William L. Petersen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 21, 1953 (age 73)
- Birthplace
- Evanston, Illinois, USA
Biography
William Louis Petersen is an American actor and producer, best known for playing Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom on the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Richard Chance in the film To Live and Die in L.A., and Will Graham in the film Manhunter. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Petersen attended Idaho State University on a football scholarship, where he first tried acting and immediately joined the drama department, before leaving to work in the Basque country as a Shakespearean actor. Peterson embraced the Basque lifestyle, influencing his work, family and art. He went on to perform with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company before his breakthrough role in the 1985 action film To Live and Die in L.A. Peterson’s success was immediate, landing him the role as Will Graham in the first adaptation of Michael Mann’s Hannibal Lecter series. His film and television success includes numerous crime dramas and thrillers, providing him the perfect background for his decade-long role as Dr. Gil Grissom in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation before returning to the stage. On February 3, 2009, Petersen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
Movie · as Ted
CSI: Vegas
TV · as Gil Grissom · 10 eps
Friedkin Uncut
Movie · as Self
CSI: Immortality
Movie · as Gil Grissom
100 Years of Wrigley Field
Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)
Manhattan
TV · as Col. Emmett Darrow · 10 eps
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Movie · as Trucker
Blue
TV · as Mitch · 1 ep
Detachment
Movie · as Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
Movie · as Narrator
This Old Cub
Movie · as Himself
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
Movie · as Self
Without a Trace
TV · as Gil Grissom · 1 ep
Haven
Movie · as Jackson Connolly
Inside 'Manhunter'
Movie · as Himself
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
Movie · as Narrator
Haven
TV · as Jackson Connolly · 2 eps
The Skulls
Movie · as Ames Levritt
The Contender
Movie · as Jack Hathaway
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV · as Gil Grissom · 194 eps
The Directors
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Rat Pack
Movie · as John F. Kennedy
Kiss the Sky
Movie · as Jess
The Staircase
Movie · as Joad
Gunshy
Movie · as Jake Bridges
12 Angry Men
Movie · as Juror 12
Fear
Movie · as Steve Walker
Mulholland Falls
Movie · as Jack Flynn
The Beast
Movie · as Whip Dalton
The Beast
TV · as Whip Dalton · 2 eps
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Movie · as Tony C.
Curaçao
Movie · as Stephen Guerin
Return to Lonesome Dove
TV · as Captain Gideon Walker · 4 eps
Fallen Angels
TV · as Georgie · 1 ep
Late Show with David Letterman
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Passed Away
Movie · as Frank Scanlan
Hard Promises
Movie · as Joey
Keep the Change
Movie · as Joe Starling
Young Guns II
Movie · as Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
TV · as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. · 3 eps
Cousins
Movie · as Tom Hardy
Amazing Grace and Chuck
Movie · as Russell
Long Gone
Movie · as Stud Cantrell
Sacrée soirée
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Manhunter
Movie · as Will Graham
To Live and Die in L.A.
Movie · as Richard Chance
The Twilight Zone
TV · as (segment "Need to Know") · 1 ep
Thief
Movie · as Katz & Jammer Bartender