William Devane

Acting · 2.6 popularity

Age

Movies

Born: September 5, 1939
From: Albany, New York, USA

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.

Works

83 films

Interstellar

20148.5

The Dark Knight Rises

20127.8

Hollow Man

20006.0

Payback

19996.8

Space Cowboys

20006.4

Stargate: Continuum

20087.2

Marathon Man

19767.2

Family Plot

19766.8

Truth

20156.5

Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise

20156.6

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

19717.2

Testament

19836.4

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise

20066.9

The Badge

20025.7

Yanks

19795.9

Rolling Thunder

19776.8

Jesse Stone: Sea Change

20077.0

Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt

20126.9

Jesse Stone: No Remorse

20106.9

Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost

20116.5

Monte Walsh

20036.1

Vital Signs

19904.6

The Preppie Murder

19895.6

Night Watch

19954.7

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice

20096.9

Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady

19826.0

Freefall: Flight 174

19955.7

My Old Man's Place

19716.8

The Dark

19794.7

Victim of Beauty

19916.7

Leprechaun's Revenge

20125.1

Report to the Commissioner

19756.6

50 to 1

20146.7

Timestalkers

19875.4

Plotting 'Family Plot'

20016.9

The Dealership

2009

The River Why

20105.3

Lady Liberty

19715.5

Honky Tonk Freeway

19815.3

Poor White Trash

20004.6

For the Love of Nancy

19947.2

Chasing the Green

20094.6

The Kane Files: Life of Trial

20104.8

Good Morning, Killer

20114.9

Race to Space

20016.0

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training

19775.8

Red Alert

19775.5

Obsessed

19926.1

The Man Who Used to Be Me

20005.8

Fear on Trial

19759.0

Lady in Waiting

19943.1

Exception to the Rule

19973.6

Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story

19935.6

The Bait

19736.5

The Missiles of October

19747.5

Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita

19748.0

Jane Doe

19836.5

Red Flag: The Ultimate Game

19815.3

A Christmas Visitor

20025.4

The Absolute Truth

19974.5

The Pursuit of Happiness

19716.2

With Intent to Kill

19846.5

Virus

19954.8

In the Country

19678.0

Bad Turn Worse

20145.4

Murder C.O.D.

19908.1

The Irish Whiskey Rebellion

19725.5

The Least Among You

20094.0

Crime Club

197310.0

Doomsday Rock

19975.3

Flag of My Father

20116.0

Hadley's Rebellion

19834.8

Forgotten Sins

19965.5

Threat of Exposure

20025.0

Deceit

20044.2

The Other Victim

19818.0

The President's Child

19929.0

Chips, the War Dog

19908.3

The Fall

20095.5

The 300-Year Weekend

19714.3

Ancient Secrets of the Bible

19928.0

Rubdown

19934.0

Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story

20014.5