Billy Slaughter
William H. Slaughter is an American film and television actor whose career spans acclaimed studio features, prestige television, and independent cinema. He is best known for his work in The Big Short, The Magnificent Seven, The Campaign, Netflix’s Mindhunter, AMC’s Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, and Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger. His film credits also include Mysterious Circumstance, which won the Best Picture award at the Los Angeles Film Awards in 2022.
Born on June 3, 1980, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Slaughter attended Jesuit High School before pursuing formal training in acting. Early in his career, he was selected to stand in for Academy Award–winner Dustin Hoffman on the John Grisham adaptation Runaway Jury. Impressed by his professionalism and talent, Hoffman personally invited Slaughter to relocate to Los Angeles, where he worked as Hoffman’s permanent stand-in from 2002 to 2005. Slaughter later earned degrees in Drama and Communications from the University of New Orleans and continued his training at the prestigious British American Drama Academy (BADA).
Slaughter’s film career includes a wide range of roles across genres. In 2011, he appeared opposite Zoë Saldaña in the action thriller Colombiana, directed by Olivier Megaton. He followed this with a supporting role in Jay Roach’s political comedy The Campaign, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. In 2013, Slaughter appeared in the crime thriller Parker alongside Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, and later that year played Trevor “The Fed” in The East, opposite Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, and Elliot Page.
His additional film work includes Get On Up, the James Brown biopic starring Chadwick Boseman; When the Game Stands Tall; Focus with Will Smith and Margot Robbie; American Ultra; Midnight Special directed by Jeff Nichols; and Adam McKay’s Academy Award–winning ensemble drama The Big Short. In 2016, Slaughter appeared in Antoine Fuqua’s western remake The Magnificent Seven, starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke, and later appeared in the disaster epic Geostorm.
On television, Slaughter has appeared in numerous high-profile series, including FX’s American Horror Story, SundanceTV’s The Red Road, Netflix’s Mindhunter, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, and AMC’s Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches. His television work reflects a consistent presence in dramatic, genre, and prestige storytelling.
Known for his versatility and grounded performances, William H. Slaughter continues to build a dynamic career across film and television, bringing authenticity and depth to both supporting and character-driven roles.