William Devane
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Sep 5, 1939 (age 87)
- Place of birth
- Albany, New York, USA
- Credits
- 119
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
Filmography
Bosch: Legacy
2022TV
Whitney Vance
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
2015Movie
Dr. Dix
Truth
2015Movie
Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
The Grinder
2015TV
Dean Sanderson Sr.
Interstellar
2014Movie
Williams
Bad Turn Worse
2014Movie
Big Red
50 to 1
2014Movie
Leonard Doc Blach
The Dark Knight Rises
2012Movie
President
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
2012Movie
Dr. Dix
Leprechaun's Revenge
2012Movie
Pop O'Hara
Good Morning, Killer
2011Movie
Everett Morgan Gray
Flag of My Father
2011Movie
Jake
Revenge
2011TV
Edward Grayson
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
2011Movie
Dr. Dix
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
2010Movie
Thompson
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
2010Movie
Dr. Dix
The River Why
2010Movie
Dutch Hines
The Fall
2009Movie
judge Stanley Seeban
Chasing the Green
2009Movie
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
2009Movie
Dr. Dix
The Least Among You
2009Movie
Alan Beckett
The Dealership
2009Movie
Frank Carson
Stargate: Continuum
2008Movie
President Henry Hayes
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
2007Movie
Dr. Dix
Notes from the Underbelly
2007TV
Walter
Psych
2006TV
Peters
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
2006Movie
Dr. Dix
What About Brian
2006TV
Michael Davis
Crumbs
2006TV
Billy Crumb
Deceit
2004Movie
Grove McCarthy
NCIS
2003TV
Nicolas Mason
Monte Walsh
2003Movie
Cal Brennan
A Christmas Visitor
2002Movie
George Boyajian
Threat of Exposure
2002Movie
Col. Weldon
The Badge
2002Movie
The Judge
24
2001TV
James Heller
Race to Space
2001Movie
Roger Thornhill
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
2001Movie
Tom Kincaid
Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001Movie
Self
Poor White Trash
2000Movie
Ron Lake
The Michael Richards Show
2000TV
Brady McKay
Space Cowboys
2000Movie
Eugene Davis
Hollow Man
2000Movie
Dr. Kramer
The Man Who Used to Be Me
2000Movie
Older Sam Ryan
The West Wing
1999TV
Lewis Berryhill
Payback
1999Movie
Carter
Turks
1999TV
Sergeant Joseph Turk
Doomsday Rock
1997Movie
Dr. Karl Sorenson
Stargate SG-1
1997TV
President Hayes
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
1997TV
Greg Sumner
The Absolute Truth
1997Movie
Emmett Hunter
Rogues Gallery
1997TV
Self – Narrator
Exception to the Rule
1997Movie
Lawrence Kellerman
Early Edition
1996TV
Bernie Hobson
Forgotten Sins
1996Movie
Dr. Richard Ofshe
Freefall: Flight 174
1995Movie
Capt. Bob Pearson
Night Watch
1995Movie
Nick Caldwell
The Monroes
1995TV
Virus
1995Movie
Dr. Harbuck
Hope and Gloria
1995TV
William Devane
Lady in Waiting
1994Movie
Lt. Barrett
For the Love of Nancy
1994Movie
Tom
Touched by an Angel
1994TV
Benjamin Parker
Rubdown
1993Movie
Harry Orwitz
Phenom
1993TV
Lou Della Rosa
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993TV
Al Capone
The X-Files
1993TV
General Mark Suveg
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
1993Movie
Daniel 'Dan' Fields
The President's Child
1992Movie
Elliot McSwain
Obsessed
1992Movie
Ed Bledsoe
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
1992Movie
Host & Narrator
Victim of Beauty
1991Movie
Sheriff Jim Metts
A Woman Named Jackie
1991TV
Black Jack Bouvier
Murder C.O.D.
1990Movie
Alex Brandt
Vital Signs
1990Movie
Dr. Chatham
Chips, the War Dog
1990Movie
Col. Charnley
The Preppie Murder
1989Movie
Jack Litman
Timestalkers
1987Movie
Scott McKenzie
With Intent to Kill
1984Movie
Aaron Charney
Testament
1983Movie
Tom Wetherly
Hadley's Rebellion
1983Movie
Coach Ball
Jane Doe
1983Movie
William Quinn
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982Movie
Self
American Playhouse
1982TV
Tom Wetherly
The Other Victim
1981Movie
Harry Langford
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
1981Movie
Maj. Phil Clark
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981Movie
Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Knots Landing
1979TV
Greg Sumner
Yanks
1979Movie
John
The Dark
1979Movie
Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
From Here to Eternity
1979TV
Sgt. Milt Warden
Black Beauty
1978TV
John Manly
Rolling Thunder
1977Movie
Major Charles Rane
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1977Movie
Mike Leak
Red Alert
1977Movie
Frank Brolen
Marathon Man
1976Movie
Janeway
Family Plot
1976Movie
Arthur Adamson
Fear on Trial
1975Movie
John Henry Faulk
Report to the Commissioner
1975Movie
Asst. D.A. Jackson
The Missiles of October
1974Movie
President John F. Kennedy
The Missiles of October
1974TV
John F. Kennedy - US President
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974Movie
The Snoop Sisters
1973TV
David Prine
The Bait
1973Movie
Earl Stokey
Crime Club
1973Movie
Kilburn
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
1972Movie
LT. Ashley
Lady Liberty
1971Movie
Jock Fenner
Film '72
1971TV
Self
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971Movie
Lawyer
My Old Man's Place
1971Movie
Jimmy Pilgrim
The 300-Year Weekend
1971Movie
Tom
The Pursuit of Happiness
1971Movie
Pilot
Medical Center
1969TV
Dr. Ray Waltham
Hawaii Five-O
1969TV
Fallon
Mannix
1967TV
Al Kordic
Ironside
1967TV
Smiley
In the Country
1967Movie
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962TV
Self
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Moss Stratton