1. Overview
Bruce Lorne Campbell, born on June 22, 1958, is an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and producer, widely recognized for his significant contributions to cult cinema and television. He is best known for his iconic portrayal of Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead horror franchise, a role he originated in the 1978 short film Within the Woods. Beyond the Evil Dead series, Campbell has starred in numerous low-budget cult films such as Crimewave (1985), Maniac Cop (1988), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).
His television career includes leading roles in the series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994) and Jack of All Trades (2000), as well as recurring appearances as Autolycus in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-1999). He later gained further recognition for his role as Sam Axe in the USA Network series Burn Notice (2007-2013) and reprised his role as Ash for the Starz series Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018).
Campbell's creative endeavors extend beyond acting; he has directed, produced, and appeared in documentaries like Fanalysis (2002) and A Community Speaks (2004). He also co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the horror-comedy feature film Man with the Screaming Brain (2005) and directed, produced, and featured in the self-parodying film My Name Is Bruce (2007). Known for his frequent collaborations with Sam Raimi, Raimi's brother Ted Raimi, Josh Becker, and Scott Spiegel, Campbell has established himself as a versatile figure in the entertainment industry. He is also a published author and an ordained minister.
2. Early life
Bruce Campbell was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Charles Newton Campbell, an advertising executive and college professor who also acted and directed for local theater, and Joanne Louise (née Pickens), a homemaker. He was born on June 22, 1958.
2.1. Childhood and education
Campbell developed an early interest in acting and filmmaking as a teenager, making short films with friends using Super 8 mm film. While attending Wylie E. Groves High School, he met Sam Raimi, who would become a lifelong friend and frequent collaborator. Their early partnership involved creating short Super 8 films together. Campbell continued to pursue his acting career while attending Western Michigan University.
2.2. Family
Campbell's family background includes his older brother, Don, and an older half-brother named Michael Rendine. He is of English and Scottish ancestry.
In 1983, Campbell married Christine Deveau, and they had two children, Rebecca and Andy, before divorcing in 1989. He later met costume designer Ida Gearon on the set of the film Mindwarp and they married in 1991. The couple currently resides in Jacksonville, Oregon.
3. Career
Bruce Campbell's career spans various facets of the entertainment industry, including extensive work in film, television, voice acting, writing, and directing.
3.1. Film
Campbell's film career is closely linked to his collaborations with director Sam Raimi. Their partnership began with Within the Woods (1978), a 30-minute Super 8 version of what would become The Evil Dead. This short film was initially created to attract investors for a feature-length project. In 1981, Campbell, Raimi, and Robert Tapert brought The Evil Dead to fruition, with Campbell starring as the protagonist, Ash Williams, and receiving a co-executive producer credit for his involvement in the production. The film gained significant attention after an endorsement from horror author Stephen King, leading to its eventual distribution and the development of sequels, Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1992). The Evil Dead became highly popular in the UK four years after its original release.
Campbell's iconic character, Ash Williams, has also been featured in the Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness comic series, where Ash fights alongside Marvel heroes against zombie versions of heroes and civilians in pursuit of the Necronomicon.
Beyond the Evil Dead franchise, Campbell has made notable appearances in many of Sam Raimi's films. He famously had cameo appearances in Raimi's Spider-Man film series, playing various quirky characters such as a ring announcer in Spider-Man (2002), a snooty usher in Spider-Man 2 (2004), and a maître d' in Spider-Man 3 (2007). He also appeared in Raimi's Darkman (1990) as Final Shemp, and while he had no actual screen time in the theatrical version of The Quick and the Dead (1995), he did have a deleted scene. In 2022, Campbell had a cameo in Raimi's Marvel Cinematic Universe film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the "Pizza Poppa Guy."
Campbell is known for taking on quirky and distinctive roles, such as his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the film Bubba Ho-Tep (2002). He also played supporting roles in Maniac Cop (1988) and Maniac Cop 2 (1990), and he spoofed his own career in the self-directed film My Name Is Bruce (2007). His mainstream film credits include supporting or featured roles in the Coen Brothers' film The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), the Michael Crichton adaptation Congo (1995), the movie version of McHale's Navy (1997), Escape from L.A. (1996), the Jim Carrey drama The Majestic (2001), and the 2005 Disney film Sky High.
