Everett McGill was born Charles Everett McGill III on October 21, 1945 in Miami Beach, Florida. He graduated from Rosedale High School in Kansas City, Kansas in 1963. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. McGill first gained attention from his memorable portrayal of Naoh, the leader of the Caveman tribe in La guerre du feu (1981). He also played the Fremen leader Stilgar in David Lynch's science fiction epic Dune (1984). With his rugged physique, cold, sinister stare and husky, whispering voice, McGill became usually memorable and well cast in villainous roles, such as the double-crossing FBI Agent Edward Killifer in Licence to Kill (1989) and as Penn, the terrorist leader in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995).