William L. Petersen
William Louis Petersen is an American actor and producer, best known for playing Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom on the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Richard Chance in the film To Live and Die in L.A., and Will Graham in the film Manhunter. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Petersen attended Idaho State University on a football scholarship, where he first tried acting and immediately joined the drama department, before leaving to work in the Basque country as a Shakespearean actor. Peterson embraced the Basque lifestyle, influencing his work, family and art. He went on to perform with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company before his breakthrough role in the 1985 action film To Live and Die in L.A. Peterson’s success was immediate, landing him the role as Will Graham in the first adaptation of Michael Mann’s Hannibal Lecter series. His film and television success includes numerous crime dramas and thrillers, providing him the perfect background for his decade-long role as Dr. Gil Grissom in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation before returning to the stage. On February 3, 2009, Petersen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Filmography
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
as Ted
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
as Ted
Friedkin Uncut
as Self
Friedkin Uncut
as Self
CSI: Immortality
as Gil Grissom
CSI: Immortality
as Gil Grissom
100 Years of Wrigley Field
as Self - Narrator (voice)
100 Years of Wrigley Field
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
as Trucker
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
as Trucker
Detachment
as Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
Detachment
as Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
This Old Cub
as Himself
This Old Cub
as Himself
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
as Narrator
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
as Narrator
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
as Self
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
as Self
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
as Narrator
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
as Narrator
Inside 'Manhunter'
as Himself
Inside 'Manhunter'
as Himself
Haven
as Jackson Connolly
Haven
as Jackson Connolly
The Contender
as Jack Hathaway
The Contender
as Jack Hathaway
The Skulls
as Ames Levritt
The Skulls
as Ames Levritt
Kiss the Sky
as Jess
Kiss the Sky
as Jess
The Rat Pack
as John F. Kennedy
The Rat Pack
as John F. Kennedy
The Staircase
as Joad
The Staircase
as Joad
Gunshy
as Jake Bridges
Gunshy
as Jake Bridges
12 Angry Men
as Juror 12
12 Angry Men
as Juror 12
The Beast
as Whip Dalton
The Beast
as Whip Dalton
Mulholland Falls
as Jack Flynn
Mulholland Falls
as Jack Flynn
Fear
as Steve Walker
Fear
as Steve Walker
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
as Tony C.
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
as Tony C.
Curaçao
as Stephen Guerin
Curaçao
as Stephen Guerin
Keep the Change
as Joe Starling
Keep the Change
as Joe Starling
Passed Away
as Frank Scanlan
Passed Away
as Frank Scanlan
Hard Promises
as Joey
Hard Promises
as Joey
Young Guns II
as Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
Young Guns II
as Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
Cousins
as Tom Hardy
Cousins
as Tom Hardy
Long Gone
as Stud Cantrell
Long Gone
as Stud Cantrell
Amazing Grace and Chuck
as Russell
Amazing Grace and Chuck
as Russell
Manhunter
as Will Graham
Manhunter
as Will Graham
To Live and Die in L.A.
as Richard Chance
To Live and Die in L.A.
as Richard Chance
Thief
as Katz & Jammer Bartender
Thief
as Katz & Jammer Bartender