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William Devane

Acting 86 years old Albany, New York, USA ★ 2.1
Born: September 5, 1939

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Interstellar
Interstellar Williams 2014
Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum President Henry Hayes 2008
The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises President 2012
Vital Signs
Vital Signs Dr. Chatham 1990
Payback
Payback Carter 1999

Jimmy's Seen (1)

Rolling Thunder
Rolling Thunder Major Charles Rane 1977

Filmography

Acting Credits (113)

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

Writing Credits (1)

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