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Bruce Travis McGill (born on July 11, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American actor. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in drama. He has starred in many films, perhaps his most well-known role being "D-Day" in the 1978 comedy classic National Lampoon's Animal House, a role McGill was desperate to take at the time, recalling his days as a young unemployed actor sitting in a New York City casting office.

His other films include The Last Boy Scout, My Cousin Vinny, Timecop, The Insider, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, Collateral, Matchstick Men, Bagger Vance (2000), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Runaway Jury (2003), and Cinderella Man (2005). He is a favorite of director Michael Mann, who has cast him in almost every one of his films.

His television guest appearances range from Quantum Leap, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Miami Vice, to Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Braxton in the episode "Relativity". He has also appeared multiple times as a regular guest star in MacGyver as the title character's comical best friend Jack Dalton. Echoing that role, McGill often plays friends of the lead character in film and television. McGill occasionally makes references to the MacGyver episode "Brainwashed," greeting friends with the trigger phrase, "From the bottom of my heart, I salute you."

McGill also played Major Ed Ryan in the third season Babylon 5 episode "Severed Dreams". Babylon 5 producer J. Michael Straczynski originally intended for Everett McGill to play the role of Major Ryan in the episode Severed Dreams. However he did not know McGill's first name, so when he asked to have McGill contacted Straczynski was asked if he meant Bruce McGill, to which he replied yes. Even though it became apparent to Straczynski when Bruce McGill met him to discuss the role that this wasn't the McGill Straczynski had in mind, Straczynski decided to use Bruce McGill instead.

He played Willard Cates in the short-lived series Wolf Lake.

Trivia

• In Animal House, he plays the William Tell Overture by drumming his fingers on his windpipe, a talent McGill learned to do as a youngster.

External links

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