William Kircher

William Kircher graduated from NZ Drama School aged only 18, having lied about his age when applying two years before. He began a busy theatre career that has been interrupted by occasional screen acting roles, and later a move into behind the scenes work.

Murder has been a big part of Kircher’s screen life — whether dying on screen, killing others, or playing the policeman on the case. His first big screen appearances were small roles as policemen in movies Trespasses and Constance (both 1984). Later came kidult TV fantasies Cuckoo Land and Worzel Gummidge Down Under, a leading role in Ray Bradbury Theatre (in episode ‘A Miracle of Rare Device’), and his breakthrough part in Shark in the Park.

Kircher began shooting Shark in the Park in the last half of 1988. When the show debuted, writer Ken Duncum described it as our “first real genre police drama”, imbued with “gritty naturalism”, thanks to fallible, human characters: “ordinary people in a stress occupation”. Kircher played BP, one of the more experienced cops in the show’s police ensemble.

Two more seasons of Shark in the Park followed. The 90s saw further cops and criminals. In City Life he played a bent cop involved in a drug operation, who attempts to kidnap and kill one of the main characters; in Plainclothes Kircher was a stressed property developer who takes over the police station, armed only with a nail gun. Comic relief arrived in the form of an egotistical news reporter on Cover Story. He also soloed in early Anthony McCarten short Nocturne in a Room, as a concert pianist on a bender.

Villains have also been among his acting highlights: especially Pyke, a murderous cowboy in goldmining-era series Gold, and the lead baddie in Valley of Adventure, made as part of the Enid Blyton Adventure Series. Among the producers of the latter production was Englishman Raymond Thompson. In the late 90s Kircher began working for Thompson’s company Cloud 9 Entertainment, shortly before they hit paydirt with The Tribe. Kircher developed projects for the company. Later he handled public relations, and also headed the company’s commercial division, where he produced public interest film Choice and a number of corporate projects.

After Cloud 9 relocated to Australia, Kircher set up company ScreenAdventures with longtime friend Michael Hurst and later Cloud 9 executive Geoff Husson.

Since 2006 Kircher has balanced behind the scenes work with acting. That year he played policeman (and winner of the George Cross) Stu Guthrie in acclaimed movie Out of the Blue, based on the Aramoana massacre. He also cameoed in an episode of fantasy Legend of the Seeker, and spent fourteen months as line producer of Bryan Bruce show The Investigator.

After 35 years in the game, Kircher found himself offered a role on Peter Jackson’s  adaptation of The Hobbit, without even doing an audition. "I've auditioned a lot for Peter over the years and so he knows my work. When I got the phone call, it was almost like I had won Lotto." Kircher played Bifur, one of the dwarves who join Bilbo Baggins on a quest for riches. "He really is the Keith Richards of the Dwarf kingdom," says Kircher of the role; he confirms that Bifur was referred to on the set as "the 'rock'n'roll dwarf". "He has an axe embedded in his head."

In 2015 Kircher relocated to Los Angeles, where he enjoyed a five year stint acting in American productions. His work during this period included roles in three feature films; sci-fi flick Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter, horror film The Axiom and psychological thriller Captive.

As the central villain of Captive, Kircher played a delusional kidnapper, holding hostage a girl he believes to be his daughter. Kircher's performance was received well by Horror film reviewers, with website Heaven Horror calling Kircher "excellent', and FilmCarnage writing "his character is intense and hardened at times, yet bubbling with generosity, all of which Kircher portrays very well."  

Kircher returned in New Zealand amongst the 2020 Covid19 pandemic, but continues to travel between his Wellington base and the United States. He told Stuff in 2021 "Some people hate LA, but I love it...To live in a city that is absolutely founded on the screen entertainment industry was fantastic! I loved it. It was such an energising atmosphere to live in."

Profile updated on 24 January 2023

Sources include
Andrew T. Marshall 'Captive [2021] - Movie Review (3/5)' - Heaven Horror, 27 May 2021
William Kircher
William Kircher Internet Movie Database website. Accessed 24 January 2023
Ken Duncum, 'Cop Shop Opera - Shark in the Park' - Illusions 11, July 1989, page 6
Bess Manson, 'William Kircher - The good villain' - Stuff, 20 February 2021
Unknown writer, 'Review: Captive' - FilmCarnage, 15 June 2021