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William Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theatre actor, known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial drama 24 (2005–2007), the role he reprised in Live Another Day (2014). He is also known for his supporting roles in films such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Family Plot (1976), Marathon Man (1976), Timestalkers (1987) and Space Cowboys (2000).
Birth Name
William Joseph Devane
Born
Tuesday, 05 September 1939
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Bosch: Legacy | Whitney Vance | 2022 |
| Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise | Dr. Dix | 2015 |
| Truth | Gen. Hodges | 2015 |
| The Grinder | Dean Sanderson Sr. | 2015 |
| Interstellar | Williams / NASA Board Member | 2014 |
| Bad Turn Worse | Big Red | 2014 |
| 24: Live Another Day | President James Heller | 2014 |
| 50 to 1 | Leonard Doc Blach | 2014 |
| Home & Family | Self | 2012 |
| The Dark Knight Rises | President | 2012 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Bosch: Legacy | Whitney Vance | 2022 |
| Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise | Dr. Dix | 2015 |
| Truth | Gen. Hodges | 2015 |
| The Grinder | Dean Sanderson Sr. | 2015 |
| Interstellar | Williams / NASA Board Member | 2014 |
| Bad Turn Worse | Big Red | 2014 |
| 24: Live Another Day | President James Heller | 2014 |
| 50 to 1 | Leonard Doc Blach | 2014 |
| Home & Family | Self | 2012 |
| The Dark Knight Rises | President | 2012 |
| Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt | Dr. Dix | 2012 |
| Red Clover | Pop O'Hara | 2012 |
| Good Morning, Killer | Everett Morgan Gray | 2011 |
| Flag of My Father | Jake | 2011 |
| Revenge | Edward Grayson | 2011 |
| Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost | Dr. Dix | 2011 |
| The Kane Files: Life of Trial | Thompson | 2010 |
| Jesse Stone: No Remorse | Dr. Dix | 2010 |
| The River Why | Dutch Hines | 2010 |
| Chasing the Green | Victor Gatling | 2009 |
| Jesse Stone: Thin Ice | Dr. Dix | 2009 |
| The Least Among You | Alan Beckett | 2009 |
| The Dealership | Frank Carson | 2009 |
| The Fall | Judge Stanley Seeban | 2008 |
| Stargate: Continuum | President Hayes / President Henry Hayes | 2008 |
| Jesse Stone: Sea Change | Dr. Dix | 2007 |
| Notes from the Underbelly | Walter | 2007 |
| Psych | Don Peters | 2006 |
| Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise | Dr. Dix | 2006 |
| What About Brian | Michael Davis / Michael O'Hara | 2006 |
| Crumbs | Billy Crumb | 2006 |
| TV Land Confidential | Self | 2005 |
| Deceit | Grove McCarthy | 2004 |
| Dweezil & Lisa | Self | 2004 |
| NCIS | Nicolas Mason | 2003 |
| Monte Walsh | Cal Brennan | 2003 |
| A Christmas Visitor | George Boyajian | 2002 |
| Threat of Exposure | Col. Weldon | 2002 |
| The Badge | The Judge | 2002 |
| 24 | Secretary of Defence James Heller / President James Heller / James Heller | 2001 |
| Race to Space | Roger Thornhill | 2001 |
| Plotting 'Family Plot' | Himself / Self | 2001 |
| The Michael Richards Show | Brady McKay | 2000 |
| Space Cowboys | Eugene Davis | 2000 |
| Hollow Man | Dr. Kramer / Dr. Howard Kramer | 2000 |
| Poor White Trash | Ron Lake | 2000 |
| The Man Who Used to Be Me | Older Sam Ryan | 2000 |
| Miracle on the Mountain: The Kincaid Family Story | Tom Kincaid | 2000 |
| The West Wing | Secretary of State Lewis Berryhill | 1999 |
| Judging Amy | Richard McCarty | 1999 |
| Payback: Straight Up | Fred Carter / Carter | 1999 |
| Payback | Carter | 1999 |
| Turks | Sergeant Joseph Turk | 1999 |
| Gaia Symphony II | Voice over | 1999 |
