Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 18, 2026

Muse Watson

Muse Watson Gravel, commonly known as Muse Watson, is an American actor. He is notable for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland / D.B. Cooper in Prison Break, and film roles as Hank Corrigan in Something to Talk About, and Ben Willis, the killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

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Muse Watson
Watson in March 2009
Born
Robert Gravel

(1948-07-20) July 20, 19481
Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S.1
EducationLouisiana Tech University
Berea College
OccupationActor
Known for
Children1

Muse Watson Gravel (born Robert Gravel; July 20, 1948), commonly known as Muse Watson, is an American actor. He is notable for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland / D.B. Cooper in Prison Break, and film roles as Hank Corrigan in Something to Talk About, and Ben Willis, the killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.2345

Early life

Watson was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana. His father died when he was five years old, and Watson and his three siblings were raised by their mother and maternal grandfather.16 Watson said his grandfather had a big influence on him, and after finding out that Robert Gravel was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild, he legally changed his name to Muse Watson Gravel, in honor of his grandfather.76 Watson graduated from Bolton High School in 1966, and then attended Louisiana Tech for two years on a music scholarship. After leaving Louisiana Tech, he transferred to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.76

It was at Berea College where he became interested in acting, scoring a role as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew.8 He then left Berea and went on the road starring in productions of Man of La Mancha and Promises, Promises.8 After a year of touring, he returned to Berea, but at graduation time, he was told his degree would be withheld because he hadn't "gone to church enough".8 He decided to leave school and moved to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to live with his sister. He worked for Pathway Bellows for seven years before moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee to work as a manufacturing representative, while still making time for auditions and plays.8

Career

Watson is credited with appearing in more than 60 movies and 50 television episodes.6 He is best known for his recurring roles of Mike Franks on NCIS and Charles Westmoreland in Prison Break, and as Ben Willis, the killer in the horror films, I Know What You Did Last Summer and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and as the vampire C. W. Niles in From Dusk Till Dawn 2.9

Other notable appearances include: American Outlaws, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, A Day Without a Mexican, Dead Birds, Down in the Valley, IOWA, Morgan's Ferry and Songcatcher.1011

When Watson was living in Chattanooga, he was hired to do extras casting for King Kong Lives. He also made connections with people in the North Carolina film industry and became a Teamster, building his own fleet of trucks that he hired out for productions on the East Coast.8 After a guest appearance on Matlock and his role in Something to Talk About, he moved to Los Angeles where Marion Dougherty helped him in obtaining an agent.8 Watson said he considers his appearance in the film Something to Talk About as his "breakout role".12

He has also directed theater for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Bessie Smith Foundation, taught acting at the Georgia State Prison, and taught reading and writing at Berea College's literacy outreach program.1 Before changing his name to Muse Watson, he had credits as Robert Gravel, working as a stunt driver in Steel Magnolias and Mississippi Burning.76 In the film I Know What You Did Last Summer, Watson performed the majority of his own stunts, which included a very long underwater sequence.1

In 2002, he was nominated for best supporting actor for his role in If I Die Before I Wake at the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards,13 and in 2011, won best actor for his performance in A Christmas Snow, at the Trail Dance Film Festival.14

Watson starred in a stage adaptation of the TV movie A Christmas Snow at the Starlite Theater in Branson, Missouri.15

In 2007, Watson made a guest appearance on Ghost Whisperer in the episode "Delia's First Ghost"; the episode reunited with his I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star and series star Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Melinda Gordon on the show.

Personal life

Watson is married and has a daughter with autism, for which he has become an advocate.15

