William Edward Hickey (September 19, 1927 – June 29, 1997) was an American actor. He was known for his Oscar-nominated role as Don Corrado Prizzi in the John Huston 1985 film Prizzi's Honor.
Hickey was born in Brooklyn, the son of Nora and Edward Hickey, who were of Irish descent. He had an older sister, Dorothy Finn. Hickey began acting in radio in 1938.
Hickey enjoyed a long and successful career in film, television and theater. In addition to his work as an actor, he was a respected teacher of the craft. Notable for his unique, gravely voice and somewhat offbeat appearance, Hickey, in his later years, was often cast in "cantankerous-but-clever old man" roles. His characters, who sometimes exuded an underlying air of the macabre, usually had the last laugh over their more sprightly co-stars.
Hickey died from emphysema and bronchitis in 1997. He is interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York.
William Hickey (June 30, 1749 – May 31, 1830), was a lawyer, bon-viveur and general man about town, but is best-known for his vast Memoirs, composed in 1808-10 and published between 1913 and 1925, which in their manuscript form cover seven hundred and forty closely-written pages. Described by Peter Quennell as "One of the most remarkable books of its kind ever published in the English Language", Hickey's Memoirs give an extraordinarily vivid picture of life in late 18th-century London, Calcutta, Madras and Jamaica which stands comparison with the best of his near-contemporary James Boswell.
Son of Edward & Nora Hickey. Best known as the ancient Mafia don in Prizzi's Honor (1985), Hickey had a long, distinguished career in film, television, and the stage. Began career as a child actor on the variety stage. Made Broadway debut as walk-in in Bernard Shaw's SAINT JOAN (1951 production, starring Uta Hagen). Performed often during the golden age of television, including appearances on Studio One and Philco Playhouse. His most important contribution to the arts, however, remains his teaching career at the HB Studio in Greenwich Village, founded by Hagen and Herbert Berghof. George Segal (I), Sandy Dennis (I), and Barbra Streisand all studied under him.
