In the Cockpit with Tony Bill is the sixth volume in the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots whose passion for flight inspires young and old alike to take to the skies.
Academy Award winning producer Tony Bill soloed a glider at the age of 14. Years later, an aerobatic ride in a Pitts hooked him on aerobatic and powered flight. He proceeded to get all the powered flight ratings he could, through his commercial, twin and instrument, multi-engine and seaplane ratings. He entered aerobatic contests for several years, and has owned several aircraft, including a Marchetti SF260, a single-engine aerobatic airplane made in Italy.
One of Tony’s other interests was acting. He attended Notre Dame, majoring in English and art. He was cast in “Come Blow Your Horn” in 1963, playing the younger brother to Frank Sinatra’s character. Throughout the following years, various directors, including Sydney Pollock, Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, Francis Coppola, and Hal Ashby, cast Tony in roles.
About seven years after acting in his first film role, he produced his first film, “Deadhead Miles.” He produced several more films before receiving an Academy Award for Best Picture for producing “The Sting,” which won six additional Oscars and became one of the highest grossing films in history. His other production credits include “Taxi Driver,” “Hearts of the West,” “Boulevard Nights,” and “Going in Style.” He made his directorial debut with “My Bodyguard.” He also directed “Six Weeks,” “Five Corners,” “Crazy People,” “Untamed Heart,” and “A Home of Our Own.” Tony Bill also teaches and lectures on film, and is the author of “Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You’re on a Film Set.”
Di Freeze interviewed the Academy Award winning producer prior to the release of “Flyboys.” He reviewed and approved this approximately 4,500-word biography for factual accuracy. This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of Tony Bill’s life, but it contains the major milestones in his aviation history and in film as an actor, director, and producer.
