William Curtis "Will" Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor.
Patton was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the eldest son of a Lutheran minister. He attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and The Actors Studio and won two Obie Awards for best actor for his performances in Sam Shepard's play Fool for Love and the Public Theatre production of What Did He See?.
He was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of General Bethlehem in The Postman. He also portrayed Coach Bill Yoast in Remember the Titans. Patton recently provided the voice for the audio version of The Assault on Reason by Al Gore.
He made his film debut in multiple roles in the low-budget "King Blank" (1982). His first high profile film was Mike Nichols' "Silkwood" the following year. After appearances in "After Hours" and "Desperately Seeking Susan" (both 1985), Patton turned in a fine screen performance as the oily and officious homosexual aide to Gene Hackman's shady Secretary of Defense in Roger Donaldson's taut Washington thriller, "No Way Out" (1987). Subsequently, he has turned in strong portrayals of flawed characters, including upstanding lawmen ("A Shock to the System" 1990; "Copycat" 1995), crusading journalists ("Midnight Edition" 1994) and quirky, possibly villainous, individuals ("The Client" and "The Puppet Masters" both 1994). He has key roles in two 1996 features: "Fled", as a lawman tracking two escaped convicts, and "The Spitfire Grill", as a suspicious businessman.
Patton's unique and intimate voice has made him one of the most sought after readers of audio books, thanks to listeners who request him by name.