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Bill Randolph

Bill Randolph’s acting career crossed theater, horror movies and television before taking an unexpected turn into graphic design. Born in Detroit on October 11, 1953, Randolph began acting in school plays at Lincoln High School. He later attended Allan Hancock College, studying in its PCCA theater training program, and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from SUNY Purchase. His early stage work included the 1977 social-protest disco musical St. Joan of the Microphone, performed in New York City parks and at festivals including the Lincoln Center Outdoor Festival. Appearing alongside Mercedes Hall, Randolph created the role of Supersonic Phil Harmonic, the show’s resident club heart-throb. He went on to spend two years starring in the long-running Broadway production of Gemini, giving his career a substantial theatrical foundation before movies and television became a larger part of the picture. Randolph made his feature-film debut in Brian De Palma’s horror movie Dressed to Kill in 1980. His best-known screen role followed a year later, when he played Jeffrey in Friday the 13th Part 2. The sequel remains the movie most closely associated with him, placing Randolph within one of horror’s defining slasher series. His later film appearances included Penn & Teller Get Killed in 1989 and Guilty as Charged in 1991, his most recent movie role. On television, Randolph appeared in series including Hill Street Blues and As the World Turns. He also starred in Trauma Center and the short-lived 1984 series Comedy Zone, adding drama and comedy to a résumé already shaped by stage musicals and horror films. In the early 1990s, Randolph retired from acting in pursuit of a steadier career as a graphic designer. He later worked for the New York Daily News, closing one creative chapter while continuing in another field built around visual craft.