William Katt
An actor forever linked to a red superhero suit, who turned a quirky, short-lived TV role into a lasting cult classic.
Born 1951 (age 75)·American actor and musician·Birthday: February 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
William Katt stepped into a pair of red long johns and into television history. As the hapless schoolteacher Ralph Hinkley in 'The Greatest American Hero,' he perfected the role of the reluctant, bumbling superhero, a charming everyman who kept losing the instruction manual for his alien suit. The show's catchy theme song and Katt's comedic timing turned it into a pop-culture phenomenon. His career, however, stretched far beyond that single defining role. The son of actress Barbara Hale, he appeared in Brian De Palma's film adaptation of 'Carrie' and later enjoyed a long run playing a defense attorney on the TV series 'Perry Mason,' starring opposite his real-life mother. For a generation, Katt remains the face of superheroic misfortune, an actor who brought warmth and wit to the idea of accidental heroism.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
William was born in 1951, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1951
#1 Movie
Quo Vadis
Best Picture
An American in Paris
#1 TV Show
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1951Born
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1956Started school
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1964Became a teenager
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Could drive
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1969Could vote
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Turned 21
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Turned 30
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 40
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 50
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 60
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 70
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 75 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead in the cult television series 'The Greatest American Hero,' which spawned a hit theme song.
- Played Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date, in the original 1976 film 'Carrie.'
- Portrayed private investigator Paul Drake Jr. in the 'Perry Mason' television movies, acting alongside his mother, Barbara Hale.
- Had a successful stage career, including performances in Broadway and national touring productions.
Did You Know?
His mother was Barbara Hale, who famously played Della Street on the original 'Perry Mason' television series.
He was a competitive surfer in his youth and even worked as a lifeguard.
He is also a musician and has performed with his band, William Katt and the Katt Pack.
“I kept losing the instruction book for my super suit.”
