Bill Edwards was, at various points in his life, a rodeo rider, an artist, and, of course, an actor. An East Coast native, Edwards started out on the rodeo circuit until he sustained numerous broken bones that ended his career. He then ended up in Hollywood and began to appear in Westerns. Having had an interest in art most of his life, Edwards later became a commercial artist and painter, and some of his work has at various times been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute.