William Powell
Known for Acting · 118 credits
- Born
- 1892-07-29
- Died
- 1984-03-05
- Place of birth
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Also known as
- William H. Powell · William Horatio Powell
Biography
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times: for The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947). After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the AADA, and worked in some vaudeville and stock companies. After several successful experiences on the Broadway stage, he began his Hollywood career in 1922, playing a small role as an evil henchman of Professor Moriarty in a production of Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore. His most memorable role in silent movies was as a bitter film director opposite Emil Jannings' Academy Award-winning performance as a fallen general in The Last Command (1928). This success, along with Powell's pleasant speaking voice, led to his first starring role as amateur detective Philo Vance in the "talkie" The Canary Murder Case (1929). Powell's most famous role was that of Nick Charles in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man in 1934, based upon Dashiell Hammett's novel. The role provided a perfect opportunity for Powell, with his resonant speaking voice, to showcase his sophisticated charm and witty sense of humor, and he received his first Academy Award nomination for The Thin Man. Myrna Loy played his wife, Nora, in each of the Thin Man films. Their on-screen partnership, beginning alongside Clark Gable in 1934 with Manhattan Melodrama, was one of Hollywood's most prolific, and they appeared in 14 films together. Loy and Powell starred in the Best Picture of 1936, The Great Ziegfeld, with Powell in the title role and Loy as Ziegfeld's wife Billie Burke. That same year, he also received his second Academy Award nomination, for the comedy My Man Godfrey. In 1935, he starred with Jean Harlow in Reckless. A serious romance developed between them, and in 1936, they were reunited on screen and with Loy and Spencer Tracy in the screwball comedy Libeled Lady. However, Harlow surprisingly and quickly became ill, and died from uremia at the age of 26 in June 1937 before they could marry. His distress over her death, as well as a cancer diagnosis of his own, caused him to accept fewer acting roles. Powell's career slowed considerably in the 1940s, although he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1947 for his role as the cantankerous Clarence Day, Sr., in Life with Father. His last film was 1955's Mister Roberts. Powell died in Palm Springs, California, on March 5, 1984, at the age of 91 from heart failure, nearly 30 years after his retirement. He is buried at the Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California, near his third wife Diana Lewis, and his only child, his son William David Powell.
Known For
Movies (118)
The Baroness and the Butler
1938
as Johann Porok
How to Marry a Millionaire
1953
as J.D. Hanley
Mister Roberts
1955
as Doc
Evelyn Prentice
1934
as John Prentice
The Thin Man
1934
as Nick Charles
The Key
1934
as Capt. Bill Tennant
Pointed Heels
1929
as Robert Courtland
My Man Godfrey
1936
as Godfrey
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
as Self (archive footage)
Interference
1929
as Philip Voaze
Another Thin Man
1939
as Nick Charles
White Mice
1926
as Roddy Forrester
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
Special Delivery
1927
as Harold Jones
New York
1927
as Trent Regan
The Hoodlum Saint
1946
as Terence Ellerton 'Terry' O'Neill
After the Thin Man
1936
as Nick Charles
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ziegfeld Follies
1945
as Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
Crossroads
1942
as David Talbot aka Jean Pelletier
The Great Ziegfeld
1936
as Florenz 'Flo' Ziegfeld Jr.
Libeled Lady
1936
as William 'Bill' Stephens Chandler
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
Lawyer Man
1932
as Anton "Tony" Adam
I Love You Again
1940
as Larry Wilson aka George Carey
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Rendezvous
1935
as Lt. William 'Bill' Gordon / Anson Meridan
The Thin Man Goes Home
1944
as Nick Charles
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
1986
as Self (archive footage)
Life with Father
1947
as Clarence Day Sr.
