Known for Daytime Emmy Award-winning “Take This Lollipop” and a ratings-winning role on CBS-TV’s “Criminal Minds,” Bill Oberst Jr. is an American actor of stage and screen whose real-life gentleness and interest in things spiritual are at odds with his often macabre screen persona. Ron Chaney, great-grandson of Lon Chaney, presented Oberst with the first Lon Chaney Award For Outstanding Achievement In Independent Horror Films in 2014.
Oberst’s staged theatrical reading “Ray Bradbury’s Pillar Of Fire” won an Ernest Kearney Platinum Award for its Los Angeles debut, and was named Best Solo Show Of Hollywood Fringe and Best LA Solo Show in the 2015 Best Of LA Theater Roundup at Bitter-Lemons.com. In 2017 “Ray Bradbury’s Pillar Of Fire” won a United Solo Theatre Festival Award for its Off-Broadway debut on Theatre Row in New York City.
The premiere of the horror-themed episode of CBS-TV’s “Criminal Minds” which introduced Oberst’s deformed killer character (also guest-starring Adrienne Barbeau and Tobin Bell) was the evening’s most-watched TV program. CBS.com included Oberst’s character in their list of “Criminal Minds’ 14 Most Notorious Serial Killers.” The character remains one of only a handful of uncaptured “Criminal Minds” killers.
He is perhaps most widely-known internationally as the face of director Jason Zada’s “Take This Lollipop,” awarded a Daytime Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in the category of New Approaches-Daytime Entertainment. Oberst has been seen by over 100 million viewers worldwide as an online stalker in the interactive application for Facebook users.
His individual award wins include The 2017 Horror Icon Award at The Optical Theatre Festival in Italy, The 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award at iHolly International Film Festival, a 2017 Best Actor Award at Dark Veins Horror Film Festival, a 2014 Best Actor Award at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, a 2015 Best Actor Award at Chicago Horror Film Festival, a 2015 Best Actor Award at Ontario Fright Night Theatre Film Festival, a 2015 Best Actor Award at Biloxi Fear Fete Film Festival, a 2015 Best Actor Award at Dallas Twisted Tails Film Festival, a 2014 Best Actor Award at FANtastic Horror Film Festival, a 2014 Best Actor Award at Housecore Horror Film Festival, a 2104 Best Actor Award at Tucson Terrorfest, a 2014 Best Actor Award at Los Angeles ZedFest Film Festival, a 2013 Best Actor Award at Pollygrind Film Festival, a 2012 Best Actor Award at Shockfest Film Festival, a 2012 Golden Cobb Award for Best Rising B-Movie Actor, a 2012 Baddest Villain Award at ZedFest Film Festival, a 2013 Monstey Award for Great Historical Monster Moments, a 2016 Best Supporting Actor Award at FANtastic Horror Film Festival, a 2017 Best Actor Award at Italy’s Optical Theatre Festival and a 2018 Best Actor Award at An Anti-Hero Production Genre Film Festival in Los Angeles.
His shared awards include a 2013 International Critics Award at Deauville Film Festival in France, a 2014 Best Narrative Feature Award at The Los Angeles Movie Awards, a 2016 Director’s Award at Boston Underground Film Festival, a 2013 Audience Award at Phoenix Film Festival, a 2013 Audience Award at New Orleans Film Festival, a 2013 Copper Wing Award at Phoenix Film Festival, a 2013 Best Feature Award at Unreal Film Festival, a 2013 Narrative Feature Award at Pollygrind Film Festival, a 2012 Shocker Award at LA Shockfest Film Festival, a 2012 Best Ensemble Acting Award at Sacramento Horror Film Festival and a 2012 Best Ensemble Acting Award at Phoenix Film Festival.