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William Devane

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.

  • BIRTH 05/09/1939
  • Country United States
  • SHOWS 12
  • MOVIES 39

Shows (12)

NCIS
NCIS
Nicolas Mason
The X-Files
The X-Files
General Mark Suveg
Revenge
Revenge
Edward Grayson
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
President Hayes
24
24
James Hiller / President James Heller
Bosch: Legacy
Bosch: Legacy
Whitney Vance
Psych
Psych
Peters
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Al Capone
The West Wing
The West Wing
Secretary of State Lewis Berryhill
The Grinder
The Grinder
Dean Sanderson Sr.
Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Greg Sumner
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Moss Stratton

Movies (39)

Interstellar
Interstellar
Williams
Stargate: Continuum
Stargate: Continuum
President Henry Hayes
Space Cowboys
Space Cowboys
Eugene Davis
Payback
Payback
Carter
Hollow Man
Hollow Man
Dr. Kramer
Marathon Man
Marathon Man
Janeway
Family Plot
Family Plot
Arthur Adamson
Testament
Testament
Tom Wetherly
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Dr. Dix
The River Why
The River Why
Dutch Hines
A Christmas Visitor
A Christmas Visitor
George Boyajian
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Dr. Dix
Bad Turn Worse
Bad Turn Worse
Big Red
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Dr. Dix
The Pursuit of Happiness
The Pursuit of Happiness
Pilot
The Dark
The Dark
Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
Yanks
Yanks
John
Deceit
Deceit
Grove McCarthy
50 to 1
50 to 1
Leonard Doc Blach
Leprechaun's Revenge
Leprechaun's Revenge
Pop O'Hara
The Man Who Used to Be Me
The Man Who Used to Be Me
Older Sam Ryan
Doomsday Rock
Doomsday Rock
Dr. Karl Sorenson
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
Maj. Phil Clark
Rolling Thunder
Rolling Thunder
Major Charles Rane
Good Morning, Killer
Good Morning, Killer
Everett Morgan Gray
Flag of My Father
Flag of My Father
Jake
Honky Tonk Freeway
Honky Tonk Freeway
Mayor Kirby T. Calo
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Mike Leak
Freefall: Flight 174
Freefall: Flight 174
Capt. Bob Pearson
Virus
Virus
Dr. Harbuck
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
Daniel 'Dan' Fields
Chips, the War Dog
Chips, the War Dog
Col. Charnley
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
The Lawyer
The Absolute Truth
The Absolute Truth
Sen. Emmett Hunter
Exception to the Rule
Exception to the Rule
Lawrence Kellerman