| Timecop | Detective John Langdon | 1997 |
| Stargate SG-1 | President Henry Hayes | 1997 |
| Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac | Gregory Sumner | 1997 |
| King of the Hill | Chuck Garrison | 1997 |
| Exception to the Rule | Lawrence Kellerman | 1997 |
| Early Edition | Bernie Hobson | 1996 |
| Forgotten Sins | Dr. Richard Ofshe | 1996 |
| Detonator II: Night Watch | Nick Caldwell | 1995 |
| The Monroes | John Monroe | 1995 |
| Virus | Dr. Harbuck | 1995 |
| Hope & Gloria | William Devane | 1995 |
| Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 | Capt. Bob Pearson | 1995 |
| Lady in Waiting | Lt. Barrett | 1994 |
| For the Love of Nancy | Tom | 1994 |
| For the Love of Catch | Tom | 1994 |
| Touched by an Angel | Benjamin Parker | 1994 |
| Frogmen | 1994 | |
| Phenom | Lou Della Rosa / Lou Del La Rosa | 1993 |
| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Al Capone | 1993 |
| The X-Files | General Mark Suveg | 1993 |
| Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story | Daniel 'Dan' Fields | 1993 |
| Obsessed | Ed Bledsoe | 1992 |
| Ancient Secrets of the Bible | Self - Host & Narrator / Host & Narrator | 1992 |
| Nightmare in Columbia County | Sheriff Jim Metts | 1991 |
| A Woman Named Jackie | Black Jack Bouvier | 1991 |
| One on One with John Tesh | Self | 1991 |
| Murder C.O.D. | Alex Brandt | 1990 |
| Vital Signs | Dr. Chatham | 1990 |
| Chips, the War Dog | Col. Charnley | 1990 |
| The Preppie Murder | Jack Litman | 1989 |
| Timestalkers | Scott McKenzie | 1987 |
| With Intent to Kill | Aaron Charney | 1984 |
| Testament | Tom Wetherly | 1983 |
| Hadley's Rebellion | Coach Ball | 1983 |
| Red Flag: The Ultimate Game | Major Phil Clark / Maj. Phil Clark | 1981 |
| Honky Tonk Freeway | Mayor Kirby T. Calo | 1981 |
| From Here to Eternity | Master Sgt. Milt Warden | 1980 |
| Knots Landing | Gregory Sumner / Greg Sumner | 1979 |
| Yanks | John | 1979 |
| The Dark | Steve Dupree / Roy Warner / Roy Warner, aka Steve Dupree | 1979 |
| From Here to Eternity | Sgt. Milt Warden | 1979 |
| Black Beauty | John Manly | 1978 |
| Rolling Thunder | Major Charles Rane | 1977 |
| The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training | Mike Leak | 1977 |
| Red Alert | Frank Brolen | 1977 |
| Marathon Man | Janeway | 1976 |
| Family Plot | Arthur Adamson | 1976 |
| Fear on Trial | John Henry Faulk | 1975 |
| Report to the Commissioner | Asst. D.A. Jackson | 1975 |
| The Missiles of October | President John F. Kennedy / John F. Kennedy - US President | 1974 |
| Dinah! | Self | 1974 |
| Bicentennial Minutes | Self - Narrator | 1974 |
| The Bait | Earl Stokey | 1973 |
| The Snoop Sisters | David Prine | 1972 |
| Lady Liberty | Jock Fenner | 1971 |
| Film '72 | Self | 1971 |
| My Old Man's Place | Jimmy Pilgrim | 1971 |
| McCabe & Mrs. Miller | The Lawyer | 1971 |
| The 300 Year Weekend | Tom | 1971 |
| The Pursuit of Happiness | Pilot | 1971 |
| The Interns | William Hauser | 1970 |
| Medical Center | Dr. Ray Waltham | 1969 |
| Hawaii Five-O | Fallon | 1968 |
| Mannix | Al Kordic | 1967 |
| Ironside | Al Chambers / Smiley | 1967 |
| N.Y.P.D. | John / William Laney | 1967 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself - Guest / Himself | 1962 |
| Gunsmoke | Moss Stratton | 1955 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Knots Landing | 1979 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1987 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama | Nominated |
| 1976 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special | Nominated |
| 1975 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy | Nominated |
