WD
William Devane
Actor, Director, Writer
Born September 5, 1939 (82 years)
William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1937) is an American film, television and theater actor, known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing and as James Heller on the Fox serial drama 24, the role he reprised in Live Another Day. He is also known for his supporting roles in films such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Family Plot), Marathon Man, Rolling Thunder and Space Cowboys.
Devane began his acting career with the New York Shakespeare Festival where he performed in 15 plays. In 1966, Devane portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the Off-Broadway spoof MacBird. He gained acclaim for his role as President John F. Kennedy in a television docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Missiles of October, and again when he played blacklisted radio personality John Henry Faulk in the Emmy Award-winning TV movie Fear on Trial. He is widely known for his ten years as the ambitious and hardnosed politician-turned-corporate titan Greg Sumner on Knots Landing.
In 1994, Devane appeared as Al Capone in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in an episode entitled "That Old Gang of Mine". He also had a recurring role on the CBS show Early Edition as the lead character's father. Devane appeared in the films McCabe & Mrs. Miller; Lady Liberty; Family Plot; Marathon Man; Rolling Thunder; Yanks; Testament; Timestalkers; Forgotten Sins; Exception to the Rule; Payback; Hollow Man and Space Cowboys.
Devane has played members of the Presidential Cabinet on two evening dramas. In 2004, on The West Wing, he guest-starred as the Secretary of State and potential Vice-Presidential nominee. Devane appeared in several scenes with Martin Sheen; they also appeared together as President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, respectively, 30 years earlier in The Missiles of October. In 2005, he joined the cast of 24 as Secretary of Defense James Heller for seasons 4, 5 and 6.
Filmography
| 2022 | Bosch: Legacy (TV Series) · as Whitney Vance |
| 2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron · as Korean Train Passenger |
| 2015 | Truth · as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited) |
| 2015 | The Grinder (TV Series) · as Dean Sanderson Sr. |
| 2015 | Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise · as Dr. Dix |
| 2014 | Interstellar · as NASA Board Member |
| 2014 | 50 to 1 · as Leonard Doc Blach |
| 2013 | Bad Turn Worse · as Big Red |
| 2012 | The Dark Knight Rises · as President |
| 2012 | Red Clover · as Pop O'Hara |
| 2012 | Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt · as Dr. Dix |
| 2012 | Revenge: The First Chapter · as Edward Grayson |
| 2011 | Good Morning, Killer · as Everett Morgan Gray |
| 2011 | Revenge (TV Series) · as Edward Grayson |
| 2011 | Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost · as Dr. Dix |
| 2010 | The River Why · as Dutch Hines |
| 2010 | The Kane Files: Life of Trial · as Thompson |
| 2010 | Jesse Stone: No Remorse · as Dr. Dix |
| 2009 | Chasing the Green · as Victor Gatling |
| 2009 | The Least Among You · as Alan Beckett |
| 2009 | Jesse Stone: Thin Ice · as Dr. Dix |
| 2008 | The Fall · as Judge Stanley Seeban |
| 2008 | Stargate: Continuum · as President Henry Hayes |
| 2007 | Jesse Stone: Sea Change · as Dr. Dix |
| 2006 | What About Brian (TV Series) · as Michael Davis |
| 2006 | Psych (TV Series) · as Peters |
| 2006 | Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise · as Dr. Dix |
| 2004 | Deceit · as Grove McCarthy |
| 2003 | Monte Walsh · as Cal Brennan |
| 2003 | NCIS (TV Series) · as Nicolas Mason |
| 2002 | The Badge · as The Judge |
| 2002 | A Christmas Visitor · as George Boyajian |
| 2002 | Threat of Exposure · as Col. Weldon |
| 2001 | Race to Space · as Roger Thornhill |
| 2001 | 24 (TV Series) · as President James Heller |
| 2000 | Space Cowboys · as Eugene Davis |
| 2000 | Hollow Man · as Dr. Howard Kramer |
| 2000 | Poor White Trash · as Ron Lake |
| 2000 | Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story · as Tom Kincaid |
| 2000 | The Man Who Used to Be Me · as Sam (vieux) |
| 2000 | The Michael Richards Show (TV Series) · as Brady McKay |
| 1999 | Payback · as Carter |
| 1999 | Gaia Symphony II · as Voice over |
| 1999 | The West Wing (TV Series) · as Secretary of State Lewis Berryhill |
| 1999 | Judging Amy (TV Series) · as Richard McCarty |
| 1997 | Doomsday Rock · as Dr. Karl Sorenson |
| 1997 | Exception to the Rule · as Lawrence Kellerman |
| 1997 | Timecop (TV Series) · as Detective John Langdon |
| 1997 | Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) · as President Hayes |
| 1997 | King of the Hill (TV Series) · as Chuck Garrison |
| 1996 | Forgotten Sins · as Dr. Richard Ofshe |
| 1996 | Early Edition (TV Series) · as Bernie Hobson |
| 1995 | Detonator II: Night Watch · as Nick Caldwell |
| 1995 | Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 · as Capt. Bob Pearson |
| 1995 | Virus · as Dr. Harbuck |
| 1995 | Hope and Gloria (TV Series) · as William Devane |
| 1994 | For the Love of Nancy · as Tom |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel (TV Series) · as Benjamin Parker |
| 1993 | The X-Files (TV Series) · as General Mark Suveg |
| 1993 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TV Series) · as Al Capone |
| 1993 | Rubdown · as Harry Orwitz |
| 1992 | Obsessed · as Ed Bledsoe |
| 1992 | Ancient Secrets of the Bible · as Host & Narrator |
| 1992 | The President's Child · as Elliot McSwain |
| 1991 | Nightmare in Columbia County · as Sheriff Jim Metts |
| 1991 | A Woman Named Jackie (TV Series) · as Black Jack Bouvier |
| 1990 | Chips, the War Dog · as Col. Charnley |
| 1990 | Murder C.O.D. · as Alex Brandt |
| 1990 | Vital Signs · as Dr. Chatham |
| 1989 | The Preppie Murder · as Jack Litman |
| 1983 | Testament · as Tom Wetherly |
| 1983 | Hadley's Rebellion · as Coach Ball |
| 1981 | Honky Tonk Freeway · as Mayor Kirby T. Calo |
| 1979 | Yanks · as John |
| 1979 | The Dark · as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree |
| 1979 | From Here to Eternity (1979) (TV Series) · as Sergeant Milt Warden |
| 1979 | Knots Landing (TV Series) · as Greg Sumner |
| 1977 | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training · as Mike Leak |
| 1977 | Rolling Thunder · as Major Charles Rane |
| 1977 | Red Alert · as Frank Brolen |
| 1976 | Family Plot · as Arthur Adamson |
| 1976 | Marathon Man · as Peter "Janey" Janeway |
| 1975 | Report to the Commissioner · as Asst. D.A. Jackson |
| 1972 | Irish Whiskey Rebellion · as LT. Ashley |
| 1972 | The Snoop Sisters (TV Series) · as David Prine |
| 1971 | McCabe & Mrs. Miller · as The Lawyer |
| 1971 | The Pursuit of Happiness · as Pilot |
| 1971 | Lady Liberty · as Jock Fenner |
| 1971 | My Old Man's Place · as Jimmy Pilgrim |
| 1971 | The 300 Year Weekend · as Tom |
| 1968 | Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) · as Fallon |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Al Chambers |
| 1967 | Mannix (TV Series) · as Al Kordic |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Moss Stratton |