William Devane

William Joseph Devane was born on September 5, 1939, in Albany, New York. His father, Joseph Devane, served as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s chauffeur when Roosevelt was Governor of New York. Devane pursued his passion for acting by graduating from New York City’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1962. His early career saw him performing with the New York Shakespeare Festival in fifteen plays and making his Broadway debut in “The Watering Place.” Although his initial Broadway foray was short-lived, he later achieved success with “The Chinese and Dr. Fish” and directed the Vietnam War drama “G. R. Point” in 1979, which earned Michael Jeter a Theatre World Award.

Devane transitioned to film and television, making his movie debut in “In the Country” (1967) and appearing in projects like Robert Altman’s “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971). A pivotal role came in 1973 when he portrayed President John F. Kennedy in the telefilm “The Missiles of October,” earning critical recognition. This role, along with his resemblance to Kennedy and ability to master the accent, led to subsequent castings as political figures. He secured major roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Family Plot” (1976) and John Schlesinger’s “Marathon Man” (1976). Despite an unsuccessful venture with “Honky Tonk Freeway” (1981) impacting his film trajectory, he found significant and enduring success on television.

From 1983 to 1993, Devane became widely known for his role as the ambitious character Greg Sumner on the prime-time soap opera “Knots Landing,” appearing in 266 episodes. His television career continued with recurring roles, including the lead character’s father on “Early Edition” (1996–2000) and Secretary of Defense James Heller on “24” (2005–2007), a role he reprised as President Heller in “24: Live Another Day” (2014). He also appeared in major films such as “Payback” (1999), “Space Cowboys” (2000), “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), and “Interstellar” (2014). Most recently, he appeared in “Bosch: Legacy” (2022), continuing his long-standing career in the entertainment industry.