There have been dozens of portrayals of the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid in both film and television. One of the earliest appearances of William H. Bonney on film was in a pair of silent films made in 1911, one of which was titled The Adventure of Billy the Kid directed by filmmaking pioneer D. W. Griffith. Many generations of great directors and actors of the Western genre have gravitated toward the Old American West outlaw spirit of Billy the Kid, which has resulted in his multimedia portrayals in film, TV, plays, radio broadcasts, and even various songs throughout the years.
Billy the Kid has become one of the most historic and legendary figures of the mythical American West of the late 19th century particularly because of his intriguing moral complexity. The real-life Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty in New York, becoming an orphan at age 15 and dying by the hand of a lawman’s gun at the age of 21. Billy was a notorious outlaw who murdered at least 20 men, committed a number of crimes including multiple counts of theft, and evaded the law for most of his brief adult life. Billy was one of the most prominent celebrity figures of the Old West era who, despite his dangerous gunslinging skills, was known to be a friendly and even charming character.
10 Geoffrey Deuel In Chisum (1970)
Geoffrey Deuel portrayed Billy the Kid in the 1970 Western Chisum starring John Wayne as a cattle baron who fought on Billy’s side in the historic Lincoln County War. While Deuel certainly had the look of a Hollywood star, his polished appearance and relatively plain demeanor don’t exactly suit the expected ruggedness of the real-life William H. Bonney. While Deuel’s Billy the Kid isn’t necessarily the primary focus of Chisum, the actor gives an overall dull rendition of the infamous outlaw that doesn’t exactly inspire an element of danger in the character.
9 Kris Kristofferson In Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
Kris Kristofferson, best known for his talents as a country singer, played Billy the Kid in two separate installments, the first of which was in legendary Western director Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garret & Billy the Kid. Peckinpah, who cemented his legacy as a Western director with 1969’s innovative The Wild Bunch, reimagined the rivalry between friends turned enemies Pat Garrett and William H. Bonney that led to the latter’s death. Kristofferson’s formidable size and chiseled figure don’t exactly capture the lanky look of the real-life Billy the Kid but the actor offers an enjoyable performance nonetheless.
8 Jack Buetel In The Outlaw (1943)
Jack Buetel played one of the first portrayals of Billy the Kid on colored film toward the end of the silent film era. Buetel is rather stiff and traditional in his performance as the notorious outlaw, although his likeness does appear more closely aligned to that of the real-life Billy the Kid. Considering Buetel made his film debut in the role of William H. Bonney, the young actor did a fairly good job at capturing some of the naivety that was inevitably a part of the real Billy’s youthfully confident character.
7 Val Kilmer In Gore Vidal’s Billy The Kid (1989)
Val Kilmer offered a soft-spoken interpretation of William H. Bonney in Gore Vidal’s Billy the Kid, a movie made for television by director William A. Graham. Unlike the previous three portrayals of the infamous outlaw, Kilmer added an accent with a bit of a Southern twang to the character, which helps establish his authenticity in the role early on. Kilmer’s performance in Gore Vidal’s Billy the Kid was one of the very first of his Hollywood career and led to his breakthrough role as Jim Morrison in The Doors.
6 Clu Gulager In The Tall Man (1960 – 1962)
Clu Gulager portrayed Billy the Kid more than most other actors who took on the role, covering 75 episodes across two seasons of the Western series The Tall Man from 1960 to 1962. The pair of Gulager with Barry Sullivan’s Pat Garrett was the bread and butter of the show, with a compelling onscreen chemistry between the two actors. Gulager is very convincing as the playful and tricky outlaw Billy the Kid with a simple-minded sensibility and a world-class sharpshooting talent.
5 Emilio Estevez In Young Guns (1988) & Young Guns II (1990)
Emilio Estevez gives one of the most colorful and lively portrayals of Billy the Kid in Young Guns and Young Guns II. Eztevez stands out as one of the unspoken leaders in a notorious group of young gunmen that includes Kiefer Sutherland’s Doc Scurlock, Charlie Sheen’s Dick Brewer, and Dermot Mulroney’s Dirty Steve Stephens. While Estevez gives a modern interpretation of the character that inevitably feels like a product of the 1980s itself, his gravitating onscreen presence makes his Billy the Kid rendition one of the most exciting.
4 Tom Blyth In Billy the Kid (2022 – )
With two seasons as the titular protagonist on the MGM+ series under this belt, English actor Tom Blyth has demonstrated an expert understanding of the notorious outlaw Billy the Kid. The series features many lesser-known details about Billy the Kid as portrayed through Blyth’s performance, particularly his real-life tendency to sing. Blyth also captures the lanky, disheveled look of the infamous outlaw, making his recent rendition of Billy the Kid already one the best of all time.
3 Audie Murphy In The Kid From Texas (1950)
Audie Murphy, who was one of the most decorated soldiers of WWII before becoming an actor, portrays Billy the Kid with a cool sense of pride that is rare to find in other interpretations of the notorious character. Despite his polished look, Murphy presents a depth to the character that makes his Billy the Kid somewhat distant and lost within his own mind while simultaneously feeling incredibly accessible to the audience. Murphy’s portrayal of Billy the Kid is surprising and strategic, a credit to the heroic actor’s inherent talents.
2 Paul Newman In The Left Handed Gun (1958)
The celebrated Western star Paul Newman is an icon of the genre, making his portrayal of Billy the Kid in The Left Handed Gun an inevitable delight. Newman’s eyes tell so much of Billy the Kid’s story in The Left Handed Gun, hinting at his unhinged and spontaneous desire for danger and overall unpredictable nature. Newman’s Billy the Kid is somewhat over the top at times but is ultimately full of passion, excitement, and brute force that align with the real-life William H. Bonney.
1 Dane DeHaan In The Kid (2019)
Dane DeHaan is an incredibly talented actor who at times is reminiscent of a young Leonardo DiCaprio in 2019’s The Kid alongside Ethan Hawke. DeHaan perfectly captures the rugged physical appearance of the actual Billy the Kid with an uncanny resemblance, making the audience feel as though they are looking at the closest onscreen rendition of the real-life outlaw. DeHaan brings an element of internal damage to the infamous gunslinger, highlighting the tragic nature of the real-life Billy the Kid.
