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William Devane
Acting
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 Missil…
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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.
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BODY OF WORK
William Devane's Filmography
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Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
Truth
as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
Interstellar
as Williams
Bad Turn Worse
as Big Red
50 to 1
as Leonard Doc Blach
The Dark Knight Rises
as President
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
as Dr. Dix
Leprechaun's Revenge
as Pop O'Hara
Good Morning, Killer
as Everett Morgan Gray
Flag of My Father
as Jake
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
as Dr. Dix
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
as Thompson
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
as Dr. Dix
The River Why
as Dutch Hines
No Poster
The Fall
as judge Stanley Seeban
Chasing the Green
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
as Dr. Dix
No Poster
The Least Among You
as Alan Beckett
No Poster
The Dealership
as Frank Carson
Stargate: Continuum
as President Henry Hayes
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
as Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
Deceit
as Grove McCarthy
Monte Walsh
as Cal Brennan
A Christmas Visitor
as George Boyajian
Threat of Exposure
as Col. Weldon
The Badge
as The Judge
Race to Space
as Roger Thornhill
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
as Tom Kincaid
Plotting 'Family Plot'
as Self
Poor White Trash
as Ron Lake
Space Cowboys
as Eugene Davis
Hollow Man
as Dr. Kramer
The Man Who Used to Be Me
as Older Sam Ryan
Payback
as Carter
No Poster
Doomsday Rock
as Dr. Karl Sorenson
The Absolute Truth
as Emmett Hunter
Exception to the Rule
as Lawrence Kellerman
Forgotten Sins
as Dr. Richard Ofshe
Freefall: Flight 174
as Capt. Bob Pearson
Night Watch
as Nick Caldwell
Virus
as Dr. Harbuck
Lady in Waiting
as Lt. Barrett
For the Love of Nancy
as Tom
Rubdown
as Harry Orwitz
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
The President's Child
as Elliot McSwain
Obsessed
as Ed Bledsoe
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
as Host & Narrator
Victim of Beauty
as Sheriff Jim Metts
Murder C.O.D.
as Alex Brandt
Vital Signs
as Dr. Chatham
Chips, the War Dog
as Col. Charnley
The Preppie Murder
as Jack Litman
Timestalkers
as Scott McKenzie
With Intent to Kill
as Aaron Charney
Testament
as Tom Wetherly
Hadley's Rebellion
as Coach Ball
Jane Doe
as William Quinn
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
as Self
The Other Victim
as Harry Langford
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
as Maj. Phil Clark
Honky Tonk Freeway
as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Yanks
as John
The Dark
as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
Rolling Thunder
as Major Charles Rane
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
as Mike Leak
Red Alert
as Frank Brolen
Marathon Man
as Janeway
Family Plot
as Arthur Adamson
Fear on Trial
as John Henry Faulk
Report to the Commissioner
as Asst. D.A. Jackson
The Missiles of October
as President John F. Kennedy
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
The Bait
as Earl Stokey
Crime Club
as Kilburn
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
as LT. Ashley
Lady Liberty
as Jock Fenner
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
as Lawyer
My Old Man's Place
as Jimmy Pilgrim
The 300-Year Weekend
as Tom
The Pursuit of Happiness
as Pilot
