William Devane
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
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
112
Gender
Male
Birthday
1939-09-05 (85 years old)
Place of Birth
Albany, New York, USA
Acting

2022

Bosch: Legacy as Whitney Vance

2015

The Grinder as Dean Sanderson Sr.

2015

Truth as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)

2014

Interstellar as Williams

2014

50 to 1 as Leonard Doc Blach

2014

Bad Turn Worse as Big Red

2012

The Dark Knight Rises as President

2012

Leprechaun's Revenge as Pop O'Hara

2011

Revenge as Edward Grayson

2011

Good Morning, Killer as Everett Morgan Gray

2011

Flag of My Father as Jake

2010

Jesse Stone: No Remorse as Dr. Dix

2010

The River Why as Dutch Hines

2009

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice as Dr. Dix

2009

The Least Among You as Alan Beckett

2009

The Dealership as Frank Carson

2009

The Fall as judge Stanley Seeban

2008

Stargate: Continuum as President Henry Hayes

2007

Jesse Stone: Sea Change as Dr. Dix

2006

Psych as Peters

2006

Crumbs as Not available

2004

Deceit as Grove McCarthy

2003

NCIS as Nicolas Mason

2003

Monte Walsh as Cal Brennan

2002

The Badge as The Judge

2002

A Christmas Visitor as George Boyajian

2002

Threat of Exposure as Col. Weldon

2001

24 as James Heller

2001

Race to Space as Roger Thornhill

2000

Hollow Man as Dr. Kramer

2000

The Michael Richards Show as Brady McKay

2000

Space Cowboys as Eugene Davis

2000

Poor White Trash as Ron Lake

2000

The Man Who Used to Be Me as Older Sam Ryan

1999

The West Wing as Lewis Berryhill

1999

Payback as Carter

1999

Turks as Sergeant Joseph Turk

1997

Stargate SG-1 as President Hayes

1997

Exception to the Rule as Lawrence Kellerman

1997

The Absolute Truth as Sen. Emmett Hunter

1997

Doomsday Rock as Dr. Karl Sorenson

1996

Early Edition as Bernie Hobson

1996

Forgotten Sins as Dr. Richard Ofshe

1995

Hope and Gloria as William Devane

1995

The Monroes as Not available

1995

Virus as Dr. Harbuck

1995

Freefall: Flight 174 as Capt. Bob Pearson

1995

Night Watch as Nick Caldwell

1994

Touched by an Angel as Benjamin Parker

1994

Lady in Waiting as Lt. Barrett

1993

The X-Files as General Mark Suveg

1993

Phenom as Lou Della Rosa

1993

Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story as Daniel 'Dan' Fields

1993

Rubdown as Harry Orwitz

1992

Obsessed as Ed Bledsoe

1992

The President's Child as Elliot McSwain

1992

Ancient Secrets of the Bible as Host & Narrator

1991

A Woman Named Jackie as Black Jack Bouvier

1991

Nightmare in Columbia County as Sheriff Jim Metts

1990

Vital Signs as Dr. Chatham

1990

Murder C.O.D. as Alex Brandt

1990

Chips, the War Dog as Col. Charnley

1989

The Preppie Murder as Jack Litman

1987

Timestalkers as Scott McKenzie

1984

With Intent to Kill as Aaron Charney

1983

Testament as Tom Wetherly

1983

Jane Doe as William Quinn

1983

Hadley's Rebellion as Coach Ball

1981

Honky Tonk Freeway as Mayor Kirby T. Calo

1981

The Other Victim as Harry Langford

1981

Red Flag: The Ultimate Game as Maj. Phil Clark

1979

Knots Landing as Greg Sumner

1979

From Here to Eternity as Sgt. Milt Warden

1979

Yanks as John

1979

The Dark as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree

1978

Black Beauty as John Manly

1977

Rolling Thunder as Major Charles Rane

1977

Red Alert as Frank Brolen

1976

Marathon Man as Janeway

1976

Family Plot as Arthur Adamson

1975

Report to the Commissioner as Asst. D.A. Jackson

1975

Fear on Trial as John Henry Faulk

1974

The Missiles of October as John F. Kennedy - US President

1974

The Missiles of October as President John F. Kennedy

1973

The Snoop Sisters as David Prine

1973

The Bait as Earl Stokey

1973

Crime Club as Kilburn

1972

The Irish Whiskey Rebellion as LT. Ashley

1971

McCabe & Mrs. Miller as The Lawyer

1971

Lady Liberty as Jock Fenner

1971

My Old Man's Place as Jimmy Pilgrim

1969

Medical Center as Dr. Ray Waltham

1967

Mannix as Al Kordic

1967

In the Country as Not available

1955

Gunsmoke as Moss Stratton
Crew

1971

The 300-Year Weekend Additional Dialogue