Campbell has also contributed his voice to major animated films, including a main voice role as Mayor Shelbourne in the 2009 animated adaptation of the children's book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and a supporting voice role as Rod "Torque" Redline in Pixar's Cars 2 (2011).
In 2013, Campbell served as a producer for the Evil Dead remake alongside Raimi and Rob Tapert, making an uncredited cameo in the film's post-credits scene. He also worked as an executive producer for the 2023 film Evil Dead Rise, where he also had an uncredited voice cameo.
Campbell was reportedly considered for roles in various other prominent films, including They Live, Pretty Woman, Speed, Pet Sematary, and Jurassic Park, but these offers did not materialize into roles. He also declined the role of Edgar in Men in Black due to a scheduling conflict with Tornado!.
| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | It's Murder! | Cop on Bicycle | Sam Raimi | |
| 1978 | Within the Woods | Bruce | Sam Raimi | Short film; also executive producer |
| 1978 | Shemp Eats the Moon | Shemp Malone | John Cameron | Short film; also producer |
| 1979 | Attack of the Helping Hand | The Hamburger Helper Helping Hand / The Pillsbury Doughboy | Scott Spiegel | Uncredited roles; Short film; also cinematographer |
| 1980 | The Blind Waiter | The Blind Waiter | Josh Becker and Scott Spiegel | Uncredited role; Short film |
| 1981 | The Evil Dead | Ash Williams | Sam Raimi | Also executive producer |
| 1982 | Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter | Cleveland Smith | Josh Becker | Short film |
| 1982 | Blood Simple investor trailer | Julian Marty | Joel and Ethan Coen | Short film |
| 1983 | Going Back | Brice Chapman | Ron Teachworth | |
| 1985 | Crimewave | Renaldo 'The Heel' | Sam Raimi | Also co-producer |
| 1985 | Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except | Video newscaster | Josh Becker | Uncredited cameo; Also story writer |
| 1987 | Evil Dead II | Ash Williams | Sam Raimi | Also co-producer |
| 1988 | Maniac Cop | Jack Forrest | William Lustig | |
| 1989 | Intruder | Officer Howard | Scott Spiegel | |
| 1989 | Moontrap | Ray Tanner | Robert Dyke | |
| 1989 | Easy Wheels | - | David O'Malley | Producer |
| 1989 | The Dead Next Door | Raimi & Commander Carpenter | J.R. Bookwalter | Voice |
| 1990 | Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat | Robert Van Helsing | Anthony Hickox | |
| 1990 | Maniac Cop 2 | Jack Forrest | William Lustig | |
| 1990 | Darkman | Final Shemp | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 1991 | Lunatics: A Love Story | Ray | Josh Becker | Also producer |
| 1992 | Eddie Presley | Asylum Attendant | Jeff Burr | Cameo |
| 1992 | Waxwork II: Lost in Time | John Loftmore | Anthony Hickox | |
| 1992 | Mindwarp | Stover | Steve Barnett | |
| 1992 | The Nutt House | - | Adam Rifkin | Writer |
| 1992 | Army of Darkness | Ash Williams | Sam Raimi | Also co-producer |
| 1994 | The Hudsucker Proxy | Smitty | Joel and Ethan Coen | |
| 1995 | Congo | Charles Travis | Frank Marshall | |
| 1995 | The Quick and the Dead | Wedding Shemp | Sam Raimi | Deleted scene |
| 1995 | The Demolitionist | Raffle Winner | Robert Kurtzman | Uncredited cameo |
| 1996 | Fargo | Soap opera actor on TV | Joel and Ethan Coen | Uncredited cameo |
| 1996 | Escape from L.A. | Surgeon General of Beverly Hills | John Carpenter | |
| 1997 | In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory | Jeff Erickson | Dick Lowry | |
| 1997 | Menno's Mind | Mick Dourif | Jon Kroll | |
| 1997 | Running Time | Carl | Josh Becker | |
| 1997 | McHale's Navy | Virgil | Bryan Spicer | |
| 1998 | The Ice Rink | Actor | Jean-Philippe Toussaint | |
| 1999 | From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money | Barry | Scott Spiegel | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2000 | Icebreaker | Carl Greig | David Giancola | |
| 2000 | Timequest | William Roberts | Robert Dyke | |
| 2001 | Hubert's Brain | Thompson | Phil Robinson | Voice; Short film |
| 2001 | The Majestic | Roland the Intrepid Explorer | Frank Darabont | Cameo |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Ring Announcer | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 2002 | Hatred of a Minute | - | Michael Kallio | Producer |
| 2002 | Bubba Ho-Tep | Elvis Presley / Sebastian Haff | Don Coscarelli | |
