Bruce Campbell Biography

Bruce Campbell (born on June 22, 1958, Royal Oak, Michigan) is an American actor of Scottish descent. Campbell is very well-known for his starring role as Ash in the Evil Dead trilogy of horror/slapstick movies.

Biography

Bruce Campbell began acting as a teenager and soon began making small Super 8 movies with friends. After meeting Sam Raimi in high school the two became good friends and started making movies together. Campbell would go on to attend Western Michigan University while he continued to work on his acting career. A few years and at least fifty movies later, they got together with other family and friends and began work on The Evil Dead. Campbell starred and worked behind the camera, receiving a "co-executive producer" credit; Raimi directed. Four years later the movie became a cult hit in England, leading to American success and two sequels: Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness.

Campbell has appeared in many of Raimi's films outside of the Evil Dead series, usually in small roles. He was supposed to star in Darkman, but the studio reportedly insisted on Liam Neeson. Campbell stayed on behind the scenes, credited as "additional voice recording", and appears as the true face of Darkman in the film's final shot. He has also had several small parts in the movies of Joel and Ethan Coen (Joel was an editor on The Evil Dead). Campbell often takes on quirky roles, such as Elvis Presley in the recent film Bubba Ho-Tep, and appears in films that go straight to video or cable TV.

Many people consider Bruce Campbell to be the greatest "B-movie" star of all time. His acting style is an "over-the-top" machismo that lends itself well to roles such as that of Ash Williams, whom Campbell himself has dubbed "an idiot and a jerk like the rest of us". Campbell also excels at "reverse acting", a frequent filming technique of Raimi's where action sequences are filmed in the reverse sequence of how they will appear in the film.

Over the years, Bruce Campbell has developed a huge fanbase and he is a favorite at film conventions. Campbell has a reputation as being one of the nicest people in the business, and offers advice about getting into the film industry on his Web site.

Outside of film, Campbell has appeared in a number of television series. While he starred in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and Jack of All Trades, he is better known for his supporting role as the recurring character Autolycus ("the King of Thieves") on the fantasy series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. He also directed a number of episodes of Hercules and Xena.

Bruce Campbell is featured as a voice actor in several video game titles. He provides the voice of Ash in the three latest Evil Dead-themed games, as well as titles such as Pitfall 3-D: Beyond the Jungle and Spider-Man: The Movie. He also provides the voice of main character Jake Logan in the PC title, Tachyon: The Fringe.

Campbell's autobiography, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, traces his career as an actor in low-budget movies and television. The book adds a chapter about the reaction of fans at book signings. Campbell has also written a book entitled Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way, a comedic novel featuring himself as the main character, struggling to make it into the world of A-list movies, and the ensuing chaos that results.

Trivia

• Campbell wrote an ongoing column for the short-lived X-Ray Magazine in Cincinnati, Ohio called "Off the Chin."
• Campbell is a documented member of the Church of the SubGenius.
• Campbell currently lives in Oregon with his wife, Ida Gearon.