William Devane
- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- September 5, 1939 in Albany, New York, USA
- Active Years
- 1955–2022 (68 Years)
- Total Credits
- 118 credits in database
Biography
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television, and theater actor born in Albany, New York, on September 5. Known for acting with 117 known credits, Devane began his career with the New York Shakespeare Festival, performing in 15 plays. In 1966, he portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the Off-Broadway spoof MacBird and gained acclaim for playing President John F. Kennedy in a television docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis. His television roles include Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing and James Heller on the Fox serial drama 24, a role he reprised in Live Another Day. His film credits include supporting roles in McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Family Plot, Marathon Man, Rolling Thunder, and Space Cowboys.
Career overview
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television, and theater actor born in Albany, New York. He began his acting career with the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he performed in 15 plays. In 1966, he portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the Off-Broadway spoof MacBird and later gained acclaim for his role as President John F. Kennedy in a television docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Devane is widely known for his television work, notably playing Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing and James Heller on the Fox serial drama 24, a role he later reprised in Live Another Day. In addition to his television career, he has appeared in numerous supporting roles in feature films, including McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Family Plot, Marathon Man, Rolling Thunder, and Space Cowboys.
Throughout his extensive screen career, Devane has accumulated 117 known acting credits across film and television. His work spans multiple decades, establishing him as a recognizable presence in both dramatic television series and prominent supporting cinematic features.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
118 titles- Bosch: Legacy (2022) as Whitney Vance
- The Grinder (2015) as Dean Sanderson Sr.
- Truth (2015) as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
- Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015) as Dr. Dix
- Interstellar (2014) as Williams
- Bad Turn Worse (2014) as Big Red
- 50 to 1 (2014) as Leonard Doc Blach
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012) as President
- Leprechaun's Revenge (2012) as Pop O'Hara
- Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012) as Dr. Dix
- Revenge (2011) as Edward Grayson
- Good Morning, Killer (2011) as Everett Morgan Gray
- Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011) as Dr. Dix
- Flag of My Father (2011) as Jake
- Jesse Stone: No Remorse (2010) as Dr. Dix
- The River Why (2010) as Dutch Hines
- The Kane Files: Life of Trial (2010) as Thompson
- Jesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009) as Dr. Dix
- The Dealership (2009) as Frank Carson
- The Least Among You (2009) as Alan Beckett
- The Fall (2009) as judge Stanley Seeban
- Stargate: Continuum (2008) as President Henry Hayes
- Notes from the Underbelly (2007) as Walter
- Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007) as Dr. Dix
- Psych (2006) as Peters
- What About Brian (2006) as Michael Davis
- Crumbs (2006) as Billy Crumb
- Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006) as Dr. Dix
- Deceit (2004) as Grove McCarthy
- NCIS (2003) as Nicolas Mason
- Monte Walsh (2003) as Cal Brennan
- The Badge (2002) as The Judge
- A Christmas Visitor (2002) as George Boyajian
- Threat of Exposure (2002) as Col. Weldon
- 24 (2001) as James Heller
- Plotting 'Family Plot' (2001) as Self
- Race to Space (2001) as Roger Thornhill
- Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story (2001) as Tom Kincaid
- Hollow Man (2000) as Dr. Kramer
- The Michael Richards Show (2000) as Brady McKay
- Space Cowboys (2000) as Eugene Davis
- Poor White Trash (2000) as Ron Lake
- The Man Who Used to Be Me (2000) as Older Sam Ryan
- The West Wing (1999) as Lewis Berryhill
- Payback (1999) as Carter
- Turks (1999) as Sergeant Joseph Turk
- Stargate SG-1 (1997) as President Hayes
- Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac (1997) as Greg Sumner
- Exception to the Rule (1997) as Lawrence Kellerman
