Colorful character actor of American Westerns. Named "Chill" as an ironic comment on his birth date being the hottest day of 1903. A musician from his youth, he performed from the age of 12 with tent shows, in vaudeville, and with stock companies. While performing in vaudeville in Kansas City, he married ballet dancer Betty Chappelle, with whom he had two children. He formed a musical group, 'Chill Wills and His Avalon Boys' won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but his blatant and embarrassing campaign for the Oscar cost him the award and subjected him to a great deal of humiliation -- and probably cost the film a number of awards as well. His wife died in 1971, and he remarried, to Novadeen Googe, in 1973. He continued to work in films and television, usually in roguishly lovable good-ol'-boy parts, up until his death in 1978.
Had two children: Jill Wills (born 1939) and Will Wills (born 1942).
Endorsed George Wallace in the 1968 presidential election.
Following his death, he was interred at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6923 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
Chill Wills composed the song "The Blue-Eyed Sailor Man" that he performed in the 1942 MGM Feature "Stand By for Action".
Chill Wills claimed to have won a degree from the "Minsky College of Burlesque".
According to 1942 MGM publicity, it was a sweltering hot day when Chill Wills was born, so his parents were inspired to name him "Chill". However, "Chill" is simply a truncated version of his actual middle name, Childress.
