Bradford Claude Dourif was born on March 18, 1950, in Huntington, West Virginia, to Joan Mavis Felton and Jean Henri Dourif, a French-born art collector who owned and operated a dye factory. Tragedy struck when Dourif was just three years old, as his father passed away, leaving his mother to raise him and his four siblings, including his brother, with the help of her second husband, Bill Campbell, a champion golfer.
Dourif's early life was marked by a passion for art and acting, which he pursued at Aiken Preparatory School in South Carolina from 1963 to 1965. Although he initially considered becoming a professional artist, he ultimately decided to focus on acting, inspired by his mother's participation in community theater.
As he progressed from school productions to community theater, Dourif joined the Huntington Community Players and attended Marshall University in Huntington. At the age of 19, he left his hometown college and headed to New York City, where he worked with the Circle Repertory Company.
In the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in numerous plays, both off-Broadway and at Woodstock, New York, including a production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975),which was directed by Milos Forman and starred Jack Nicholson. Although this film is often cited as his film debut, Dourif actually made his big-screen appearance with a small part in "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings" (1975).
Dourif's portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) earned him widespread recognition, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Acting Debut, a British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Despite his instant stardom, Dourif returned to New York, where he continued to work in theater and taught acting and directing classes at Columbia University until 1988, when he moved to Hollywood. Over the years, Dourif has played a wide range of roles, from eccentric characters to deranged villains, and has worked with numerous acclaimed directors, including John Huston and David Lynch.
Dourif's notable film appearances include "Eyes of Laura Mars" (1978),"Wise Blood" (1979),"Ragtime" (1981),"Dune" (1984),"Blue Velvet" (1986),"Child's Play" (1988),and "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. He has also made sporadic appearances on television, including roles in "The X-Files," "Babylon 5," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Millennium," and "Ponderosa."