- Rogues Gallery (1997) as Self – Narrator
- The Absolute Truth (1997) as Sen. Emmett Hunter
- Doomsday Rock (1997) as Dr. Karl Sorenson
- Early Edition (1996) as Bernie Hobson
- Forgotten Sins (1996) as Dr. Richard Ofshe
- Hope and Gloria (1995) as William Devane
- Freefall: Flight 174 (1995) as Capt. Bob Pearson
- The Monroes (1995)
- Night Watch (1995) as Nick Caldwell
- Virus (1995) as Dr. Harbuck
- Touched by an Angel (1994) as Benjamin Parker
- Lady in Waiting (1994) as Lt. Barrett
- For the Love of Nancy (1994) as Tom
- The X-Files (1993) as General Mark Suveg
- Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) as Al Capone
- Phenom (1993) as Lou Della Rosa
- Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story (1993) as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
- Rubdown (1993) as Harry Orwitz
- Obsessed (1992) as Ed Bledsoe
- The President's Child (1992) as Elliot McSwain
- Ancient Secrets of the Bible (1992) as Host & Narrator
- A Woman Named Jackie (1991) as Black Jack Bouvier
- Victim of Beauty (1991) as Sheriff Jim Metts
- Vital Signs (1990) as Dr. Chatham
- Chips, the War Dog (1990) as Col. Charnley
- Murder C.O.D. (1990) as Alex Brandt
- The Preppie Murder (1989) as Jack Litman
- Timestalkers (1987) as Scott McKenzie
- With Intent to Kill (1984) as Aaron Charney
- Testament (1983) as Tom Wetherly
- Hadley's Rebellion (1983) as Coach Ball
- Jane Doe (1983) as William Quinn
- American Playhouse (1982) as Tom Wetherly
- Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady (1982)
- Honky Tonk Freeway (1981) as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
- Red Flag: The Ultimate Game (1981) as Maj. Phil Clark
- The Other Victim (1981) as Harry Langford
- Knots Landing (1979) as Greg Sumner
- From Here to Eternity (1979) as Sgt. Milt Warden
- Yanks (1979) as John
- The Dark (1979) as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
- Black Beauty (1978) as John Manly
- Rolling Thunder (1977) as Major Charles Rane
- Red Alert (1977) as Frank Brolen
- The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) as Mike Leak
- Marathon Man (1976) as Janeway
- Family Plot (1976) as Arthur Adamson
- The Million Dollar Rip-Off (1976) Writer
- Report to the Commissioner (1975) as Asst. D.A. Jackson
- Fear on Trial (1975) as John Henry Faulk
- The Missiles of October (1974) as President John F. Kennedy
- The Missiles of October (1974) as John F. Kennedy - US President
- Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita (1974)
- The Snoop Sisters (1973) as David Prine
- The Bait (1973) as Earl Stokey
- Crime Club (1973) as Kilburn
- The Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972) as LT. Ashley
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) as Lawyer
- My Old Man's Place (1971) as Jimmy Pilgrim
- Lady Liberty (1971) as Jock Fenner
- The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) as Pilot
- The 300-Year Weekend (1971) as Tom
- The 300-Year Weekend (1971) Additional Dialogue
- Medical Center (1969) as Dr. Ray Waltham
- Mannix (1967) as Al Kordic
- In the Country (1967)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Moss Stratton
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is William Devane best known for?
William Devane is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Offbeat (1961), Truth (2015), Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015), Interstellar (2014).
When and where was William Devane born?
William Devane was born on September 5, 1939 in Albany, New York, USA.
How many credits does William Devane have?
William Devane has accumulated over 118 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1955 to 2022.
What is William Devane's background in cinema and television?
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television, and theater actor born in Albany, New York, on September 5. Known for acting with 117 known credits, Devane began his career with the New York Shakespeare Festival, performing in 15 plays. In 1966, he portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the Off-Broadway spoof MacBird an...
William Devane by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- A Woman Named Jackie (1991) as Black Jack Bouvier — aged about 51
- The Missiles of October (1974) as John F. Kennedy - US President — aged about 34
- Interstellar (2014) as Williams — aged about 74
- The X-Files (1993) as General Mark Suveg — aged about 53
- The West Wing (1999) as Lewis Berryhill — aged about 59
- Stargate SG-1 (1997) as President Hayes — aged about 57
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