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
The Judge
The Badge
Carter
Payback
Janeway
Marathon Man
Eugene Davis
Space Cowboys
Major Charles Rane
Rolling Thunder
John
Yanks
Arthur Adamson
Family Plot
George Boyajian
A Christmas Visitor
President Henry Hayes
Stargate: Continuum
The Lawyer
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Asst. D.A. Jackson
Report to the Commissioner
Cal Brennan
Monte Walsh
Thompson
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
Ron Lake
Poor White Trash
Nick Caldwell
Night Watch
Alex Brandt
Murder C.O.D.
Dr. Chatham
Vital Signs
Alan Beckett
The Least Among You
Mike Leak
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Scott McKenzie
Timestalkers
Capt. Bob Pearson
Freefall: Flight 174
President John F. Kennedy
The Missiles of October
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Pop O'Hara
Leprechaun's Revenge
Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
The Dark
Col. Charnley
Chips, the War Dog
Tom
For the Love of Nancy
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Jake
Flag of My Father
Ed Bledsoe
Obsessed
Daniel 'Dan' Fields
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
Frank Brolen
Red Alert
Frank Carson
The Dealership
Leonard Doc Blach
50 to 1
Big Red
Bad Turn Worse
Jock Fenner
La mortadella
Tom Kincaid
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
Earl Stokey
The Bait
Lt. Barrett
Lady in Waiting
Roger Thornhill
Race to Space
John Henry Faulk
Fear on Trial
Tom Wetherly
Testament
Williams
Interstellar
Dr. Richard Ofshe
Forgotten Sins
Dr. Karl Sorenson
Doomsday Rock
Sheriff Jim Metts
Nightmare in Columbia County
Harry Langford
The Other Victim
Maj. Phil Clark
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
Older Sam Ryan
The Man Who Used to Be Me
Lawrence Kellerman
Exception to the Rule
Coach Ball
Hadley's Rebellion
Grove McCarthy
Deceit
judge Stanley Seeban
The Fall
Dr. Kramer
Hollow Man
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
President
The Dark Knight Rises
Everett Morgan Gray
Good Morning, Killer
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
In the Country
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Col. Weldon
Threat of Exposure
Host & Narrator
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
Jack Litman
The Preppie Murder
Self
Plotting 'Family Plot'
Jimmy Pilgrim
My Old Man's Place
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
LT. Ashley
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
Sen. Emmett Hunter
The Absolute Truth
Kilburn
Crime Club
Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
Truth
Elliot McSwain
The President's Child
Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Honky Tonk Freeway
Dr. Harbuck
Virus
Tom
The 300-Year Weekend
Dutch Hines
The River Why
Harry Orwitz
Rubdown
William Quinn
Jane Doe
Pilot
The Pursuit of Happiness
Aaron Charney
With Intent to Kill
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
81
Gender
Male
Birthday
1939-09-05
Place of Birth
Albany, New York, USA
Also Known As
William Joseph Devane