CHOP TOP (AKA ROBERT SAWYER)

In the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series of films, Robert Sawyer, aka Chop Top, is Leatherface's older brother. Played by Bill Moseley, he appears in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, having been in the Vietnam War during the events of the first film. He received a machete wound in Vietnam and had a steel plate surgically implanted on his skull. To Chop Top's delight he has found that if he heats up a clothes hanger and scratches the metal plate on his brain he will "get off". Any skin that might stick to the heated hanger he will happily eat. He occasionally suffers from Vietnam War flashbacks. Chop Top is a sort of zombified yet intensely hyperactive hippie, he claims "music is his life" and wants to build a theme park called "Nam Land." He can usually be seen carrying around his twin brother Edward's AKA "Nubbins" lifeless body like a marionette. Nubbins also known as the hitchhiker character died in the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie and the family sewed him back together. Chop Top likes to wear a tight Sonny Bono wig when in public. His role in the family is unclear. Aside from constantly bickering with Drayton Sawyer, who is the eldest brother of the family, and teasing Leatherface about liking Vanita "Stretch" Brock, calling her his "girlfriend". Chop Top is also the main source of humor in this film, in a sadistic psychopathic manner. It can probably be assumed, however, that he joins the rest of his family in serial murder and cannibalism.

Bill Moseley's 'Audition'

Bill Moseley received the part based on a fan-film he did called "Texas Chainsaw Manicure." He played the part of Edward Sawyer, which is why he got the part. His lines were given in the same gruffy and gravelly manner that Edwin Neal used for Edward Sawyer.

The Cornbugs

Bill Moseley performs with Buckethead in the musical band, Cornbugs. Moseley, the vocalist, portrays the Chop Top character in the majority of the band's songs. The two man band has released five albums of original material.

About Bill Moseley

William Moseley (born November 11, 1951) is an American film actor who has starred in a number of cult classic horror films. His first big role was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 as Chop Top.

At the age of 29, Moseley got his first film role in Alan Rudolph's Endangered Species as a cab driver. In 1985's Osa he played a character named "Quilt Face." His third role has become one of his most well known; he appeared as Chop Top in Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, after Tobe Hooper saw him in the independent short, The Texas Chainsaw Manicure. The character spawned the famous film quotes, "Dog will hunt!", "Incoming mail!", and "Lick my plate, you dogdick!".

Two years after TCM 2, he played Frank in 1988's Mamba. Also in 1988 he played Dr. Gilsig in the remake of the Steve McQueen film The Blob. He next played Darrell in the film Pink Cadillac, starring Clint Eastwood. He then played the lead role of Ricky Caldwell in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3. Even after his roles in these films, he still failed to achieve the popularity within the horror community that he had enjoyed after TCM 2.

In 1990, Moseley appeared in three films: Crash and Burn, The First Power, and The End of Innocence. That year, he also portrayed Johnnie in Tom Savini's remake of George Romero's 1968 zombie film, Night of the Living Dead. In 1993, he had a small role in the cult hit Army of Darkness as the Deadite leader. A year later, he was featured in the video game Corpse Killer. In 1997 he did voiceover work, for the film, Anders Jacobsson's Evil Ed, but it was not until 2003 that he would have a role that was just as popular as Chop Top.

That year, he starred as the maniacal Otis B. Driftwood (named after Groucho Marx's character from A Night at the Opera) in Rob Zombie's directorial debut House of 1000 Corpses. As Otis, he again became an icon in the horror community. In 2005, he reprised the role of Otis in the sequel The Devil's Rejects. Moseley's performance inspired an independent campaign for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Moseley was born in Stamford, Connecticut. He has a daughter, actress, Marion Moseley. Moseley posts on the Fangoria message boards as "Bill Moseley" and is the lead singer of "Cornbugs," a three-man band he has with Buckethead (formerly of Guns N' Roses) and Pinchface.

The artwork used on this page was done by David Hartman. For more information on this artist view our "DARK ARTIST OF THE MONTH " section of this website.

Below are links to other horror icon bios that you might be interested in.

LEATHERFACE Leatherface is the main villain of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre movies. He is a "severely mentally retarded and severely mentally disturbed" man who wields a chainsaw and wears the skinned faces of his victims. Leatherface and his family were inspired in part by killer Ed Gein, who also wore the skin of his victims and corpses. (Detailed Bio)

OTIS DRIFTWOOD Otis B. Driftwood is a fictional character created by Rob Zombie. Rob Zombie may have based Otis in part on cult leader, Charles Manson. He was portrayed by Bill Moseley in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. As revealed in The Devil's Rejects' official website, Otis B. Driftwood was born December 23, 1929. He was horribly neglected and abused by his parents, who didn't even give him a name. He later wrote that he committed his first murder at the age of 13. (Detailed Bio)

DOCTOR SATAN (S. QUENTIN QUALE) Doctor Satan is a fictional character created by Rob Zombie. He was portrayed by Walter Phelan in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. He seems unrelated to a pulp magazine character of the same name from the 1930s and 1940s. Dr. Satan is one of the most enigmatic characters in the two films. The sinister physician's history has been told different ways by different people so many times that no one knows who he truly is. (Detailed Bio)

BABY "ANGEL" FIREFLY Baby is a fictional character created by Rob Zombie. She was portrayed by Sheri Moon in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. Baby was born September 12, 1948 in the rural community of Ruggsville County. She was born as Vera-Ellen Wilson to parents Mother Firefly and Captain Spaulding. (Detailed Bio)

CAPTAIN SPAULDING (JOHNNY LEE JOHNS) is a fictional character created by Rob Zombie. He was portrayed by Sid Haig in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. Rob Zombie may have based this charecter on John Wayne Gacy. Captain Spaulding was born on April 13, 1918 in Ruggsville, Texas with the name Johnny Lee Johns. He spent a small part of his childhood in the Ruggsville County home for orphaned boys until being adopted by a black family. Johnny Lee would soon grow very close to his adoptive brother Charlie. (Detailed Bio)

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