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes Refs
1988 Mississippi Burning Stunt driver 16
1989 Steel Magnolias Stunt driver 16
1989 Black Rainbow Patrol officer 17
1990 The Handmaid's Tale Guardian 17
1990 Blind Vengeance Varsac 16
1993 Sommersby Drifter 16
1995 Something to Talk About Hank Corrigan 18
1995 The Journey of August King Zimmer 17
1995 Assassins Ketcham 18
1997 I Know What You Did Last Summer Ben Willis 18
1997 Rosewood Henry Andrews 18
1997 Lolita Store clerk 16
1997 Acts of Betrayal Trenton Fraser 16
1997 A Texas Birthday 16
1998 Break Up Baker cop 17
1998 I Still Know What You Did Last Summer Ben Willis 17
1998 Shadrach Captain 17
1998 If I Die before I Wake Daryl 16
1999 From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money C. W. Niles 16
1999 The Art of the Bullet Captain Walters 18
1999 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Klansman 18
1999 It's the Rage Cleaner 17
2000 Songcatcher Parley Gentry 18
2000 Ten Grand Big Tony 16
2001 Morgan's Ferry Sheriff Billy Ray Barnwell 18
2001 American Outlaws Burly detective 16
2002 Hollywood Vampyr Professor Fulton 16
2003 Season of the Hunted Frank 16
2003 Wild Turkey Short film 16
2004 Christmas Child Sheriff Jimmy James 17
2004 Frankenfish Elmer 16
2004 Dead Birds Father 16
2004 The Last Summer Jerimiah Shuman 16
2004 A Day Without a Mexican Louis McClaire 16
2004 The Dark Agent and the Passing of the Torch Chapter Lester King 16
2005 House of Grimm 16
2005 Down in the Valley Bill Sr. 16
2005 IOWA Sheriff Walker 16
2005 End of the Spear Adolfo 16
2009 White Lightnin' D. Ray White 18
2009 Stellina Blue 18
2009 Timer Rick O'Leary 17
2010 Small Town Saturday Night 18
2010 The Presence Mr. Browman 18
2010 The Steamroom Pat 18
2011 The Lamp Sam 17
2012 Meeting Evil Frank 17
2013 The Last Exorcism Part II Frank Merle 17
2014 Between the Sand and the Sky Boss 19
2014 Suburban Gothic Ambrose 17
2016 Dark Resonance Professor Walter Jackson 17
2016 Saved From Sorrow: Mysterious Grace Jeremiah 17
2017 Valley of Bones Terry 17
2019 The Dead Ones Gus 17
Television
Year Title Role Notes Refs
1990 Blind Vengeance Vrsac TV movie 16
1993 Matlock Patrol officer TV series; (2 episodes) 18
1994 The Birds II: Land's End Bartender Jesse TV movie 17
1994 Justice in a Small Town Robert Stubbs TV movie 16
1994 Leave of Absence Guy TV movie 16
1995 American Gothic Wash Sutpen TV series 18
1995 Gramps Father TV movie 18
1995 Tad Tom Pendel TV movie 17
1995 Tecumseh: The Last Warrior Whitley TV movie 17
1996 The Lazarus Man Dawkins TV series; (2 episodes) 16
1999 JAG Admiral Arthur Fessenden TV series 17
1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Freddie Forbes TV series; (2 episodes) 17
2003 The Last Cowboy Otis Bertram TV movie 17
2005-2008 Prison Break Charles Westmoreland TV series; (19 episodes) 17
2006 Close to Home Bob Peters TV series 18
2006 Jane Doe: The Harder They Fall Captain Barnes TV movie 17
2006-2017 NCIS Mike Franks TV series; (20 episodes) 18
2007 Criminal Minds Mickey Bates TV series 17
2007 Ghost Whisperer Milt Charles TV series 18
2009 The Mentalist Jake Cooby TV series 18
2009 Cold Case John Norwood TV series 17
2009 iCarly Bucky TV series 17
2010 Castle Ivan Podofski TV series 17
2011 Franklin & Bash Officer Tom Werth TV series 18
2013 Eagleheart Quint TV series 20
2014 Justified Elmont Swain TV series 18
2021 Diary of a Lunatic: Sylke's Tales The Creator TV miniseries; (8 episodes) 21
References

References

  1. "Muse Watson: Biography". TCM. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019.
  2. Guidry, Leigh (October 27, 2013). "Louisiana native a success in movies, TV". Sioux City Journal. Sioux City, Iowa.
  3. Simpson, Cindy (January 3, 2011). "'NCIS' storyline puts Watson in spotlight". Roane County News. Roane County, Tennessee.
  4. Morrow, Terry (November 12, 2005). "Watson breaking free from horror typecasting". The Journal Gazette. Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  5. Baron, Daivd (November 26, 1997). "Following a Muse—Playing 'Last Summer's' Bad Guy Was a Good Move for Muse Watson". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans.
  6. Guidry, Leigh (October 15, 2013). "Watson". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. p. A7.
  7. Guidry, Leigh (October 15, 2013). "From Bolton to Hollywood". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. p. A1.
  8. Pickle, Betsy (October 31, 1997). "Muse Watson; He knows what you did last summer". Knoxville News Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 10. ProQuest 393452108.
  9. Morrow, Terry (November 6, 2005). "Branching out: Prison Break actor escapes typecasting". Wichita Falls Times Record News. Wichita Falls, Texas. Scripps Howard News Service. p. 3E.
  10. "Muse Watson". The New York Times. May 11, 2008. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  11. "Raymond Cruz, right, and Muse Watson in 'From Dusk Till Dawn II.'". The New York Times. May 6, 2007. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  12. Morrow, Terry (October 29, 2005). "'Prison Break' role frees up actor -- Once typecast as a serial killer, now he's better known as a kindly inmate". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. Scripps Howard News Service. p. 5. ProQuest 394176991.
  13. Gingold, Michael (July 2002). "The 11th Annual Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners!". Fangoria. No. 214. p. 11.
  14. Miller, Derrick (February 1, 2011). "'Snow' wins top prize at TDFF". The Duncan Banner.
  15. Sain, Cliff (September 19, 2012). "TV, Branson actor Muse Watson talks about autism". Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Missouri. ProQuest 1041162710.
  16. "Watson, Muse 1948–". Encyclopedia.com.
  17. "Muse Watson: Credits". TVGuide.
  18. "Muse Watson - Filmography". Rotten Tomatoes.
  19. "Between the Sand and the Sky". TCM. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021.
  20. "Eagleheart, Quint, S03E07". Programme TV Ouest-France (in French).
  21. "Now streaming: Buffalso mini-series premieres on Amazon Prime". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. March 18, 2021. p. 2.
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