William Devane
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2022 · Bosch: Legacy as Whitney Vance
- 2015 · Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise as Dr. Dix
- 2015 · Truth as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
- 2015 · The Grinder as Dean Sanderson Sr.
- 2014 · Interstellar as Williams
- 2014 · Bad Turn Worse as Big Red
- 2014 · 50 to 1 as Leonard Doc Blach
- 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 · Good Morning, Killer as Everett Morgan Gray
- 2011 · Flag of My Father as Jake
- 2011 · Revenge as Edward Grayson
- 2011 · Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost as Dr. Dix
- 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 · The Fall as judge Stanley Seeban
- 2009 · Jesse Stone: Thin Ice as Dr. Dix
- 2009 · The Least Among You as Alan Beckett
- 2009 · The Dealership as Frank Carson
- 2008 · Stargate: Continuum as President Henry Hayes
- 2007 · Jesse Stone: Sea Change as Dr. Dix
- 2006 · Payback: Straight Up as Fred Carter
- 2006 · Psych as Peters
- 2006 · Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise as Dr. Dix
- 2006 · Crumbs as
- 2004 · Deceit as Grove McCarthy
- 2003 · NCIS as Nicolas Mason
- 2003 · Monte Walsh as Cal Brennan
- 2002 · A Christmas Visitor as George Boyajian
- 2002 · Threat of Exposure as Col. Weldon
- 2002 · The Badge as The Judge
- 2001 · 24 as President James Heller
- 2001 · 24 as James Hiller
- 2001 · Race to Space as Roger Thornhill
- 2001 · Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story as Tom Kincaid
- 2001 · Plotting 'Family Plot' as Self
- 2000 · Poor White Trash as Ron Lake
- 2000 · The Michael Richards Show as Brady McKay
- 2000 · Hollow Man as Dr. Kramer
- 2000 · Space Cowboys as Eugene Davis
- 2000 · The Man Who Used to Be Me as Older Sam Ryan
- 1999 · The West Wing as Lewis Berryhill
- 1999 · Payback as Carter
- 1999 · Turks as Sergeant Joseph Turk
- 1997 · Doomsday Rock as Dr. Karl Sorenson
- 1997 · Stargate SG-1 as President Hayes
- 1997 · Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac as Greg Sumner
- 1997 · The Absolute Truth as Sen. Emmett Hunter
- 1997 · King of the Hill as Chuck Garrison (voice)
- 1997 · Exception to the Rule as Lawrence Kellerman
- 1996 · Forgotten Sins as Dr. Richard Ofshe
- 1995 · Freefall: Flight 174 as Capt. Bob Pearson
- 1995 · Night Watch as Nick Caldwell
- 1995 · The Monroes as
- 1995 · Virus as Dr. Harbuck
- 1995 · Hope and Gloria as William Devane
- 1994 · Lady in Waiting as Lt. Barrett
- 1994 · For the Love of Nancy as Tom
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Benjamin Parker
- 1993 · Rubdown as Harry Orwitz
- 1993 · Phenom as Lou Della Rosa
- 1993 · Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Al Capone
- 1993 · The X-Files as General Mark Suveg
- 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
- 1991 · A Woman Named Jackie as Black Jack Bouvier
- 1990 · Murder C.O.D. as Alex Brandt
- 1990 · Vital Signs as Dr. Chatham
- 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 · Hadley's Rebellion as Coach Ball
- 1983 · Jane Doe as William Quinn
- 1981 · The Other Victim as Harry Langford
- 1981 · Red Flag: The Ultimate Game as Maj. Phil Clark
- 1981 · Honky Tonk Freeway as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
- 1979 · Knots Landing as Greg Sumner
- 1979 · Yanks as John
- 1979 · The Dark as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
- 1979 · From Here to Eternity as Sgt. Milt Warden
- 1978 · Black Beauty as John Manly
- 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 · Fear on Trial as John Henry Faulk
- 1975 · Report to the Commissioner as Asst. D.A. Jackson
- 1974 · The Missiles of October as President John F. Kennedy
- 1974 · The Missiles of October as John F. Kennedy - US President
- 1974 · Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita as
- 1973 · The Snoop Sisters as David Prine
- 1973 · The Bait as Earl Stokey
- 1973 · Crime Club as Kilburn
- 1972 · The Irish Whiskey Rebellion as LT. Ashley
- 1971 · Lady Liberty as Jock Fenner
- 1971 · My Old Man's Place as Jimmy Pilgrim
- 1971 · McCabe & Mrs. Miller as The Lawyer
- 1971 · The 300-Year Weekend as Tom
- 1971 · The Pursuit of Happiness as Pilot
- 1969 · Medical Center as Dr. Ray Waltham
- 1967 · Mannix as Al Kordic
- 1967 · In the Country as
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Moss Stratton