This Day in Indie History: William Mapother

He may now be the creepy “Ethan” of “Lost” fame, but when William Mapother was born on this day in 1965, that’s probably something no one would have predicted. The Louisville, KY native graduated from Notre Dame in 1987 and pursued a career as a high school English teacher before taking small crew positions and uncredited roles in some of the most popular movies of the 1980s (including Rain Man and Cocktail). By 2001 Mapother had landed his first major role as a bullying ex-husband to Marisa Tomei’s cheating wife in In the Bedroom. Several more bit parts followed, including those in Vanilla Sky, Mean Creek (from which his scenes were deleted), Suspect Zero and Lords of Dogtown. Today he remains a stealthy “Other” on ABC’s island drama.

Connections: Although he was not a part of the third Mission: Impossible installment (he had a bit role in the second film), William Mapother maintains his connection to the series. His cousin is star Tom Cruise while the movie’s director, J.J. Abrams, is one of the creative forces behind “Lost.”