Roger Ebert often refers to him as "that character actor with a smile like Jaws".
Although not a professional country-western singer, he portrayed a fictional one - Tucker McElroy of the Good Ol' Boys - in the movie The Blues Brothers (1980). Moreover, he was once asked in real life for "McElroy's" autograph...and gave it.
Appeared in four Russ Meyer movies: Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970) (in which he went full frontal), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) and The Seven Minutes (1971) (both of which he kept his clothes on), and Supervixens (1975) (in which he used a humongous rubber phallus or dildo as a "stand-in").
Appeared on "Dr. Phil" (2003) with his wife to discuss his obsession with being famous.
Attended Western Kentucky College (now Western Kentucky University)
Earned a bachelor's degree in art from Western Kentucky University in 1961.
Enjoys painting with watercolors.
Has appeared in most films by director Jonathan Demme
Has three children, by whom he is survived: sons Charles Whitnel, Jr. and Hunter Napier; daughter Meghan Napier.
He is survived by his sons, Charles Whitnel and Hunter Napier and daughter, Meghan Napier.
His father Linus Pitts Napier died in 1991 at the age of 102.
His role in Walter Hill's Hard Times (1975) was cut from the final print.
Napier starred in one of the first widely shown films to contain full frontal male nudity: Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970). It was such an event that "Variety", the Bible of Hollywood trade papers, contacted Napier's mother to find out her reaction to her son appearing in what was known in the exploitation industry as a "pickle shot."
On "Men in Black: The Series" (1997), Napier provided the voice of "Zed", a role originally played in the live-action films by Rip Torn, who co-starred with Napier in the 1989 low-budget action flick, Hit List (1989).
Originally wanted to be a basketball coach.
Played in two Kentucky high school state basketball championships
Provided the growls for TV's "The Incredible Hulk" (1978).
Provided the voice of the Hulk for the last two seasons of "The Incredible Hulk" (1978). Decades later, the Hulk's alter ego of Bruce Banner would be played by Edward Norton. Napier also appeared in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), which was followed by a prequel, Red Dragon (2002), also starring Norton.
Served with the 11th Airborne.
Son of Liones Napier.