Today is the birthday of American film, television, and stage actor William Lucking. Best known for his as Piney Winston in the series, “Sons of Anarchy,” he was born on this day in 1941.
The Vicksburg, Michigan native Lucking graduated from UCLA and the Pasadena Playhouse with degrees in literature and theater. In 1986, with fellow actor and Michigan native Dana Elcar, Lucking co-founded the Santa Paula Theater Center.
Admired for his minimalist approach, a counterpoint to Elcar’s methodical style. Lucking served as co-instructor of the company’s free acting workshop. He served alongside Elcar as artistic director for five seasons.
He produced such projects as Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story, Harold Pinter’s The Hothouse, George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real, and Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men.
Lucking has played tough bikers in Hell’s Belles (1969) and Wild Rovers (1971), craggy cowboys in The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972) and The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976), and determined military and police officers in Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975) and K-PAX (2001).
His other film work includes appearances in Oklahoma Crude (1973), The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974), 10 (1979), The French Atlantic Affair (1979), Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979), The Ninth Configuration (1980), The Mountain Men (1980), Coast to Coast (1980), Stripes (1981), Ladykillers (1988), False Identity (1990), Extreme Justice (1993), The River Wild (1994), The Limey (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), Red Dragon (2002), The Rundown (2003), and Contraband (2012)
Lucking is 76 years old today.