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.
Filmography · 113
NCIS
2003 · Nicolas Mason
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
The West Wing
1999 · Lewis Berryhill
Stargate SG-1
1997 · President Hayes
24
2001 · James Heller
Interstellar
2014 · Williams
Psych
2006 · Peters
The X-Files
1993 · General Mark Suveg
Ironside
1967 · Smiley
Mannix
1967 · Al Kordic
Revenge
2011 · Edward Grayson
Knots Landing
1979 · Greg Sumner
The Dark Knight Rises
2012 · President
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993 · Al Capone
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Benjamin Parker
American Playhouse
1982 · Tom Wetherly
Gunsmoke
1955 · Moss Stratton
Early Edition
1996 · Bernie Hobson
Medical Center
1969 · Dr. Ray Waltham
Bosch: Legacy
2022 · Whitney Vance
Hollow Man
2000 · Dr. Kramer
What About Brian
2006 · Michael Davis
The Grinder
2015 · Dean Sanderson Sr.
Payback
1999 · Carter
Hope and Gloria
1995 · William Devane
Space Cowboys
2000 · Eugene Davis
Notes from the Underbelly
2007 · Walter
Crumbs
2006 · Billy Crumb
The Snoop Sisters
1973 · David Prine
Marathon Man
1976 · Janeway
Stargate: Continuum
2008 · President Henry Hayes
The Michael Richards Show
2000 · Brady McKay
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
2006 · Dr. Dix
Phenom
1993 · Lou Della Rosa
Testament
1983 · Tom Wetherly
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
2015 · Dr. Dix
Family Plot
1976 · Arthur Adamson
A Woman Named Jackie
1991 · Black Jack Bouvier
From Here to Eternity
1979 · Sgt. Milt Warden
Truth
2015 · Gen. Hodges (voice) (u...
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971 · Lawyer
Black Beauty
1978 · John Manly
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
2009 · Dr. Dix
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
1997 · Greg Sumner
Rolling Thunder
1977 · Major Charles Rane
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
2011 · Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
2007 · Dr. Dix
Turks
1999 · Sergeant Joseph Turk
The Monroes
1995
Yanks
1979 · John
Vital Signs
1990 · Dr. Chatham
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
2010 · Dr. Dix
The Badge
2002 · The Judge
Monte Walsh
2003 · Cal Brennan
50 to 1
2014 · Leonard Doc Blach
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
2012 · Dr. Dix
The River Why
2010 · Dutch Hines
My Old Man's Place
1971 · Jimmy Pilgrim
Freefall: Flight 174
1995 · Capt. Bob Pearson
Rogues Gallery
1997 · Self – Narrator
The Preppie Murder
1989 · Jack Litman
Night Watch
1995 · Nick Caldwell
Good Morning, Killer
2011 · Everett Morgan Gray
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982
The Dark
1979 · Roy Warner, aka Steve...
Lady Liberty
1971 · Jock Fenner
Plotting 'Family Plot'
2001 · Self
The Pursuit of Happiness
1971 · Pilot
The Missiles of October
1974 · John F. Kennedy - US P...
Report to the Commissioner
1975 · Asst. D.A. Jackson
Poor White Trash
2000 · Ron Lake
Victim of Beauty
1991 · Sheriff Jim Metts
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
1974
The Missiles of October
1974 · President John F. Kenn...
Timestalkers
1987 · Scott McKenzie
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
2010 · Thompson
Red Alert
1977 · Frank Brolen
Honky Tonk Freeway
1981 · Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
1993 · Daniel 'Dan' Fields
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1977 · Mike Leak
Virus
1995 · Dr. Harbuck
Leprechaun's Revenge
2012 · Pop O'Hara
Forgotten Sins
1996 · Dr. Richard Ofshe
Murder C.O.D.
1990 · Alex Brandt
A Christmas Visitor
2002 · George Boyajian
The Man Who Used to Be Me
2000 · Older Sam Ryan
Lady in Waiting
1994 · Lt. Barrett
Chasing the Green
2009
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
1981 · Maj. Phil Clark
Race to Space
2001 · Roger Thornhill
For the Love of Nancy
1994 · Tom
The Bait
1973 · Earl Stokey
Bad Turn Worse
2014 · Big Red
Chips, the War Dog
1990 · Col. Charnley
The Absolute Truth
1997 · Sen. Emmett Hunter
Exception to the Rule
1997 · Lawrence Kellerman
With Intent to Kill
1984 · Aaron Charney
Obsessed
1992 · Ed Bledsoe
Threat of Exposure
2002 · Col. Weldon
Fear on Trial
1975 · John Henry Faulk
The President's Child
1992 · Elliot McSwain
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
1992 · Host & Narrator
The Other Victim
1981 · Harry Langford
In the Country
1967
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
1972 · LT. Ashley
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
2001 · Tom Kincaid
Hadley's Rebellion
1983 · Coach Ball
Jane Doe
1983 · William Quinn
Flag of My Father
2011 · Jake
Crime Club
1973 · Kilburn
Deceit
2004 · Grove McCarthy
Rubdown
1993 · Harry Orwitz
The 300-Year Weekend
1971 · Tom