William Devane

Known for ActingBorn 1939-09-05 (age 86)Albany, New York, USA

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.Read more

Movies & web series

Crime Club

Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac

The Monroes

The President's Child

Fear on Trial

A Woman Named Jackie

Interstellar

The Missiles of October

The X-Files

The West Wing

Stargate SG-1

Chips, the War Dog

Bosch: Legacy

Murder C.O.D.

Turks

Psych

Ancient Secrets of the Bible

The Dark Knight Rises

The Other Victim

24

Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita

Revenge

In the Country

NCIS

Early Edition

The Snoop Sisters

Stargate: Continuum

The Missiles of October

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Touched by an Angel

The Million Dollar Rip-Off

From Here to Eternity

Notes from the Underbelly

Jesse Stone: Sea Change

For the Love of Nancy

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise

Jesse Stone: No Remorse

Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt

Jesse Stone: Thin Ice

Marathon Man

Plotting 'Family Plot'

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

The Grinder

Payback

50 to 1

Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise

Black Beauty