Born in Los Angeles, California, Henry started as a child actor, then was a hero in B-movies (mainly westerns), and ended his career as a character actor. He appeared in various roles on episodes of many television series. He was a member of the John Ford Stock Company and appeared twelve times for Ford. He also appeared in John Wayne's The Alamo (1960); in this version of the famous siege, Henry's character, Dr. Sutherland, is the last of the defenders to be killed.
Bill guest starred twice in Gene Barry's TV Western Bat Masterson, once in 1958 as crooked "Sheriff Griff Hanley" (S1E7's "A Noose Fits Anyone") and again in 1960 as stalwart "Sheriff Brady" (S2E23's "The Snare").
Henry was married and twice divorced. His first marriage was to Grace Durkin, with whom he had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Michele. He and his second wife, Barbara Knudson, were the parents of William "Bill" Henry, Jr. (b. 1958).[3]