William's early life took place on a reservation in central British Columbia, Alkali Lake, BC, where he grew up surrounded by the beauty of nature. His mother, Marilyn, and father, Dave, who are both Residential School Survivors, later relocated to Edmonton when William was still a preteen.
As he entered his teenage years, William's family moved back to his childhood home, and he began to explore his passion for acting by participating in local plays and high school productions. This early exposure to the performing arts sparked his interest in film, and he eventually auditioned for a speaking role in the mini-series "Dreamkeeper".
William's dedication to his craft earned him a partial scholarship to the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art, where he honorably graduated from the acting program. Upon completing his studies, he returned to Vancouver, BC, and landed his first role in the Twilight saga: Eclipse.
One of William's proudest moments was working alongside the renowned actor Anthony Hopkins in the film "Blackway". He recalled a specific scene in Vernon, BC, where Hopkins looked him dead in the eye and smiled, saying "good work". This experience not only boosted William's confidence but also gave him the opportunity to work with other idols, such as Ron Livingston, Lorne Cardinal, and Sandra Bullock.
Giving back to his community is important to William, and he has been involved in teaching First Nations youth in his community about acting for film and television. He has worked with his cousin, a teacher at Sxoxomic school, to develop short films with the students, adapting scripts from Shuswap books and exploring various aspects of the filmmaking process.
William has also been open about his personal struggles, celebrating 15 years of sobriety from alcohol in 2021. He continues to develop new projects with the youth through Zoom, having started with four actors and now working with 14 or so participants.
