William L. Petersen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 21, 1953
- Birthplace
- Evanston, Illinois, USA
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 2021
as Ted
Friedkin Uncut 2018
as Self
CSI: Immortality 2015
as Gil Grissom, Executive Producer
100 Years of Wrigley Field 2014
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World 2012
as Trucker
Detachment 2011
as Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
This Old Cub 2004
as Himself
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles 2004
as Narrator
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.' 2003
as Self
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy 2001
as Narrator
Inside 'Manhunter' 2001
as Himself
Haven 2001
as Jackson Connolly
The Contender 2000
as Jack Hathaway
The Skulls 2000
as Ames Levritt
Kiss the Sky 1998
as Jess
The Rat Pack 1998
as John F. Kennedy
The Staircase 1998
as Joad
Gunshy 1998
as Jake Bridges
12 Angry Men 1997
as Juror 12
The Beast 1996
as Whip Dalton
Mulholland Falls 1996
as Jack Flynn
Fear 1996
as Steve Walker
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King 1995
as Tony C.
Curaçao 1993
as Stephen Guerin
Keep the Change 1992
as Joe Starling
Passed Away 1992
as Frank Scanlan
Hard Promises 1992
as Joey, Producer
Young Guns II 1990
as Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
Cousins 1989
as Tom Hardy
Long Gone 1987
as Stud Cantrell
Amazing Grace and Chuck 1987
as Russell
Manhunter 1986
as Will Graham
To Live and Die in L.A. 1985
as Richard Chance
Thief 1981
as Katz & Jammer Bartender
Credits from TMDB.