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William O'Neil
Age: 60
Greenbrae, California
First career: Military Officer
New career: Actor/model
William (Bill) O'Neil first went on stage when he was a kid growing up in San Jose, California. He was 14, and the role was "Larry" in Little Women. He aced the role, became the local high school theater star, and left for college, intent on studying drama. Instead, in the midst of an identity crisis, he signed up for the Army--and stayed for 20 years.
"But," says O'Neil, "if you don't do what you're supposed to do, it will return to haunt you." Thirty years after his aborted drama major in college, O'Neil was retired from the army and back on stage, playing leading roles in San Francisco area community theater. It was fun, but not lucrative. Then a lightbulb went off, says O'Neil. Using the GI Bill, he took classes in drama and voice--and he was on his way.
Today O'Neil, 60, has a full-fledged career as an actor/model. He's represented by Stars, one of San Francisco's top modeling agencies. His clips include films, television, commercials, voice-overs, and still photos. He's done commercials for Toyota, Chevron, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Wells Fargo, and lots of others.
Not that it's always easy. "You have to like yourself a lot," he says, "because everybody in the world will tell you that you can't do it, you're no good, you're not as good as someone else, and so on. But you can't judge yourself by anyone else. You have to take the risk to be told 'no,' because you'll be told 'no' a lot. You may spend an hour making faces for a director who only tells you, 'I'll know it when I see it.' But my contention is that everyone has genius, and if you nurture it, the opportunities will come along."
O'Neil credits his time in the military for giving him the life experience he needed to become a "decent actor." "Try jumping out of airplanes, being shot at, being responsible," he says. "You learn to see ahead, to know people--and you have to know yourself. It gives you a certain confidence level."
As for retirement, forget it. "Sixty is just the beginning," says Bill O'Neil, smiling.
Words of Wisdom
People interested in performing or modeling have a number of choices, says Bill O'Neil. He cites voice as a large field, especially doing radio commercials. Another "huge" field is reading books (on tape and radio). There is a broadcast series for the blind on a special radio station in most cities, where you can get experience by volunteering. If you're interested in modeling, call a local agency--there's a growing demand for older models throughout the country. But most important of all is to follow your heart, says O'Neil, because "it knows what you're supposed to be doing."
Photo credits L-R: Sherry Sanabria, Catherine Reeve, Carol Siegel
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