| 2002 | Serving Sara | Gordon Moore | Reginald Hudlin | |
| 2002 | Fanalysis | Himself | Himself | Documentary; also producer |
| 2003 | Drugs | Bruce | Chad Peter | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2003 | Intolerable Cruelty | Soap opera actor on TV | Joel and Ethan Coen | Uncredited cameo |
| 2004 | The Ladykillers | Humane Society Worker | Joel and Ethan Coen | Uncredited cameo |
| 2004 | Comic Book: The Movie | Himself | Mark Hamill | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2004 | A Community Speaks | Himself | Himself & Ida Gearon | Documentary; also producer and editor |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Snooty Usher | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 2005 | Man with the Screaming Brain | William Cole | Himself | Also writer and producer |
| 2005 | Sky High | Tommy Boomowski / Coach Boomer / Sonic Boom | Mike Mitchell | |
| 2006 | The Woods | Joe Fasulo | Lucky McKee | |
| 2006 | The Ant Bully | Fugax | John A. Davis | Voice |
| 2007 | Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters | Chicken Bittle | Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis | Voice |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Maître d' | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 2007 | My Name Is Bruce | Faux Bruce Campbell | Himself | Also producer |
| 2009 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Mayor Shelbourne | Phil Lord and Christopher Miller | Voice |
| 2009 | White on Rice | Muramoto | Dave Boyle | Voice |
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Rod "Torque" Redline | John Lasseter and Brad Lewis | Voice |
| 2012 | The Color of Time | Goody | Various | |
| 2013 | Oz the Great and Powerful | Winkie Guard | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 2013 | Evil Dead | Ash Williams | Fede Álvarez | Uncredited cameo; also producer |
| 2015 | The Escort | Charles Cooper | Will Slocombe | |
| 2021 | Black Friday | Jonathan Wexler | Casey Tebo | Also producer |
| 2021 | 18½ | President Richard Nixon | Dan Mirvish | Voice |
| 2022 | Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Pizza Poppa Guy | Sam Raimi | Cameo |
| 2023 | Evil Dead Rise | Ash Williams | Lee Cronin | Voice; uncredited cameo; also executive producer |
| TBA | Highly Functional | Chili Youngfield | Marc Forby | Post-production |
3.2. Television
Campbell has made numerous appearances in television series and films. He starred as Brisco County, Jr. in The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993-1994), a science fiction comedy western where he played a lawyer turned bounty hunter. He also had a lead role as Jack Stiles / Daring Dragoon in Jack of All Trades (2000-2001), a show set on a fictional French-occupied island in 1801, for which he was also credited as co-executive producer.
He is well-known for his recurring supporting role as Autolycus ("King of Thieves") in both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999) and Xena: Warrior Princess (1996-1999), reuniting him with producer Rob Tapert. He even played Tapert in two present-day episodes of Hercules. Campbell also directed a number of episodes for both Hercules and Xena, including the Hercules series finale.
Other notable television roles include a recurring guest role as Ed Billik in Ellen (1996-1997), and as "Bill Church Jr." in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1995). Campbell took on the lead role of race car driver Hank Cooper in the 1997 Disney made-for-television remake of The Love Bug. He also had dramatic guest roles as a grief-stricken detective in Homicide: Life on the Street (1996), a bigamous demon in The X-Files episode "Terms of Endearment" (1999), FBI Agent Woody Jackman in Charmed (2002), and a state police officer in American Gothic (1995).
From 2007 to 2013, Campbell co-starred in the USA Network series Burn Notice, portraying Sam Axe, a former Navy SEAL working as an unlicensed private investigator and occasional mercenary. His character frequently used the alias Chuck Finley while undercover, a name Campbell later revealed was inspired by one of his father's old co-workers. In 2011, he starred in a Burn Notice made-for-television prequel, Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe, which focused on Sam's Navy SEAL career, and for which Campbell also served as executive producer.
