Loading amazing content...
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
September 5, 1939
Place of Birth
Albany, New York, USA
Also Known As
- William Joseph Devane
- Γουίλιαμ Ντιβέιν
- ویلیام دیوان
William Devane
2.6 Popularity
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
8.0
Whitney Vance
Bosch: Legacy
2022
6.6
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
2015
6.5
Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
Truth
2015
6.7
Dean Sanderson Sr.
The Grinder
2015
8.5
Williams
Interstellar
2014
5.4
Big Red
Bad Turn Worse
2014
6.6
Leonard Doc Blach
50 to 1
2014
7.8
President
The Dark Knight Rises
2012
6.8
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
2012
5.1
Pop O'Hara
Leprechaun's Revenge
2012
Credits
Bosch: Legacy
as Whitney Vance
2022
8.0
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
2015
6.6
Truth
as Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
2015
6.5
The Grinder
as Dean Sanderson Sr.
2015
6.7
Interstellar
as Williams
2014
8.5
Bad Turn Worse
as Big Red
2014
5.4
50 to 1
as Leonard Doc Blach
2014
6.6
The Dark Knight Rises
as President
2012
7.8
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
as Dr. Dix
2012
6.8
Leprechaun's Revenge
as Pop O'Hara
2012
5.1
Good Morning, Killer
as Everett Morgan Gray
2011
4.9
Flag of My Father
as Jake
2011
6.0
Revenge
as Edward Grayson
2011
7.6
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
as Dr. Dix
2011
6.4
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
as Thompson
2010
4.9
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
as Dr. Dix
2010
6.9
The River Why
as Dutch Hines
2010
5.2
The Fall
as judge Stanley Seeban
2009
5.5
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
as Dr. Dix
2009
6.8
🎬
The Least Among You
as Alan Beckett
2009
5.0
🎬
The Dealership
as Frank Carson
2009
0.0
Stargate: Continuum
as President Henry Hayes
2008
7.2
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
as Dr. Dix
2007
7.0
Notes from the Underbelly
as Walter
2007
7.0
Psych
as Peters
2006
7.9
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
as Dr. Dix
2006
6.9
What About Brian
as Michael Davis
2006
5.9
Crumbs
as Billy Crumb
2006
5.8
Deceit
as Grove McCarthy
2004
3.0
NCIS
as Nicolas Mason
2003
7.6
Monte Walsh
as Cal Brennan
2003
6.1
A Christmas Visitor
as George Boyajian
2002
5.3
Threat of Exposure
as Col. Weldon
2002
4.5
The Badge
as The Judge
2002
5.7
24
as James Heller
2001
7.8
Race to Space
as Roger Thornhill
2001
5.9
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
as Tom Kincaid
2001
4.3
Plotting 'Family Plot'
as Self
2001
6.2
Poor White Trash
as Ron Lake
2000
4.3
The Michael Richards Show
as Brady McKay
2000
4.5
Space Cowboys
as Eugene Davis
2000
6.4
Hollow Man
as Dr. Kramer
2000
6.0
The Man Who Used to Be Me
as Older Sam Ryan
2000
5.3
The West Wing
as Lewis Berryhill
1999
8.2
Payback
as Carter
1999
6.8
Turks
as Sergeant Joseph Turk
1999
7.3
🎬
Doomsday Rock
as Dr. Karl Sorenson
1997
4.7
Stargate SG-1
as President Hayes
1997
8.3
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
as Greg Sumner
1997
9.0
The Absolute Truth
as Sen. Emmett Hunter
1997
3.7
Exception to the Rule
as Lawrence Kellerman
1997
2.8
Early Edition
as Bernie Hobson
1996
7.3
🎬
Forgotten Sins
as Dr. Richard Ofshe
1996
2.0
Freefall: Flight 174
as Capt. Bob Pearson
1995
5.5
Night Watch
as Nick Caldwell
1995
4.6
The Monroes
1995
0.0
Virus
as Dr. Harbuck
1995
4.6
Hope and Gloria
as William Devane
1995
5.0
Lady in Waiting
as Lt. Barrett
1994
2.8
For the Love of Nancy
as Tom
1994
6.9
Touched by an Angel
as Benjamin Parker
1994
7.2
Rubdown
as Harry Orwitz
1993
2.0
Phenom
as Lou Della Rosa
1993
4.8
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
as Al Capone
1993
6.9
The X-Files
as General Mark Suveg
1993
8.4
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
as Daniel 'Dan' Fields
1993
5.3
The President's Child
as Elliot McSwain
1992
10.0
Obsessed
as Ed Bledsoe
1992
6.0
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
as Host & Narrator
1992
0.0
Nightmare in Columbia County
as Sheriff Jim Metts
1991
6.5
A Woman Named Jackie
as Black Jack Bouvier
1991
9.2
Murder C.O.D.
as Alex Brandt
1990
7.8
Vital Signs
as Dr. Chatham
1990
4.5
Chips, the War Dog
as Col. Charnley
1990
8.5
The Preppie Murder
as Jack Litman
1989
5.2
Timestalkers
as Scott McKenzie
1987
5.3
With Intent to Kill
as Aaron Charney
1984
3.0
Testament
as Tom Wetherly
1983
6.3
Hadley's Rebellion
as Coach Ball
1983
3.3
Jane Doe
as William Quinn
1983
6.0
The Other Victim
as Harry Langford
1981
0.0
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
as Maj. Phil Clark
1981
4.0
Honky Tonk Freeway
as Mayor Kirby T. Calo
1981
5.2
Knots Landing
as Greg Sumner
1979
6.7
Yanks
as John
1979
5.9
The Dark
as Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
1979
4.6
From Here to Eternity
as Sgt. Milt Warden
1979
6.8
Black Beauty
as John Manly
1978
7.0
Rolling Thunder
as Major Charles Rane
1977
6.8
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
as Mike Leak
1977
5.7
Red Alert
as Frank Brolen
1977
4.0
Marathon Man
as Janeway
1976
7.2
Family Plot
as Arthur Adamson
1976
6.8
Fear on Trial
as John Henry Faulk
1975
9.0
Report to the Commissioner
as Asst. D.A. Jackson
1975
6.5
The Missiles of October
as President John F. Kennedy
1974
7.5
The Missiles of October
as John F. Kennedy - US President
1974
8.8
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974
0.0
The Snoop Sisters
as David Prine
1973
7.2
The Bait
as Earl Stokey
1973
6.4
Crime Club
as Kilburn
1973
0.0
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
as LT. Ashley
1972
3.0
Lady Liberty
as Jock Fenner
1971
5.3
My Old Man's Place
as Jimmy Pilgrim
1971
6.8
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
as The Lawyer
1971
7.2
The 300-Year Weekend
as Tom
1971
2.0
The Pursuit of Happiness
as Pilot
1971
5.8
Medical Center
as Dr. Ray Waltham
1969
6.1
Mannix
as Al Kordic
1967
6.7
In the Country
1967
6.0
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
7.5
Gunsmoke
as Moss Stratton
1955
6.6