William Devane

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

NCIS

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

24

Stargate SG-1

The X-Files

Interstellar

The West Wing

Psych

All Movies (82)

• Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise2015 · as Dr. Dix
• Truth2015 · as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
• Interstellar2014 · as Williams
• Bad Turn Worse2014 · as Big Red
• 50 to 12014 · as Leonard Doc Blach
• The Dark Knight Rises2012 · as President
• Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt2012 · as Dr. Dix
• Leprechaun's Revenge2012 · as Pop O'Hara
• Good Morning, Killer2011 · as Everett Morgan Gray
• Flag of My Father2011 · as Jake
• Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost2011 · as Dr. Dix
• The Kane Files: Life of Trial2010 · as Thompson
• Jesse Stone: No Remorse2010 · as Dr. Dix
• The River Why2010 · as Dutch Hines
• The Fall2009 · as judge Stanley Seeban
• Jesse Stone: Thin Ice2009 · as Dr. Dix
• The Least Among You2009 · as Alan Beckett
• The Dealership2009 · as Frank Carson
• Stargate: Continuum2008 · as President Henry Hayes
• Jesse Stone: Sea Change2007 · as Dr. Dix
• Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise2006 · as Dr. Dix
• Deceit2004 · as Grove McCarthy
• Monte Walsh2003 · as Cal Brennan
• A Christmas Visitor2002 · as George Boyajian
• Threat of Exposure2002 · as Col. Weldon
• The Badge2002 · as The Judge
• Race to Space2001 · as Roger Thornhill
• Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story2001 · as Tom Kincaid
• Plotting 'Family Plot'2001 · as Self
• Poor White Trash2000 · as Ron Lake
• Space Cowboys2000 · as Eugene Davis
• Hollow Man2000 · as Dr. Kramer
• The Man Who Used to Be Me2000 · as Older Sam Ryan
• Payback1999 · as Carter
• Doomsday Rock1997 · as Dr. Karl Sorenson
• The Absolute Truth1997 · as Sen. Emmett Hunter
• Exception to the Rule1997 · as Lawrence Kellerman
• Forgotten Sins1996 · as Dr. Richard Ofshe
• Freefall: Flight 1741995 · as Capt. Bob Pearson
• Night Watch1995 · as Nick Caldwell
• Virus1995 · as Dr. Harbuck
• Lady in Waiting1994 · as Lt. Barrett
• For the Love of Nancy1994 · as Tom
• Rubdown1993 · as Harry Orwitz
• Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story1993 · as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
• The President's Child1992 · as Elliot McSwain
• Obsessed1992 · as Ed Bledsoe
• Ancient Secrets of the Bible1992 · as Host & Narrator
• Victim of Beauty1991 · as Sheriff Jim Metts
• Murder C.O.D.1990 · as Alex Brandt
• Vital Signs1990 · as Dr. Chatham
• Chips, the War Dog1990 · as Col. Charnley
• The Preppie Murder1989 · as Jack Litman
• Timestalkers1987 · as Scott McKenzie
• With Intent to Kill1984 · as Aaron Charney
• Testament1983 · as Tom Wetherly
• Hadley's Rebellion1983 · as Coach Ball
• Jane Doe1983 · as William Quinn
• Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady1982
• The Other Victim1981 · as Harry Langford
• Red Flag: The Ultimate Game1981 · as Maj. Phil Clark
• Honky Tonk Freeway1981 · as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
• Yanks1979 · as John
• The Dark1979 · as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
• Rolling Thunder1977 · as Major Charles Rane
• The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training1977 · as Mike Leak
• Red Alert1977 · as Frank Brolen
• Marathon Man1976 · as Janeway
• Family Plot1976 · as Arthur Adamson
• Fear on Trial1975 · as John Henry Faulk
• Report to the Commissioner1975 · as Asst. D.A. Jackson
• The Missiles of October1974 · as President John F. Kennedy
• Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita1974
• The Bait1973 · as Earl Stokey
• Crime Club1973 · as Kilburn
• The Irish Whiskey Rebellion1972 · as LT. Ashley
• Lady Liberty1971 · as Jock Fenner
• McCabe & Mrs. Miller1971 · as Lawyer
• My Old Man's Place1971 · as Jimmy Pilgrim
• The 300-Year Weekend1971 · as Tom
• The Pursuit of Happiness1971 · as Pilot
• In the Country1967

All TV Shows (33)

• Bosch: Legacy2022 · as Whitney Vance
• The Grinder2015 · as Dean Sanderson Sr.
• Revenge2011 · as Edward Grayson
• Notes from the Underbelly2007 · as Walter
• Psych2006 · as Peters
• What About Brian2006 · as Michael Davis
• Crumbs2006 · as Billy Crumb
• NCIS2003 · as Nicolas Mason
• 242001 · as James Heller
• The Michael Richards Show2000 · as Brady McKay
• The West Wing1999 · as Lewis Berryhill
• Turks1999 · as Sergeant Joseph Turk
• Stargate SG-11997 · as President Hayes
• Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac1997 · as Greg Sumner
• Rogues Gallery1997 · as Self – Narrator
• Early Edition1996 · as Bernie Hobson
• The Monroes1995
• Hope and Gloria1995 · as William Devane
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Benjamin Parker
• Phenom1993 · as Lou Della Rosa
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman1993 · as Al Capone
• The X-Files1993 · as General Mark Suveg
• A Woman Named Jackie1991 · as Black Jack Bouvier
• Knots Landing1979 · as Greg Sumner
• From Here to Eternity1979 · as Sgt. Milt Warden
• Black Beauty1978 · as John Manly
• The Missiles of October1974 · as John F. Kennedy - US President
• The Snoop Sisters1973 · as David Prine
• Film '721971 · as Self
• Medical Center1969 · as Dr. Ray Waltham
• Mannix1967 · as Al Kordic
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• Gunsmoke1955 · as Moss Stratton