In 2014, Campbell played Santa Claus for an episode of The Librarians. In 2015, he played Ronald Reagan in season 2 of the FX original series Fargo. Most recently, Campbell reprised his signature role as Ashley "Ash" Williams in Ash vs Evil Dead, a series based on the Evil Dead franchise. The show aired on Starz from 2015 to 2018 and ran for three seasons.
In January 2019, Campbell was announced as the host and executive producer for a new 10-episode season of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! reality series, which premiered on June 9, 2019, on the Travel Channel.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Generations | Alan Stuart | Soap opera |
| 1987 | Knots Landing | Joel Benson | Episode: "Say Uncle" |
| 1993-1994 | The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Brisco County, Jr. | 27 episodes |
| 1995 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Bill Church Jr. | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | American Gothic | Lt. Drey | Episode: "Meet the Beetles" |
| 1995-1999 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Autolycus / Rob Tapert | 12 episodes; also directed 7 episodes |
| 1996 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Jake Rodzinsky | Episodes: "Justice Parts 1 & 2" |
| 1996 | Tornado! | Jake Thorne | Television film |
| 1996 | Assault on Dome 4 | Alex Windham | Television film |
| 1996-1997 | Ellen | Ed Billik | 8 episodes |
| 1996-1999 | Xena: Warrior Princess | Autolycus | 8 episodes; also directed 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Weird Science | Gene the Genie | Episode: "I Dream of Gene" |
| 1997 | The Love Bug | Hank Cooper | Television film |
| 1997 | Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure | Pierce Thomas 'PT' Madison | Television film |
| 1998 | Timecop | Agent Tommy Maddox | Episode: "The Future, Jack, the Future" |
| 1999 | The X-Files | Wayne Weinsider | Episode: "Terms of Endearment" |
| 2000 | Jack of All Trades | Jack Stiles / Daring Dragoon | 22 episodes; also co-executive producer |
| 2001 | Beggars and Choosers | Jack | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | The Legend of Tarzan | Max Liebling (voice) | Episode: "Tarzan and One Punch Mullargan" |
| 2002 | Charmed | FBI Agent Woody Jackman | Episode: "Witch Way Now?" |
| 2002 | Terminal Invasion | Jack | Television film |
| 2003 | Duck Dodgers | Pork Piggler (voice) | Episode: "K-9 Kaddy/Pig of Action" |
| 2003 | My Life as a Teenage Robot | Himcules (voice) | Episode: "Daydream Believer/This Time with Feeling" |
| 2004 | Megas XLR | Magnanimous (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Alien Apocalypse | Dr. Ivan Hood | Television film |
| 2006 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Captain Shuggazoom (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Touch the Top of the World | Ed Weihenmayer | Television film |
| 2006 | Robot Chicken | Himself / Red Power Ranger / Car Chase Reporter (voices) | Episode: "Dragon Nuts" |
| 2006-2009 | The Replacements | Phil Mygrave / Gordo Glideright (voices) | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera | The Industrialist (voice) | Episode: "Burrito's Little Helper/Crouching Tigre, Hidden Dragon" |
| 2007-2013 | Burn Notice | Sam Axe | 111 episodes |
| 2011 | Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe | Sam Axe | Television film; also executive producer |
| 2013 | 1600 Penn | Doug Gilchrist | Episode: "Skip the Tour" |
| 2014 | Psych | Dr. Ashford N. Simpson | Episode: "A Nightmare on State Street" |
| 2014 | The Librarians | Santa Claus | Episode: "And Santa's Midnight Run" |
| 2015 | Last Fan Standing | Presenter | Streaming Amazon Prime, 10 episodes |
| 2015 | Fargo | Ronald Reagan | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | The Creep (voice) | Episode: "Ball's Well That Friend's Well" |
| 2015-2018 | Ash vs Evil Dead | Ash Williams | 30 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2018-2020 | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure | King Edmund (voice) | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Lodge 49 | Gary Green | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | Himself (host) | 10 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2020-2021 | The Last Kids on Earth | Chef (voice) | 11 episodes |
| 2021 | Adopted | John Voss | Unaired pilot |
| 2021 | A.P. Bio | John Griffin | Episode: "Tons of Rue" |
| 2021 | Archer | McGinley (voice) | Episode: "Dingo, Baby, et Cetera" |
| 2021 | One December Night | Steve Bedford | Television film |
| 2022 | My Southern Family Christmas | Everett Bergeron | Television film |
| 2023 | Impractical Jokers | Himself (guest host) | Episode: "Bruce Campbell" |
| 2023 | Discontinued | Himself (host) | Streaming series, 10 episodes |
| 2024 | Hysteria! | Chief Ben Dandridge | 7 episodes |
3.3. Voice acting
Campbell has lent his voice to numerous video games, animated series, and films. He famously voices his character Ash Williams in four video games based on the Evil Dead movies: Evil Dead: Hail to the King (2000), Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick (2003), Evil Dead: Regeneration (2005), and Evil Dead: The Game (2022). He also voiced Ash in Dead by Daylight (2019). Despite Ash Williams' inclusion in Telltale Games' Poker Night 2, Danny Webber voiced the character instead of Campbell. Campbell has expressed interest in returning to the role in an upcoming Evil Dead animated series.
