Biography
William Mapother has staked out a peripheral film career thanks to his cousin,
Tom Cruise. With haunting eyes and a brooding demeanor, Mapother was a memorable choice to play
Marisa Tomei's vicious ex-husband in
In the Bedroom (2001), his most recognizable role. Cruise gave the Kentucky native his start with production assistant jobs on
Cocktail and
Rain Man (both 1988), then a small role in
Born on the Fourth of July (1989), where he also worked as the actor's assistant. Mapother has continued to appear in the margins of Cruise films, ranging from
Magnolia (1999) to
Minority Report (2002), as well as undertaking a larger role in the Cruise-produced
Without Limits (1998). ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide