In 'n' Out

Actor
Murray Lewis Jr.
Movie
1986

Prime Risk

Actor
Bill Yeoman
Movie
1985

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Sgt. Joe Rice
Series
1984

Délire sur la frontière

Actor
Movie
1984

East of Eden

Actor
Miniseries
1981

Bronco BillyStream

Actor
Leonard James
Movie
1980
75%

Apocalypse Now Redux

Actor
Lance Johnson
Movie
1979

Up From the Depths

Actor
Greg Oliver
Movie
1979

Apocalypse NowStream

Actor
Lance
Movie
1979
98%

Stories of the Bible

Actor
Joseph
Movie
1978

The Outlaw Josey WalesStream

Actor
Jamie
Movie
1976
91%

Cage Without a Key

Actor
Buddy Goleta
Movie
1975

Savages

Actor
Ben Campbell
Movie
1974

Zandy's BrideStream

Actor
Mel Allan
Movie
1974

Class of '44

Actor
Marty
Movie
1973

Marcus Welby, M.D.Stream

Guest Star
Ed
Series
1969