Hornell Sweet Home
By Anne Sigrist
There are a lot of words you might use to describe a place like Hornell: friendly, safe, unassuming and pleasant come to mind. It’s the kind of town you’d like to raise a family in, where people go to church and take care of each other. They walk the streets unafraid, may or may not lock their doors and always stop to visit. In some ways Hornell feels like a different time, an earlier decade, before we all became so busy. Norman Rockwell might have lived there, or George Bailey.
That’s not to say that things are or ever were idyllic there. Like most towns, Hornell, in western New York state, has had it’s share of economic ups and downs. Once a thriving stop on the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, it fell upon hard times as the railroad freight business declined. According to Mayor Shawn Hogan, the people of Hornell are a tough and resilient lot, tempered by years of hard work either with the railroad or on the many surrounding farms. The demise of the railroad brought something of an identity crisis to Hornell, one that’s taken years to shake off. But, the community has adapted to it’s changing fortunes and has recently been bolstered by the arrival of a thriving new business, which, ironically, manufactures high speed railroad parts.
Hornell, once a thriving railroad town..
To know something about Hornell, is to understand a little bit about Bill Pullman. In fact, the same words you might use to describe the place would fit the person just as well: friendly, unpretentious, and hardworking. The qualities that have made Bill so unique in Hollywood make perfect sense when you realize where he comes from. This is a place where people don’t care if you drive a Porsche or a Chevy and who drink coffee, not skinny tall lattes. It judges you for who you are and is unimpressed with designer jeans, or Platinum credit cards. It possesses the healthy skepticism of a small town and so does Bill. It’s what allows him to drive a pickup truck, and to live simply in an older part of Hollywood, away from the glitz that many might choose. His good friend, Holly Hunter, has said that Bill is a good guy, a great guy, but that he really doesn’t care what other people think. Often described in the media as regular or as down to earth, this is exactly right, according to old friends. He is the same person he was before money, success and fame came his way.
The Pullman home
That person was born into a large family where good manners were important and responsibilities were met. James Pullman, an internist, arrived in Hornell in 1947 after completing medical school at the University of Rochester. There he had met his wife, a nurse from Holland, named Johanna Baas. Dr. Pullman is said to have been a wonderful man, refined and intelligent, with a great sense of humor, which he passed along to all of his children. The family lived in a rambling brick Victorian, large enough to accomodate the Pullman brood which had grown to include Bill, his brothers, James, Joe and John and his sisters Helena, Linda and Johanna. They lived simply and were active in their church and in the PTA. "Doc" Pullman was a member of the School Board and physician for the local Campfire Girls for many years. According to radio personality, Kevin Doran, the kids were all bright, friendly and polite. They were high achievers who didn’t necessarily call attention to themselves. The Pullmans were held in high regard and respected within the community. In Doran’s words, they were,"a classy family."
His Alma Mater -- Hornell High School
Bill is remembered as a somewhat reserved boy, but who had many friends and was an excellent student . He played football, wrestled, ran track and was a member of the school band. Bill’s interest in acting was sparked by a drama teacher at Hornell High where he appeared in several plays. One former high school classmate says she can still see him walking down the hall wearing an oxford shirt and corduroy pants and remembers fondly how nice Bill always was to her and her family. During the summers, he worked on nearby dairy farms and, over the years, developed an interest in barns, in building, and in working with his hands.
Like his hometown, Bill has had to adjust to changing circumstances over the years. Working in an industry that can be brutal and unforgiving, he’s had to develop a thick skin, a toughened resilience, to survive the ups and downs of a Hollywood career, even a successful one. But, Bill has referred to himself as, "an adaptive beast,"and has steadily built an eclectic resume that’s taken him from supporting player to leading man. Over the last 14 years, he’s produced an enormous body of work, seeming to thrive on variety. Projects are chosen for reasons other than money, or as he put it, "climbing for clout.". Though work is important to Bill, it’s not his primary or only focus. Providing a normal family life takes precedence as does keeping a healthy perspective on the Hollywood scene, which he keeps at a comfortable distance. For that reason, the Pullmans vacation part of each year at their Montana ranch, preferring to spend their time with extended family and friends. Bill’s lack of concern about money, his work ethic and his desire for a regular life make him a rarity in Hollywood. Continued---->