William Stack was an American actor who was often mistaken as British due to his ability to imitate various British accents. Born in Oregon, he moved to London as a young man to pursue a career in stage acting. With many theaters and companies in London, Stack found initial success and even appeared as Hamlet in postcard photos. He eventually tried his hand in the British silent film industry, but with limited success.
By 1930, Stack had returned to America and began working in early Hollywood sound pictures. With his rich stage actor's voice and accents, he appeared in several films throughout the 1930s. As he entered his 50s, Stack's roles focused on featured character pieces, often playing assured doctors, lawyers, judges, nobles, and butlers.
Stack gained press for his role in the scandalous film Tarzan and His Mate, in which Maureen O'Sullivan appeared to swim nude. Although he had a few lines in this and other films, Stack was not credited for his always believable characterizations.
In 1936, Stack played several historical roles, including French General Montcalm in The Last of the Mohicans and Lord Ruthven in Mary of Scotland, directed by John Ford. Alongside an ensemble of character actors, Stack played a sly Scottish lord who vied with his fellow conspirators in Scottish brogue.
Throughout the later 1930s, Stack appeared in many A pictures, but his great acting skills were often overlooked. He retired from acting in the 1940s, leaving behind a legacy of his screen presence.
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