Biography
A." (1985) and "Manhunter" (1986) before becoming a household name on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS, 2000- ). A veteran of the Chicago theater community, he burst onto the Hollywood scene with forceful turns in the aforementioned crime dramas, but neither had the box office clout to turn him into a major movie star. Instead, he concentrated on the stage while delivering consistently believable turns in films like "Young Guns II" (1990) …
Latest Tv Credits
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William Petersen SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2011 | Reprised his role of Gil Grissom on an episode of "CSI" titled, "The Two Mrs. Grissoms" | |
2009 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | |
2000 | Played Dr. Gil Grissom on the CBS crime drama, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"; also produced | |
2000 | Played the role of Gov. Jack Hathaway, an unscrupulous candidate for vice president in Rod Lurie's "The Contender" | |
1998 | Cast in a supporting role as as President Jack Kennedy in the HBO movie, "The Rat Pack" | |
1997 | Re-teamed with director William Friedkin for Showtime remake of "12 Angry Men" | |
1996 | Made Broadway debut in revival of Tennessee Williams' "Night of the Iguana" | |
1996 | Cast as Reese Witherspoon's overprotective father in the thriller, "Fear" | |
1992 | Television producing debut, the TNT movie, "Keep the Change" (also starred) | |
1992 | Producing debut, "Hard Promises" (also starred) | |
1990 | Portrayed Joseph P. Kennedy in the ABC miniseries, "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" | |
1989 | Played Isabella Rossellini's unfaithful husband in "Cousins," Joel Schumacher's American remake of the 1977 French comedy | |
1987 | Television debut, playing Cecil 'Stud' Cantrell in the HBO movie, "Long Gone" | |
1986 | Cast as a former FBI agent who captured the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in Michael Mann's "Manhunter" | |
1986 | Formed film production company called High Horse Productions with producer Cynthia Chvatal | |
1985 | First starring role in a feature, Friedkin's "To Live and Die in L.A." | |
| Discovered by William Friedkin playing Stanley Kowalski in a Canadian production of "A Steetcar Named Desire" | ||
1981 | Made feature debut in Michael Mann's "Thief" (billed as William L. Petersen) | |
| Chicago theatre debut, "Canticle of the Sun" | ||
| Co-founded the Remains Theater Ensemble which also included other prominent Chicago actors | ||
| Returned to the Chicago area, and became active in the theater | ||
1974 | Followed a drama professor to Basque country where he studied as a Shakespearean actor | |
Awards
2005 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |