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IMDbPro

William Devane

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000812
William Devane in The Grinder (2015)
Official Trailer
Play trailer3:10
The Grinder (2015–2016)
30 Videos
99 Photos
William Devane, the movie and television actor, was born in Albany, New York, the son of Joseph Devane, who served as Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York. After graduating from New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he appeared on-stage. He finally made his Broadway debut in "The Watering Place" with Shirley Knight, a flop that lasted but one performance. (He was more successful with "The Chinese and Dr. Fish" during the 1970 season, which lasted three weeks. His sole Broadway directorial effort, the Vietnam War drama "G. R. Point," lasted for 32 performances in 1979 and brought Michael Jeter a 1979 Theatre World Award.)

He made his movie debut as a revolutionary in the independently produced In the Country (1967) and began appearing on series TV. He had a small but memorable part as the lawyer committed to free-enterprise in Robert Altman's masterpiece McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) in 1971, but what made his reputation was his turn as President John F. Kennedy in the The Missiles of October (1974), a 1973 telefilm about the Cuban Missile Crisis. He made a bid for stardom with major roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot (1976) and John Schlesinger's Marathon Man (1976) (both 1976) and The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) (1977), as well as roles in Schlesinger's Yanks (1979) and the TV adaptation of James Jones' classic barracks drama From Here to Eternity (1979). However, any chances for a successful movie career essentially were doomed by the monumental failure of Schlesinger's comedy Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), one of the great flops its time, bringing in only $2 million at the box office against a $24 million budget. Devane moved over to nighttime series TV, playing the cad Greg Sumner on the night-time soap opera Knots Landing (1979) for 10 years.

Because of his resemblance to President Kennedy and his ability to master a Kennedyesque Boston accent, Devane continues to be in demand as politicians, including presidents, in such shows as The West Wing (1999), 24 (2001), and Stargate SG-1 (1997).
BornSeptember 5, 1939
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornSeptember 5, 1939
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,000812
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys

Photos99

William Devane and Anne Hathaway in Interstellar (2014)
Fred Savage and William Devane in Crumbs (2006)
William Devane and Luke Askew in Rolling Thunder (1977)
Tommy Lee Jones and William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
Tommy Lee Jones and William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane and James Victor in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)
William Devane in Rolling Thunder (1977)

Known for

Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)
Knots Landing
6.8
TV Series
  • Gregory Sumner
  • Greg Sumner
Mel Gibson in Payback (1999)
Payback
7.1
  • Carter
  • 1999
Promo Poster
Space Cowboys
6.5
  • Eugene Davis
  • 2000
Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man (1976)
Marathon Man
7.4
  • Janeway
  • 1976

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Bosch: Legacy (2022)
    Bosch: Legacy
  • Rob Lowe and Fred Savage in The Grinder (2015)
    The Grinder
  • Tom Selleck and Mackenzie Foy in Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise (2015)
    Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
  • Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett in Truth (2015)
    Truth
    • (voice, uncredited)
  • Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar (2014)
    Interstellar
  • Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub in 24: Live Another Day (2014)
    24: Live Another Day
  • 50 to 1 (2014)
    50 to 1
  • Bad Turn Worse (2013)
    Bad Turn Worse
  • Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
    The Dark Knight Rises
  • Tom Selleck in Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)
    Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
  • Red Clover (2012)
    Red Clover
  • Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp in Revenge (2011)
    Revenge
  • Catherine Bell, Titus Welliver, and James Jordan in Good Morning, Killer (2011)
    Good Morning, Killer
  • William Devane, GiGi Erneta, and John Schneider in Flag of My Father (2011)
    Flag of My Father
  • Tom Selleck in Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (2011)
    Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost

Writer

  • Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)
    Knots Landing
  • The Million Dollar Rip-Off (1976)
    The Million Dollar Rip-Off
    • (as William J. Devane)
  • The 300 Year Weekend (1971)
    The 300 Year Weekend

Director

  • Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, Constance McCashin, John Pleshette, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)
    Knots Landing
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos32

Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 0:50
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:39
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:26
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:44
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:57
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:53
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Clip 1:59
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Payback
Clip 0:42
Payback
Trailer
Trailer 0:30
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:35
Official Trailer
Teaser Trailer
Trailer 1:14
Teaser Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:40
Official Trailer

Personal details

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    • September 5, 1939
    • Albany, New York, USA
    • 1962 - present (2 children)
    • Josh Devane
    • Joe Devane
    • (Sibling)
  • Other works
    TV commercial for Maxwell House coffee (voice)
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Interviews
    • 6 Articles
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    He replaced Roy Thinnes in Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot (1976) one month into the filming, after the legendary director found out that he was then available because Devane was Hitchcock's first choice for the part. Some long shots in the film are still of Thinnes, but all other footage was re-shot with Devane.
  • Quotes
    [on Robert Redford] I can't stand around like Redford. I'm not that narcissistic. Not that photogenic, either.
    • Slight drawl
    • From Here to Eternity
      (1980)
      $100,000 per episode

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