Born 1951 (age 51) · Waxahachie, Texas, USA
Appears in 19 titles

Charles Gunning was born in Waxahachie, Texas. As a child growing up in Dallas, he always aspired to be an artist. He was an active participant in the music and art scenes while residing in Austin, Texas, where he lived for 20 years. Charles has lived in Los Angeles, California, since 1991. Charles studied Television and Film at The University of Texas at Austin and at the Conservatory of The American Film Institute in Hollywood. Joel Coen and Ethan Coen discovered Charles and cast him into his first major movie in the critically acclaimed Miller's Crossing (1990). Charles attained cult-hero status for his role in the smash-hit Richard Linklater film Slacker (1990). He also appeared in the beautifully done Walter Hill film Wild Bill (1995) with Jeff Bridges and Ellen Barkin . Charles Gunning Co-Stars as "Slim" in his latest film, Richard Linklater's The Newton Boys (1998) starring Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, and Dwight Yoakam. Charles Gunning has had numerous Roles on television series, including High Incident (1996) (ABC), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) (ABC), ER (1994) (NBC), Cybill (1995) (CBS), Murder, She Wrote (1984) (CBS), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (Fox) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993) (CBS). He has appeared in TV movies Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women (1994)(Showtime), and Bonanza: The Return (1993) (NBC), among others, and in a number of high-profile commercials. Charles Gunning is a versatile bad-guy actor whose roles have ranged from cold-blooded psychopaths, the Devil, Weirdoes, Drunks, Gangsters, Murderers, Hitmen, Aliens and Cops. He also specializes in dark comedies. In June of 1993, Charles Gunning won the mantle of Archetypal Screen Villain in a poker game from Hollywood Icon Jack Elam.

Filmography

Miller's Crossing
7.5
Miller's Crossing
1990
as Hitman at Verna's
The Haunting
5.5
The Haunting
1999
as Hugh Crain
Waking Life
7.5
Waking Life
2001
as Angry Man in Jail
Bonanza: The Return
6.5
Bonanza: The Return
1993
as Otis
Slacker
6.8
Slacker
1990
as Hitchhiker Awaiting 'True Call'
The Newton Boys
6.1
The Newton Boys
1998
as Slim
Wild Bill
5.8
Wild Bill
1995
as Frank Dowder
Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny
6.8
Richard Linklater: Dream Is Destiny
2016
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
.com for Murder
3.4
.com for Murder
2001
as PC Tech
Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women
5.1
Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Women
1994
as Mr. Electricity
Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind
4.5
Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind
1991
as Boltinghouse
... End of Interview!
... End of Interview!
2004
as Self ('Slacker' footage)