Born in Chicago, Bill graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in English and a minor in theater. He also attended grad school at DePaul University and studied filmmaking at Columbia Film School. He subsequently worked in the advertising industry as a writer and producer at such ad agencies as Leo Burnett, Cunningham & Walsh, and Campbell-Mithun-Esty. Simultaneously, he worked as an actor in Chicago theaters such as The Goodman, Pheasant Run, Shakespeare Repertory, and Victory Gardens where he played Danny in the Chicago premiere of “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.”
Since turning to directing and producing, he has shot over a hundred commercials for such companies as McDonald's, Pizza Hut and the Chicago White Sox, and won One Show, Mobius, New York International TV & Radio Festival, Telly, and Addy Gold awards. He recently directed Angels In Stardust, starring Alicia Silverstone, Billy Burke, and AJ Michalka, a film inspired by his novel, Jesus In Cowboy Boots. He is a member of five entertainment unions, and a citizen of the U.S. and Ireland.