His other voice roles in video games include Pitfall Harry Jr. in Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle (1998), the tutorial narrator in the Spider-Man video game series (2002, 2004, 2007) and The Extreme Reporter in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). He also voiced protagonist Jake Logan for the PC game Tachyon: The Fringe (2000) and Jake Burton for the PlayStation game Broken Helix (1997).
In animated television series, Campbell provided the voice of Magnanimous in Megas XLR (2004), Himcules in My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003), Captain Shuggazoom in Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2006), Phil Mygrave / Gordo Glideright in The Replacements (2006-2009), and The Industrialist in El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007). He also voiced Pork Piggler in Duck Dodgers (2003) and Max Liebling in The Legend of Tarzan (2001). More recently, he voiced King Edmund in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2018-2020), Chef in The Last Kids on Earth (2020-2021), and McGinley in Archer (2021).
For animated feature films, he voiced Fugax in The Ant Bully (2006) and Chicken Bittle in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007).
Campbell also provided the voice of the pulp adventurer Lobster Johnson in Hellboy: The Science of Evil (2008), voice-over work for the Codemasters game Hei$t (which was later terminated), and the tutorial narrator for the online MOBA game Tome: Immortal Arena (2014). He provided voice-over and motion capture for Sgt. Lennox in the Exo Zombies mode of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2015). In 2023, he voiced Ash Williams in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. Additionally, in 2024, he provided voice callouts for Spooky Pinball's Evil Dead pinball machine.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Broken Helix | Jake Burton | |
| 1998 | Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle | Pitfall Harry Jr | |
| 2000 | Tachyon: The Fringe | Protagonist | |
| 2000 | Evil Dead: Hail to the King | Ash Williams | |
| 2002 | Spider-Man | Tutorial Narrator | |
| 2003 | Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick | Ash Williams | |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Tutorial Narrator | |
| 2005 | Evil Dead: Regeneration | Ash Williams | |
| 2006 | The Ant Bully | Fugax | |
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Tutorial Narrator | |
| 2011 | Army of Darkness: Defense | Ash Williams | Game closed |
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Rod "Torque" Redline | |
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man | The Extreme Reporter | |
| 2014 | TOME: Immortal Arena | Tutorial Narrator | Game closed |
| 2015 | Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | Lennox | Exo Zombies DLC |
| 2019 | Dead by Daylight | Ash Williams | Ash vs Evil Dead DLC |
| 2022 | Evil Dead: The Game | Ash Williams | Also producer |
| 2023 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | Ash Williams | |
| 2023 | Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 | Ash Williams |
3.4. Writing
In addition to his acting and directing work, Campbell has established himself as an author. His autobiography, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, published in June 2001, became a successful New York Times Best Seller. The book details his career as an actor in low-budget films and television, offering insights into what he calls "Blue-Collar Hollywood". The paperback version includes reflections on fan interactions during book signings.
Campbell's next book, Make Love! The Bruce Campbell Way, was published on May 26, 2005. This book presents a comical fictionalized version of himself as the protagonist striving to enter the world of A-list movies. He later recorded an audio play adaptation of Make Love with fellow Michigan actors, including longtime collaborator Ted Raimi, which was released on six discs by the independent label Rykodisc.
