Petersen, William 1953–

views updated Jun 27 2018

Petersen, William 1953–

(William L. Petersen)

PERSONAL

Full name, William Louis Peterson; born February 21, 1953, in Evanston, IL; parents in the furniture business; married Joanne Brady, 1974 (divorced, 1981); married Gina Cirone (a biology teacher), June 14, 2003; children: (first marriage) Maite (some sources spell name Mae-Tae). Education: Attended Idaho State University; trained with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL; studied in Spain. Avocational Interests: Sports.

Addresses: Office—High Horse Films, 25135 Anza Dr., Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Agent—Tracey Jacobs, United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Publicist—Jennifer Allen, PMK/HBH Public Relations, 700 San Vicente Blvd., Suite G910, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (some sources cite 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211).

Career: Actor and producer. Innisfree (theatre ensemble), cofounder; Remains Theatre Ensemble (formerly known as Ix), Chicago, IL, founding member of company (with others); High Horse Films, Santa Clarita, CA, founder and partner (with Cindy Chvatal). Song performer at Chicago Cubs games, Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL. Worked in forestry and at a newspaper. Testified in front of the United States Senate on behalf of funding for crime laboratories. Sometimes credited as William L. Petersen.

Member: Screen Actors Guild.

Awards, Honors: Jeff awards, outstanding ensemble performance, Joseph Jefferson awards Committee, c. 1982, for Balm in Gilead, and c. 1984, for Moby Dick; Jeff Award nomination, c. 1984, for The Tooth of Crime; Jeff Award, best actor 1985, for The Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison; Jeff Award nomination, c. 1994, for The Night of the Iguana; Commitment to Chicago Award, 1995; Alan J. Pakula Award (with others), artistic excellence, Broadcast Film Critics Association, 2001, for The Contender; TV Guide Award nomination, actor of the year in a new series, 2001, Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a drama series, International Press Academy, 2002, Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding drama series, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Screen Actors Guild Award nominations (with others), outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series, 2002, 2003, and 2004, Golden Laurel Award nominations (with others), television producer of the year award in episodic drama category, Producers Guild of America, 2003 and 2004, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a television drama series, 2004, and Screen Actors Guild Award (with others), outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series, 2005, all for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Gil Grissom, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2000–.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., The Kennedys of Massachusetts, ABC, 1990.

Gideon Walker, Return to Lonesome Dove, CBS, 1993.

Whip Dalton, The Beast (also known as Peter Benchley's "The Beast"), NBC, 1996.

Jackson Connolly, Haven, CBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Cecil "Stud" Cantrell, Long Gone (also known as Stogies), HBO, 1987.

Joe Starling, Keep the Change, TNT, 1992.

Stephen Guerin, Curacao (also known as Deadly Currents), Showtime, 1993.

Juror number twelve, 12 Angry Men, Showtime, 1997.

Jake Bridges, Gunshy, Cinemax, 1998.

Joad, The Staircase, CBS, 1998.

John F. Kennedy, The Rat Pack, HBO, 1998.

Jeff, Kiss the Sky, The Movie Channel, 1999.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Taming of the Shrew, 1987.

Jack Tremaine, Present Tense, Past Perfect, Showtime, 1996.

Himself, CBS at 75, CBS, 2003.

TV Guide's Greatest Moments 2004, ABC, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, CBS, 2001.

Presenter, The 27th Annual People's Choice Awards, CBS, 2001.

The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2002.

Presenter, The 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Fox, 2003.

The GQ Men of the Year Awards (also known as Spike TV Presents GQ Men of the Year Awards 2003), Spike TV, 2003.

Presenter, The 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, CBS, 2005.

Presenter, The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, NBC, 2005.

Some sources cite an appearance as a presenter at The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Edward Sayers, "Need to Know," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1986.

George, "Good Housekeeping," Fallen Angels (also known as Perfect Crimes), Showtime, 1995.

Guest, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 2000.

Guest, Larry King Live, Cable News Network, 2002.

Himself, Charlie Rose (also known as The Charlie Rose Show), PBS, 2003.

Himself, On the Record with Bob Costas, HBO, c. 2003.

Himself, TV Land Moguls, TV Land, 2004.

Appeared in "The Films of Michael Mann," The Directors, Encore.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Gil Grissom, "Cross-Jurisdictions," CSI: Miami, CBS, 2002, originally broadcast as an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2002.

Television Work; Series:

Producer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2000–2002.

Supervising producer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2001–2002.

Co-executive producer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2003.

Executive producer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also known as CSI, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Weekends, and Les experts), CBS, 2004–2005.

