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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

53

Gender

Male

Birthday

1953-02-21 (72 years old)

Place of Birth

Evanston, Illinois, USA

Also Known As

William L. Petersen

William Peterson

William Louis Petersen

ویلیام پترسن

William Petersen

Biography

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.

Known For

Acting

Fear

1996

Fear

as

Steve Walker

Mulholland Falls

1996

Mulholland Falls

as

Jack Flynn

Thief

1981

Thief

as

Katz & Jammer Bartender

Manhunter

1986

Manhunter

as

Will Graham

The Skulls

2000

The Skulls

as

Ames Levritt

Cousins

1989

Cousins

as

Tom Hardy

The Rat Pack

1998

The Rat Pack

as

John F. Kennedy

12 Angry Men

1997

12 Angry Men

as

Juror 12

Young Guns II

1990

Young Guns II

as

Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett

To Live and Die in L.A.

1985

To Live and Die in L.A.

as

Richard Chance

Passed Away

1992

Passed Away

as

Frank Scanlan

Kiss the Sky

1998

Kiss the Sky

as

Jess

Detachment

2011

Detachment

as

Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler

Long Gone

1987

Long Gone

as

Stud Cantrell

Hard Promises

1992

Hard Promises

as

Joey

The Staircase

1998

The Staircase

as

Joad

Haven

2001

Haven

as

Jackson Connolly

Gunshy

1998

Gunshy

as

Jake Bridges

Curaçao

1993

Curaçao

as

Stephen Guerin

Inside 'Manhunter'

2001

Inside 'Manhunter'

as

Himself

The Beast

1996

The Beast

as

Whip Dalton

The Contender

2000

The Contender

as

Jack Hathaway

CSI: Immortality

2015

CSI: Immortality

as

Gil Grissom

Keep the Change

1992

Keep the Change

as

Joe Starling

Friedkin Uncut

2018

Friedkin Uncut

as

Self

This Old Cub

2004

This Old Cub

as

Himself

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

as

(segment "Need to Know")

Without a Trace

Without a Trace

as

Gil Grissom

CSI: Vegas

CSI: Vegas

as

Gil Grissom

Return to Lonesome Dove

Return to Lonesome Dove

as

Captain Gideon Walker

Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels

as

Georgie

The Kennedys of Massachusetts

The Kennedys of Massachusetts

as

Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.

Manhattan

Manhattan

as

Col. Emmett Darrow

Blue

Blue

as

Mitch

The Beast

The Beast

as

Whip Dalton

Production

Crew

Directing