Beyond his books, Campbell also wrote a column for X-Ray Magazine in 2001, an issue of the comic series The Hire, and comic book adaptations of his film Man with the Screaming Brain. He also wrote the introduction to Josh Becker's The Complete Guide to Low-Budget Feature Filmmaking. In late 2016, Campbell announced his third book, Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor, which picks up where his first autobiography left off. Hail to the Chin was released in August 2017 and was accompanied by a book tour across the United States and Europe.
Campbell previously maintained a weblog on his official website, where he primarily posted about politics and the film industry, though the website has since been deleted.
3.5. Directing and producing
Campbell has taken on significant roles behind the camera, directing and producing several films and television episodes. He began his directorial career with the documentaries Fanalysis (2002) and A Community Speaks (2004), in both of which he also appeared. He then moved into feature films, co-writing, directing, producing, and starring in the horror-comedy Man with the Screaming Brain (2005). He also directed, produced, and starred in My Name Is Bruce (2007), a self-parody of his career.
In television, Campbell directed seven episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995-1999), including the series finale, and two episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess (1996-1999). He also served as an executive producer for the television film Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (2011), in which he starred. More recently, he was an executive producer for the Starz series Ash vs Evil Dead (2015-2018) and the Travel Channel reality series Ripley's Believe It or Not! (2019), for which he also served as host.
In terms of film production, Campbell was a producer for the 2013 remake of The Evil Dead, and an executive producer for Evil Dead Rise (2023) and Black Friday (2021). He was also a producer for the video game Evil Dead: The Game (2022).
4. Other activities
Beyond his core career in acting and filmmaking, Bruce Campbell has engaged in other notable activities.
4.1. Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival
Since 2014, the Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival has been held annually in the Muvico Theater in Rosemont, Illinois. Campbell narrates and organizes the festival. The inaugural event took place from August 21 to 25, 2014, presented by Wizard World as part of the Chicago Comicon. The second festival, held from August 20 to 23, 2015, featured guests such as Tom Holland and Eli Roth. The third festival occurred over four days in August 2016, with notable guests including Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Doug Benson.
4.2. Clergy activities
Bruce Campbell is also an ordained minister. In this capacity, he has performed marriage ceremonies.
5. Personal life
Campbell's first marriage was to Christine Deveau in 1983, with whom he had two children, Rebecca and Andy. They divorced in 1989. In 1991, he married costume designer Ida Gearon, whom he met while working on the film Mindwarp. The couple currently resides in Jacksonville, Oregon.
Anecdotally, Campbell has a scar on his chin from a childhood fight with his brother, Don. He was involved in a minor car accident in Oregon on July 26, 2003, and was reportedly punched by the other driver, who was later found to be under the influence. He also claims he does not drink beer because it causes him to burp uncontrollably. His favorite movie is The Bridge on the River Kwai.
6. Awards and recognition
Campbell has received several awards and nominations throughout his career, particularly for his roles in genre films and television series.
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Fangoria Chainsaw Award | Best Actor | Army of Darkness | Nominated |
| 2003 | DVD Exclusive Award | Best Audio Commentary (Limited Edition) | The Evil Dead | Won |
| 2003 | The Comedy Festival | Film Discovery Jury Award for Best Actor | Bubba Ho-Tep | Won |
| 2004 | Chlotrudis Award | Best Actor | Bubba Ho-Tep | Nominated |
| 2004 | Fangoria Chainsaw Award | Best Actor | Bubba Ho-Tep | Won |
| 2005 | Fantasporto Film Festival | International Fantasy Film Award for Best Actor | - | Won |
| 2007 | Ashland Independent Film Festival | Rogue Award | - | Won |
| 2010 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Burn Notice | Nominated |
| 2016 | Fangoria Chainsaw Award | Best Actor on Television | Ash vs Evil Dead | Won |
| 2016 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor on Television | Ash vs Evil Dead | Nominated |
| 2017 | Fangoria Chainsaw Award | Best TV Actor | Ash vs Evil Dead | Won |
| 2017 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor on a Television Series | Ash vs Evil Dead | Nominated |
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor on a Television Series | Ash vs Evil Dead | Nominated |
7. External links
- [http://www.bruce-campbell.com/ Bruce Campbell's Official Website]
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132257/ Bruce Campbell at IMDb]
- [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101284771 "Not My Job"] Bruce Campbell appears on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
- [https://dir.salon.com/story/books/int/2005/07/14/campbell/index.html Salon Interviews Bruce Campbell]