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound
1940
as Self
From the Ends of the Earth
1939
as Self
The Emperor's Candlesticks
1937
as Baron Stephan Wolensky
Song of the Thin Man
1947
as Nick Charles
Love Crazy
1941
as Steve Ireland
It's a Big Country
1951
as Professor
The Kennel Murder Case
1933
as Philo Vance
Manhattan Melodrama
1934
as Jim Wade
The Benson Murder Case
1930
as Philo Vance
The Treasure of Lost Canyon
1952
as Homer 'Doc' Brown
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Nick Charles (archive footage)
High Pressure
1932
as Gar Evans
Twenty Years After
1944
as (archive footage)
Shadow of the Thin Man
1941
as Nick Charles
Sea Horses
1926
as Lorenzo Salvia
Take One False Step
1949
as Andrew Gentling
Reckless
1935
as Ned Riley
Double Wedding
1937
as Charles Lodge
The Romance of Celluloid
1937
as Self (archive footage)
The Youngest Profession
1943
as William Powell
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
1937
as Charles
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as (archive footage)
One Way Passage
1932
as Dan Hardesty
Jewel Robbery
1932
as The Robber
Tin Gods
1926
as Tony Santelli
Beau Geste
1926
as Boldini
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid
1948
as Arthur Peabody
The Voice of Hollywood
1930
Private Detective 62
1933
as Donald Free
The Last Command
1928
as Lev Andreyev
La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
1935
as Self
Man of the World
1931
as Michael Trevor
Forgotten Faces
1928
as Froggy
For the Defense
1930
as William Foster
Ladies' Man
1931
as Jamie Darricott
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
1936
as Dr. Lawrence 'Brad' Bradford
The Heavenly Body
1944
as William S. Whitley
The Greene Murder Case
1929
as Philo Vance
The Canary Murder Case
1929
as Philo Vance
Sherlock Holmes
1922
as Forman Wells
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
1990
as (archive footage)
Street of Chance
1930
as John D. Marsden / 'Natural' Davis
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Self
Star of Midnight
1935
as Clay Dalzell
When Knighthood Was in Flower
1922
as Francis I
Charming Sinners
1929
as Karl Kraley
Shadow of the Law
1930
as Jim Montgomery aka John Nelson
Fashions of 1934
1934
as Sherwood Nash
Discovering Jean Harlow
2015
as archive footage
Dancing in the Dark
1949
as Emery Slade
Double Harness
1933
as John Fletcher
Paramount on Parade
1930
as Philo Vance
The Road to Singapore
1931
as Hugh Dawltry
The Bright Shawl
1923
as Gaspar De Vaca
The Four Feathers
1929
as Capt. William Trench
Cinecittà Babilonia: Sex, Drugs and Black Shirts
2017
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
The Runaway
1926
as Jack Harrison
Under the Red Robe
1923
as Duke of Orleans
The Girl Who Had Everything
1953
as Steve Latimer
The Vanishing Pioneer
1928
as John Murdock
Romola
1924
as Tito Melema
Paid to Love
1927
as Prince Eric
Senorita
1927
as Manuel Oliveros
The Senator Was Indiscreet
1947
as Senator Melvin G. Ashton
Faint Perfume
1925
as Barnaby Powers
Beau Sabreur
1928
as Becque
Escapade
1935
as Fritz
Nevada
1927
as Clan Dillon
William Powell: A True Gentleman
2005
The Drag Net
1928
as Dapper Frank Trent
Behind the Make-Up
1930
as Gardoni
Feel My Pulse
1928
as Her Nemesis
The Great Morgan
1945
as William Powell (voice) (uncredited)
Desert Gold
1926
as Snake Landree
Partners in Crime
1928
as Smith
My Lady's Lips
1925
as Scott Seldon
Aloma of the South Seas
1926
as Van Templeton
She's a Sheik
1927
as Kada
Two Tragic Blondes - Marilyn Monroe And Jean Harlow
1989
Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Dangerous Money
1924
as Prince Arnoldo da Pescia
The Beautiful City
1925
as Nick Di Silva
The Love Story of Jean Harlow and William Powell
2023
as Self (archive footage)
The Great Gatsby
1926
as George Wilson
Time to Love
1927
as Prince Alado
Love's Greatest Mistake
1927
as Don Kendall
Too Many Kisses
1925
as Don Julio
Outcast
1922
as DeValle
About William Powell
William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the Thin Man series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Powell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times: for The Thin Man (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), and Life with Father (1947). After high school, he left home for New York and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at the age of 18. In 1912, Powell graduated from the… With 118 credits spanning from 1922 to 2023, William Powell has appeared in 118 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Powell movies, William Powell filmography, or the latest projects starring William Powell can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Powell Movies
- The Baroness and the Butler (1938) — as Johann Porok
- How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) — as J.D. Hanley
- Mister Roberts (1955) — as Doc
- Evelyn Prentice (1934) — as John Prentice
- The Thin Man (1934) — as Nick Charles
Where to Watch William Powell Films
Most William Powell movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Powell, check our movies catalogue and browse page.