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William L. Petersen
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…
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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
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2021
CSI: Vegas
TV show Gil Grissom
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2021
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
Movie Ted
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2018
Friedkin Uncut
Movie Self
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2015
CSI: Immortality
Movie Gil Grissom
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2014
Manhattan
TV show Col. Emmett Darrow
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2014
100 Years of Wrigley Field
Movie Self - Narrator (voice)
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2012
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Movie Trucker
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2012
Blue
TV show Mitch
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2011
Detachment
Movie Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
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2004
This Old Cub
Movie Himself
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2004
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
Movie Narrator
- 2003
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2002
Without a Trace
TV show Gil Grissom
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2001
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
Movie Narrator
-
2001
Inside 'Manhunter'
Movie Himself
-
2001
Haven
Movie Jackson Connolly
More credits
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2001
Haven
TV show Jackson Connolly
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2000
The Contender
Movie Jack Hathaway
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2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TV show Gil Grissom
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2000
The Skulls
Movie Ames Levritt
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1999
The Directors
TV show Self
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1998
Kiss the Sky
Movie Jess
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1998
The Rat Pack
Movie John F. Kennedy
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1998
The Staircase
Movie Joad
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1998
Gunshy
Movie Jake Bridges
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1997
12 Angry Men
Movie Juror 12
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1996
The Beast
TV show Whip Dalton
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1996
The Beast
Movie Whip Dalton
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1996
Mulholland Falls
Movie Jack Flynn
-
1996
Fear
Movie Steve Walker
- 1995
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1993
Return to Lonesome Dove
TV show Captain Gideon Walker
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1993
Late Show with David Letterman
TV show Self - Guest
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1993
Fallen Angels
TV show Georgie
-
1993
Curaçao
Movie Stephen Guerin
-
1992
Keep the Change
Movie Joe Starling
-
1992
Passed Away
Movie Frank Scanlan
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1992
Hard Promises
Movie Joey
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1990
Young Guns II
Movie Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
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1990
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
TV show Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
