Happy Birthday to William McNamara...

The star of "Doing Time on Maple Drive" turns 43 today! He's still got that boyish face as I found out when I literally came face-to-face witn him at an ATM machine in Woodland Hills on a rainy day a few years back.

Sometimes credited as Billy McNamara, this handsome actor was a cast member (along with Tuc Watkins, Charlotte Ross and Brian Kerwin) on Showtime's late, great series "Beggars and Choosers." I also loved him opposite Jodie Foster in the late 80s flick "Stealing Home" as the younger version of Mark Harmon's character. Billy's other credits include playing Montgomery Clift in "The Elizabeth Taylor Story," a killer in "Copycat" opposite Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter, and Jeff Bridges' son in "Texasville." He also co-starred with Richard Chamberlain (today's other birthday boy) in the 1990-91 series "Island Son."

I'd say I loved him most in "Chasers" (above) but that's just because he hardly wore any clothes in several of the scenes! I really can't print some of the stills but I can provide this link to Kennethinthe212 from a few years back!
Billy still works in smaller movies and TV guest spots but it really seemed like he was poised to be a bigger star in the 90s.

I wish him much success in whatever he does in the future and pay tribute to what I believe was his best role to date as the closeted college student in "Doing Time on Maple Drive." Jim Carrey played his alcoholic older brother and Lori Laughlin his fiancee in this emotionally wrenching TV movie from the early 90s. It was directed by Ken Olin and if you haven't seen it, do so and have a box of tissue handy!