M MyList
Actor · Acting

William Devane

Born 1939-09-05
📍 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.

Filmography 111

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