
Acting
Sep 20, 1940
Pensacola, Florida, USA
Bill Kurtis
Acting
Biography
Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) is an American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor. He has been noted for his sonorous voice throughout his career. He is most known for narrating A&E's true crime series Cold Case Files as well as American Justice. Kurtis was studying to become a lawyer in the 1960s, when he was asked to fill in on a temporary news assignment at a television station in Topeka, Kansas. His reporting on a devastating tornado outbreak, led to an on air news reporter and later a very successful news anchor position in Chicago. In 1982, Kurtis joined Diane Sawyer on The CBS Morning News, the network broadcast from New York City. The two were also on the CBS Early Morning News, which aired an hour earlier on most CBS stations. He also anchored three CBS Reports: The Plane That Fell from the Sky, The Golden Leaf, and The Gift of Life. He became especially interested in investigative in-depth reports and documentaries. When he returned to Chicago and for a time resumed his anchor duties, he also founded a production company, Kurtis Productions. Kurtis hosted or produced a number of crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Kurtis is the scorekeeper/announcer for National Public Radio (NPR)'s news comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, and served as the host of Through the Decades, a documentary-style news magazine seen on Decades. Kurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, and Kurtis Productions produced nearly 500 documentaries for series like The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports and Cold Case Files for the A&E; and Investigating History for the History Channel. He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions. For CNBC, the company has produced nearly 100 episodes of American Greed. Kurtis has received two Peabody Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, awards from the Overseas Press Club, a DuPont Award, and has been inducted into the Illinois and Kansas Halls of Fame. In 1998, he was awarded the University of Kansas William Allen White citation. Kurtis has also authored three books: On Assignment (1984), Death Penalty on Trial (2004), and Prairie Table Cookbook (2008). In the animated series South Park, Eric Cartman owns a board game called "Investigative Reports with Bill Kurtis", featuring a talking Bill Kurtis bust. The boys can be seen playing the game in South Park's season four episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) and season eight episode "Up the Down Steroid" (2004). The game can also be seen on the shelf of a hobby store in the episode "Cock Magic" (2014). A 1972 report by Bill Kurtis, while a correspondent for CBS News in Los Angeles, was used as the introduction to Dr. Dre's album Compton. Kurtis also contributed a spoken-word introduction to The Dandy Warhols' 2005 album Odditorium or Warlords of Mars.
Feature Films (16)

“Making Waves” takes viewers below the surface of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem and into the middle of a complex war for survival. For more than a century, non-native species of plants, fish, invertebrates and microscopic organisms have been silently invading the Great Lakes, leaving devastation in their wake. Invasive species like Asian carp, zebra mussels and more are transforming the ecosystem from top to bottom, pushing some native species to the brink of extinction, and costing the region hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Narrated by Bill Kurtis, “Making Waves” traces the path of the invasion and joins researchers on the front lines as they combat invasive species and work to restore native species, in an effort to prevent a biological takeover of the Great Lakes.
Making Waves

The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin. It smashed color and gender barriers to put controversial voices on stage and transformed entertainment in America in the '50s, '60s, and ’70s.
Live at Mister Kelly's

In the 1930s, with the United States mired in the Great Depression and teetering on the brink of a second World War, millions of Americans turned to a rope-twirling, plain-talking Cherokee cowboy for clarity, comfort and common sense. His plain-spoken musings, always delivered with a shy, sly smile, influenced the political landscape then and still resonate today. WILL ROGERS AND AMERICAN POLITICS reveals how Oklahoma native Will Rogers emerged as one of the most powerful political voices in the United States. The Emmy®-winning documentary charts Rogers’ impact on American politics through rare archival film footage, photos and documents, and interviews with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, actor Mickey Rooney, Cherokee Chief Chad Smith, comedian Lewis Black, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh, Rogers’ grandniece and scholars. Bill Kurtis, former CBS news anchor and host of A&E’s American Justice and Cold Case Files, narrates.
Will Rogers and American Politics
Television & Series (13)

Thorough documentary of how the American Colonies rebelled against England and the personalities involved in the creation of a new nation.
The American Revolution

Dive deep into the dark heart of the mob with this definitive 4-disc set from HISTORY. A sweeping saga of bloodshed, betrayal and big business, The Mafia offers a cold-blooded examination of organized crime in the 20th century, from prohibition to WWII and the Cold War, to JFK s presidency and John Gotti. Get the real story behind the Kennedy connection, see how organized crime infiltrated organized labor, learn how the Mob helped win WWII, and trace the exploits of legendary figures through rare photos, footage and period accounts. From bootlegging to racketeering to murder, from Al Capone and Lucky Luciano to Benjamin Bugsy Siegel, this comprehensive collector s set is a groundbreaking investigation into the origins of the ethnic gangs that turned criminal activities into family enterprises, and a detailed look at some of the mob s most notorious members.
The Mafia: Empire of Crime

Using the latest techniques of forensic science, investigators re-explore some of the legendary figures and events of history in order to determine how much of what has come down to us is a true account.
Investigating History

The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.

















