William Devane
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1939-09-05 (85 years old)
Place of Birth
Albany, New York, USA
William Devane
Biography
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.
Acting
(2015)
Truth
as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
(2015)
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
(2014)
Interstellar
as Williams
(2014)
50 to 1
as Leonard Doc Blach
(2014)
Bad Turn Worse
as Big Red
(2012)
The Dark Knight Rises
as President
(2012)
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
as Dr. Dix
(2012)
Leprechaun's Revenge
as Pop O'Hara
(2011)
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
as Dr. Dix
(2011)
Good Morning, Killer
as Everett Morgan Gray
(2011)
Flag of My Father
as Jake
(2010)
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
as Thompson
(2010)
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
as Dr. Dix
(2010)
The River Why
as Dutch Hines
(2009)
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
as Dr. Dix
(2009)
The Fall
as judge Stanley Seeban
(2009)
The Dealership
as Frank Carson
(2009)
The Least Among You
as Alan Beckett
(2008)
Stargate: Continuum
as President Henry Hayes
(2007)
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
as Dr. Dix
(2006)
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
(2004)
Deceit
as Grove McCarthy
(2003)
Monte Walsh
as Cal Brennan
(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)
Plotting 'Family Plot'
as Self
(2001)
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
as Tom Kincaid
(2000)
Hollow Man
as Dr. Kramer
(2000)
Space Cowboys
as Eugene Davis
(2000)
Poor White Trash
as Ron Lake
(2000)
The Man Who Used to Be Me
as Older Sam Ryan
(1999)
Payback
as Carter
(1997)
The Absolute Truth
as Sen. Emmett Hunter
(1997)
Exception to the Rule
as Lawrence Kellerman
(1997)
Doomsday Rock
as Dr. Karl Sorenson
(1996)
Forgotten Sins
as Dr. Richard Ofshe
(1995)
Night Watch
as Nick Caldwell
(1995)
Virus
as Dr. Harbuck
(1995)
Freefall: Flight 174
as Capt. Bob Pearson
(1994)
Lady in Waiting
as Lt. Barrett
(1994)
For the Love of Nancy
as Tom
(1993)
Rubdown
as Harry Orwitz
(1993)
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
(1992)
The President's Child
as Elliot McSwain
(1992)
Obsessed
as Ed Bledsoe
(1992)
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
as Host & Narrator
(1991)
Nightmare in Columbia County
as Sheriff Jim Metts
(1990)
Vital Signs
as Dr. Chatham
(1990)
Murder C.O.D.
as Alex Brandt
(1990)
Chips, the War Dog
as Col. Charnley
(1989)
The Preppie Murder
as Jack Litman
(1987)
Timestalkers
as Scott McKenzie
(1984)
With Intent to Kill
as Aaron Charney
(1983)
Testament
as Tom Wetherly
(1983)
Jane Doe
as William Quinn
(1983)
Hadley's Rebellion
as Coach Ball
(1981)
Honky Tonk Freeway
as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
(1981)
The Other Victim
as Harry Langford
(1981)
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
as Maj. Phil Clark
(1979)
Yanks
as John
(1979)
The Dark
as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
(1977)
Rolling Thunder
as Major Charles Rane
(1977)
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
as Mike Leak
(1977)
Red Alert
as Frank Brolen
(1976)
Marathon Man
as Janeway
(1976)
Family Plot
as Arthur Adamson
(1975)
Report to the Commissioner
as Asst. D.A. Jackson
(1975)
Fear on Trial
as John Henry Faulk
(1974)
The Missiles of October
as President John F. Kennedy
(1974)
(1973)
The Bait
as Earl Stokey
(1973)
Crime Club
as Kilburn
(1972)
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
as LT. Ashley
(1971)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
as The Lawyer
(1971)
Lady Liberty
as Jock Fenner
(1971)
The Pursuit of Happiness
as Pilot
(1971)
My Old Man's Place
as Jimmy Pilgrim
(1971)
The 300-Year Weekend
as Tom
(1967)
Crew
(1976)
(1971)
The 300-Year Weekend
Additional Dialogue