Bo Hopkins has spent most of his career playing character roles, but he occasionally gets leading roles. Tall, light-haired, and possessing a distinctive drawl, he made his film debut in The Thousand Plane Raid (1969) following studies with drama instructor Uta Hagen in New York and training at the Desilu Playhouse school in Hollywood. He next appeared in Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969). Hopkins went on to work with the director in two more films, including The Getaway (1972). Hopkins specializes in action features and Westerns and is often cast as a redneck. Some of his notable leading roles include that of a gunfighter whose best friend of 30 years turns out to be a woman in The Ballad of Little Joe (1993). Hopkins also appears frequently on television in films and as a series guest star.