Television Work; Movies:

Producer, Keep the Change, TNT, 1992.

Film Appearances:

Katz & Jammer bartender, Thief (also known as Violent Streets), United Artists, 1981.

Richard Chance, To Live and Die in L.A., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1985.

FBI agent Will Graham, Manhunter (also known as Red Dragon and Red Dragon: The Pursuit of Hannibal Lecter), De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, 1986.

Russell, Amazing Grace and Chuck (also known as Silent Voice), TriStar, 1987.

Tom Hardy, Cousins (also known as A Touch of Infidelity), Paramount, 1989.

Sheriff Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett, Young Guns II (also known as Hell Bent for Leather and Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.

Joey Coalter, Hard Promises, Columbia, 1991.

Frank Scanlan, Passed Away, Buena Vista, 1992.

Tony C., In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King (also known as In the Kingdom of the Blind), Arrow Releasing, 1995.

(Uncredited) Jack, Muholland Falls, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1996.

Steve Walker, Fear (also known as No Fear and Obsession mortelle), Universal, 1996.

Governor Jack Hathaway, The Contender, Dream-Works, 2000.

Senator Ames Levritt, The Skulls (also known as Le clan des skulls), MCA/Universal, 2000.

Himself, This Old Cub (documentary), Emerging Pictures, 2004.

Film Producer:

Hard Promises, Columbia, 1991.

Stage Appearances:

Darkness at Noon, Chicago area production, c. 1976.

Dillinger, Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, IL, 1978.

Heat, Victory Gardens Theater, 1978.

Towards the Morning, Victory Gardens Theater, 1978.

Indulgences in a Louisville Harem, Remains Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1980.

Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire, Stratford Festival of Canada, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1981.

Sixty-Six Scenes of Halloween, Remains Theatre, 1981.

Canticle of the Sun, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, Chicago, IL, c. 1981.

Joe Conroy, Balm in Gilead, Remains Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, IL, c. 1981–82.

Gardenia, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1982.

Jack Henry Abbott, The Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, 1983, Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1985, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1985.

Captain Ahab, Moby Dick, Remains Theatre, 1984.

Eddie, Fool for Love, Steppenwolf Theatre, 1984.

James Lingk, Glengarry Glen Ross, Goodman Theatre, 1984.

Hoss, The Tooth of Crime, Remains Theatre, c. 1984.

Interrogator, Days and Nights Within, Organic Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1986.

Matti, Puntila and His Hired Man, Remains Theatre, Organic Theatre, 1986.

Paul, Big Time, Remains Theatre, 1987.

The Taming of the Shrew, 1987.

Bobby Gould, Speed-the-Plow, Remains Theatre, Wisdom Bridge Theatre, 1989.

Teach, American Buffalo, Remains Theatre, 1991.

Painter, Once in Doubt, Remains Theatre, 1992.

The Chicago Conspiracy Trial, Remains Theatre, 1992.

Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon, The Night of the Iguana, Goodman Theatre, c. 1994, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right Theatre, New York City, 1996.

Ted, Flyovers, Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1998.

Appeared in As You Like It and Twelfth Night (also known as Twelfth Night, or What You Will), both productions of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival; in A Class C Trial in Yokohama, Chicago Theatre Project and Remains Theatre; in Waiting for Godot, Remains Theatre; and as Joe in The Time of Your Life. Appeared in productions at Boise State University and Lewis and Clark College.

Major Tours:

Jack Henry Abbott, The Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison, productions in Glasgow, Scotland, and London, including the American Festival, London, 1985.

Stage Director:

Farmyard, Remains Theatre, Chicago, IL, c. 1980.

Traps, Remains Theatre, 1983.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Narrator, Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy, Midwest Artists Distribution, 2001.

Himself, Inside "Manhunter," Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2001.

Himself, Counterfeit World: Making "To Live and Die in L.A.," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, 2003.

Narrator, Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles (also known as Blue Neon Night), Incline Entertainment, 2004.

Video Games:

(And co-executive producer) Voice of Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Ubi Soft Entertainment, 2003.

Voice of Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation—Dark Motives, 2004.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

American Film, August, 1990, pp. 48-49.

Good Housekeeping, June, 2003, p. 144.

Parade, March 31, 2002, p. 14.

People Weekly, March 11, 2002, p. 57.

Sports Illustrated, September 13, 2004, p. 23.

TV Guide, November 29, 2003, p. 8.

Velocity, July, 1998.

About this article

William Peters Hepburn

All Sources -
Updated Aug 24 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic