William Devane
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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Movies (84)
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
2015 · Dr. Dix
Conspiración y Poder
2015 · Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
Interstellar
2014 · Williams
Bad Turn Worse
2014 · Big Red
50 a 1
2014 · Leonard Doc Blach
Batman: El caballero de la noche asciende
2012 · President
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
2012 · Dr. Dix
Trebol rojo
2012 · Pop O'Hara
Good Morning, Killer
2011 · Everett Morgan Gray
Flag of My Father
2011 · Jake
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
2011 · Dr. Dix
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
2010 · Thompson
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
2010 · Dr. Dix
The River Why
2010 · Dutch Hines
The Fall
2009 · judge Stanley Seeban
Chasing the Green
2009
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
2009 · Dr. Dix
The Least Among You
2009 · Alan Beckett
The Dealership
2009 · Frank Carson
Stargate: El contínuo
2008 · President Henry Hayes
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
2007 · Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
2006 · Dr. Dix
Deceit
2004 · Grove McCarthy
Monte Walsh
2003 · Cal Brennan
A Christmas Visitor
2002 · George Boyajian
Threat of Exposure
2002 · Col. Weldon
The Badge
2002 · The Judge
Race to Space
2001 · Roger Thornhill
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
2001 · Tom Kincaid
Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001 · Self
Poor White Trash
2000 · Ron Lake
Jinetes Del Espacio
2000 · Eugene Davis
El hombre sin sombra
2000 · Dr. Kramer
The Man Who Used to Be Me
2000 · Older Sam Ryan
Revancha
1999 · Carter
Doomsday Rock
1997 · Dr. Karl Sorenson
The Absolute Truth
1997 · Emmett Hunter
Exception to the Rule
1997 · Lawrence Kellerman
Forgotten Sins
1996 · Dr. Richard Ofshe
Freefall: Flight 174
1995 · Capt. Bob Pearson
Night Watch
1995 · Nick Caldwell
Virus
1995 · Dr. Harbuck
Lady in Waiting
1994 · Lt. Barrett
For the Love of Nancy
1994 · Tom
Rubdown
1993 · Harry Orwitz
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
1993 · Daniel 'Dan' Fields
The President's Child
1992 · Elliot McSwain
Obsessed
1992 · Ed Bledsoe
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
1992 · Host & Narrator
Victim of Beauty
1991 · Sheriff Jim Metts
Murder C.O.D.
1990 · Alex Brandt
Vital Signs
1990 · Dr. Chatham
Chips, the War Dog
1990 · Col. Charnley
The Preppie Murder
1989 · Jack Litman
Timestalkers
1987 · Scott McKenzie
With Intent to Kill
1984 · Aaron Charney
Testament
1983 · Tom Wetherly
Hadley's Rebellion
1983 · Coach Ball
Jane Doe
1983 · William Quinn
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982 · Self
The Other Victim
1981 · Harry Langford
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
1981 · Maj. Phil Clark
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981 · Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Yanks
1979 · John
The Dark
1979 · Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
Rolling Thunder
1977 · Major Charles Rane
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1977 · Mike Leak
Red Alert
1977 · Frank Brolen
Marathon Man
1976 · Janeway
The Million Dollar Rip-Off
1976 · Writer
Family Plot
1976 · Arthur Adamson
Fear on Trial
1975 · John Henry Faulk
Report to the Commissioner
1975 · Asst. D.A. Jackson
The Missiles of October
1974 · President John F. Kennedy
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974
The Bait
1973 · Earl Stokey
Crime Club
1973 · Kilburn
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
1972 · LT. Ashley
Lady Liberty
1971 · Jock Fenner
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971 · Lawyer
My Old Man's Place
1971 · Jimmy Pilgrim
The 300-Year Weekend
1971 · Tom, Additional Dialogue
The Pursuit of Happiness
1971 · Pilot
In the Country
1967
TV shows (37)
Bosch: El Legado
2022 · Whitney Vance
The Grinder
2015 · Dean Sanderson Sr.
Revenge
2011 · Edward Grayson
Notes from the Underbelly
2007 · Walter
Psych
2006 · Peters
What About Brian
2006 · Michael Davis
Crumbs
2006 · Billy Crumb
NCIS
2003 · Nicolas Mason
24 Horas
2001 · James Heller
The Michael Richards Show
2000 · Brady McKay
The West Wing
1999 · Lewis Berryhill
Turks
1999 · Sergeant Joseph Turk
Stargate SG-1
1997 · President Hayes
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
1997 · Greg Sumner
Rogues Gallery
1997 · Self – Narrator
El Diario del Destino
1996 · Bernie Hobson
The Monroes
1995
Hope and Gloria
1995 · William Devane
El Toque de un Angel
1994 · Benjamin Parker
Phenom
1993 · Lou Della Rosa
Lois & Clark: Las nuevas aventuras de Superman
1993 · Al Capone
Los Expedientes Secretos X
1993 · General Mark Suveg
A Woman Named Jackie
1991 · Black Jack Bouvier
American Playhouse
1982 · Tom Wetherly
Knots Landing
1979 · Greg Sumner
From Here to Eternity
1979 · Sgt. Milt Warden
Black Beauty
1978 · John Manly
Battle of the Network Stars
1976 · Self - NBC Team, Self - CBS Team Captain
The Missiles of October
1974 · John F. Kennedy - US President
The Snoop Sisters
1973 · David Prine
Film '72
1971 · Self
Medical Center
1969 · Dr. Ray Waltham
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Fallon
Mannix
1967 · Al Kordic
Ironside
1967 · Smiley
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
Gunsmoke
1955 · Moss Stratton