William Devane
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 5, 1939 (age 87)
- Birthplace
- 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Bosch: Legacy
TV · as Whitney Vance · 4 eps
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
Movie · as Dr. Dix
Truth
Movie · as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
The Grinder
TV · as Dean Sanderson Sr. · 22 eps
50 to 1
Movie · as Leonard Doc Blach
Bad Turn Worse
Movie · as Big Red
Interstellar
Movie · as Williams
Leprechaun's Revenge
Movie · as Pop O'Hara
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Movie · as Dr. Dix
The Dark Knight Rises
Movie · as President
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Movie · as Dr. Dix
Flag of My Father
Movie · as Jake
Good Morning, Killer
Movie · as Everett Morgan Gray
Revenge
TV · as Edward Grayson · 2 eps
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
Movie · as Thompson
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Movie · as Dr. Dix
The River Why
Movie · as Dutch Hines
The Least Among You
Movie · as Alan Beckett
The Dealership
Movie · as Frank Carson
The Fall
Movie · as judge Stanley Seeban
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Movie · as Dr. Dix
Chasing the Green
Movie
Stargate: Continuum
Movie · as President Henry Hayes
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Movie · as Dr. Dix
Notes from the Underbelly
TV · as Walter · 1 ep
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Movie · as Dr. Dix
Crumbs
TV · as Billy Crumb · 13 eps
Psych
TV · as Peters · 1 ep
What About Brian
TV · as Michael Davis · 6 eps
Deceit
Movie · as Grove McCarthy
Monte Walsh
Movie · as Cal Brennan
NCIS
TV · as Nicolas Mason · 1 ep
The Badge
Movie · as The Judge
A Christmas Visitor
Movie · as George Boyajian
Threat of Exposure
Movie · as Col. Weldon
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
Movie · as Tom Kincaid
Race to Space
Movie · as Roger Thornhill
Plotting 'Family Plot'
Movie · as Self
24
TV · as James Heller · 32 eps
Space Cowboys
Movie · as Eugene Davis
Poor White Trash
Movie · as Ron Lake
The Man Who Used to Be Me
Movie · as Older Sam Ryan
Hollow Man
Movie · as Dr. Kramer
The Michael Richards Show
TV · as Brady McKay · 9 eps
Payback
Movie · as Carter
Turks
TV · as Sergeant Joseph Turk · 13 eps
The West Wing
TV · as Lewis Berryhill · 2 eps
Doomsday Rock
Movie · as Dr. Karl Sorenson
Exception to the Rule
Movie · as Lawrence Kellerman
The Absolute Truth
Movie · as Emmett Hunter
Stargate SG-1
TV · as President Hayes · 3 eps
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
TV · as Greg Sumner · 2 eps
Rogues Gallery
TV · as Self – Narrator · 10 eps
Forgotten Sins
Movie · as Dr. Richard Ofshe
Early Edition
TV · as Bernie Hobson · 5 eps
Night Watch
Movie · as Nick Caldwell
Freefall: Flight 174
Movie · as Capt. Bob Pearson
Virus
Movie · as Dr. Harbuck
The Monroes
TV · 9 eps
Hope and Gloria
TV · as William Devane · 1 ep
For the Love of Nancy
Movie · as Tom
Lady in Waiting
Movie · as Lt. Barrett
Touched by an Angel
TV · as Benjamin Parker · 1 ep
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
Movie · as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
Rubdown
Movie · as Harry Orwitz
Phenom
TV · as Lou Della Rosa · 22 eps
The X-Files
TV · as General Mark Suveg · 1 ep
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
TV · as Al Capone · 1 ep
Obsessed
Movie · as Ed Bledsoe
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
Movie · as Host & Narrator
The President's Child
Movie · as Elliot McSwain
Victim of Beauty
Movie · as Sheriff Jim Metts
A Woman Named Jackie
TV · as Black Jack Bouvier · 3 eps
Murder C.O.D.
Movie · as Alex Brandt
Vital Signs
Movie · as Dr. Chatham
Chips, the War Dog
Movie · as Col. Charnley
The Preppie Murder
Movie · as Jack Litman
Timestalkers
Movie · as Scott McKenzie
With Intent to Kill
Movie · as Aaron Charney
Testament
Movie · as Tom Wetherly
Hadley's Rebellion
Movie · as Coach Ball
Jane Doe
Movie · as William Quinn
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
Movie · as Self
American Playhouse
TV · as Tom Wetherly · 1 ep
The Other Victim
Movie · as Harry Langford
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
Movie · as Maj. Phil Clark
Honky Tonk Freeway
Movie · as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Yanks
Movie · as John
The Dark
Movie · as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
Knots Landing
TV · as Greg Sumner · 269 eps
From Here to Eternity
TV · as Sgt. Milt Warden · 3 eps
Black Beauty
TV · as John Manly · 5 eps
Rolling Thunder
Movie · as Major Charles Rane
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Movie · as Mike Leak
Red Alert
Movie · as Frank Brolen
Marathon Man
Movie · as Janeway
Family Plot
Movie · as Arthur Adamson
Battle of the Network Stars
TV · as Self - NBC Team, Self - CBS Team Captain · 1 ep
Report to the Commissioner
Movie · as Asst. D.A. Jackson
Fear on Trial
Movie · as John Henry Faulk
The Missiles of October
Movie · as President John F. Kennedy
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
Movie
The Missiles of October
TV · as John F. Kennedy - US President · 2 eps
The Bait
Movie · as Earl Stokey
Crime Club
Movie · as Kilburn
The Snoop Sisters
TV · as David Prine · 1 ep
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
Movie · as LT. Ashley
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Movie · as Lawyer
Lady Liberty
Movie · as Jock Fenner
My Old Man's Place
Movie · as Jimmy Pilgrim
The 300-Year Weekend
Movie · as Tom
The Pursuit of Happiness
Movie · as Pilot
Film '72
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Medical Center
TV · as Dr. Ray Waltham · 1 ep
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Fallon · 1 ep
In the Country
Movie
Mannix
TV · as Al Kordic · 1 ep
Ironside
TV · as Smiley · 1 ep
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Gunsmoke
TV · as Moss Stratton · 1 ep