William Devane
Acting • Born 1939-09-05
Biography
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 credits
The Badge
Movie • 2002
The Judge
Payback
Movie • 1999
Carter
Marathon Man
Movie • 1976
Janeway
Space Cowboys
Movie • 2000
Eugene Davis
Rolling Thunder
Movie • 1977
Major Charles Rane
Yanks
Movie • 1979
John
Family Plot
Movie • 1976
Arthur Adamson
A Christmas Visitor
Movie • 2002
George Boyajian
Stargate: Continuum
Movie • 2008
President Henry Hayes
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Movie • 1971
The Lawyer
Report to the Commissioner
Movie • 1975
Asst. D.A. Jackson
Monte Walsh
Movie • 2003
Cal Brennan
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
Movie • 2010
Thompson
Poor White Trash
Movie • 2000
Ron Lake
Night Watch
Movie • 1995
Nick Caldwell
Murder C.O.D.
Movie • 1990
Alex Brandt
Vital Signs
Movie • 1990
Dr. Chatham
The Least Among You
Movie • 2009
Alan Beckett
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Movie • 1977
Mike Leak
Timestalkers
Movie • 1987
Scott McKenzie
Freefall: Flight 174
Movie • 1995
Capt. Bob Pearson
The Missiles of October
Movie • 1974
President John F. Kennedy
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost
Movie • 2011
Dr. Dix
Leprechaun's Revenge
Movie • 2012
Pop O'Hara
The Dark
Movie • 1979
Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree
Chips, the War Dog
Movie • 1990
Col. Charnley
For the Love of Nancy
Movie • 1994
Tom
Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt
Movie • 2012
Dr. Dix
Flag of My Father
Movie • 2011
Jake
Obsessed
Movie • 1992
Ed Bledsoe
Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story
Movie • 1993
Daniel 'Dan' Fields
Red Alert
Movie • 1977
Frank Brolen
The Dealership
Movie • 2009
Frank Carson
50 to 1
Movie • 2014
Leonard Doc Blach
Bad Turn Worse
Movie • 2014
Big Red
Lady Liberty
Movie • 1971
Jock Fenner
Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story
Movie • 2001
Tom Kincaid
The Bait
Movie • 1973
Earl Stokey
Lady in Waiting
Movie • 1994
Lt. Barrett
Race to Space
Movie • 2001
Roger Thornhill
Fear on Trial
Movie • 1975
John Henry Faulk
Testament
Movie • 1983
Tom Wetherly
Interstellar
Movie • 2014
Williams
Forgotten Sins
Movie • 1996
Dr. Richard Ofshe
Doomsday Rock
Movie • 1997
Dr. Karl Sorenson
Nightmare in Columbia County
Movie • 1991
Sheriff Jim Metts
The Other Victim
Movie • 1981
Harry Langford
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
Movie • 1981
Maj. Phil Clark
The Man Who Used to Be Me
Movie • 2000
Older Sam Ryan
Exception to the Rule
Movie • 1997
Lawrence Kellerman
Hadley's Rebellion
Movie • 1983
Coach Ball
Deceit
Movie • 2004
Grove McCarthy
The Fall
Movie • 2009
judge Stanley Seeban
Hollow Man
Movie • 2000
Dr. Kramer
Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise
Movie • 2015
Dr. Dix
The Dark Knight Rises
Movie • 2012
President
Good Morning, Killer
Movie • 2011
Everett Morgan Gray
Jesse Stone: Sea Change
Movie • 2007
Dr. Dix
In the Country
Movie • 1967
Jesse Stone: No Remorse
Movie • 2010
Dr. Dix
Threat of Exposure
Movie • 2002
Col. Weldon
Ancient Secrets of the Bible
Movie • 1992
Host & Narrator
The Preppie Murder
Movie • 1989
Jack Litman
Plotting 'Family Plot'
Movie • 2001
Self
My Old Man's Place
Movie • 1971
Jimmy Pilgrim
Jesse Stone: Thin Ice
Movie • 2009
Dr. Dix
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
Movie • 2006
Dr. Dix
The Irish Whiskey Rebellion
Movie • 1972
LT. Ashley
The Absolute Truth
Movie • 1997
Sen. Emmett Hunter
Crime Club
Movie • 1973
Kilburn
Truth
Movie • 2015
Gen. Hodges (voice) (uncredited)
The President's Child
Movie • 1992
Elliot McSwain
Honky Tonk Freeway
Movie • 1981
Mayor Kirby T. Calo
Virus
Movie • 1995
Dr. Harbuck
The 300-Year Weekend
Movie • 1971
Tom
The River Why
Movie • 2010
Dutch Hines
Rubdown
Movie • 1993
Harry Orwitz
Jane Doe
Movie • 1983
William Quinn
The Pursuit of Happiness
Movie • 1971
Pilot
With Intent to Kill
Movie • 1984
Aaron Charney
Judgment: The Court Martial of the Tiger of Malaya — General Yamashita
Movie • 1974
Crumbs
TV • 2006
Billy Crumb
Knots Landing
TV • 1979
Greg Sumner
The Michael Richards Show
TV • 2000
Brady McKay
Phenom
TV • 1993
Lou Della Rosa
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Moss Stratton
The X-Files
TV • 1993
General Mark Suveg
NCIS
TV • 2003
Nicolas Mason
Stargate SG-1
TV • 1997
President Hayes
The Monroes
TV • 1995
Turks
TV • 1999
Sergeant Joseph Turk
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
TV • 1997
Greg Sumner
24
TV • 2001
James Heller
Psych
TV • 2006
Peters
The West Wing
TV • 1999
Lewis Berryhill
Revenge
TV • 2011
Edward Grayson
The Grinder
TV • 2015
Dean Sanderson Sr.
From Here to Eternity
TV • 1979
Sgt. Milt Warden
A Woman Named Jackie
TV • 1991
Black Jack Bouvier
Black Beauty
TV • 1978
John Manly
Bosch: Legacy
TV • 2022
Whitney Vance
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
Hope and Gloria
TV • 1995
William Devane
Medical Center
TV • 1969
Dr. Ray Waltham
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
TV • 1993
Al Capone
Mannix
TV • 1967
Al Kordic
Touched by an Angel
TV • 1994
Benjamin Parker
The Snoop Sisters
TV • 1973
David Prine
The Missiles of October
TV • 1974
John F. Kennedy - US President
Early Edition
TV • 1996
Bernie Hobson
What About Brian
TV • 2006
Michael Davis
Notes from the Underbelly
TV • 2007
Walter
Rogues Gallery
TV • 1997
Self – Narrator