William Devane

Biography for William Devane

William Devane, the movie and television actor, was born in Albany, New York, the son of Joseph Devane, who served as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York. After graduating from New York City's American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he appeared on-stage. He finally made his Broadway debut in "The Watering Place" with Shirley Knight, a flop that lasted but one performance. (He was more successful with "The Chinese and Dr. Fish" during the 1970 season, which lasted three weeks. His sole Broadway directorial effort, the Vietnam War drama "G. R. Point," lasted for 32 performances in 1979 and brought Michael Jeter a 1979 Theatre World Award.)

He made his movie debut as a revolutionary in the independently produced In the Country (1967) and began appearing on series TV. He had a small but memorable part as the lawyer committed to free-enterprise in Robert Altman's masterpiece McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) in 1971, but what made his reputation was his turn as President John F. Kennedy in the The Missiles of October (1974) (TV), a 1973 telefilm about the Cuban Missile Crisis. He made a bid for stardom with major roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot (1976) and John Schlesinger's Marathon Man (1976) (both 1976) and The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) (1977), as well as roles in Schlesinger's Yanks (1979) and the TV adaptation of James Jones' classic barracks drama "From Here to Eternity" (1979). However, any chances for a successful movie career essentially were doomed by the monumental failure of Schlesinger's comedy Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), one of the great flops its time, bringing in only $2 million at the box office against a $24 million budget. Devane moved over to nighttime series TV, playing the cad Greg Sumner on the night-time soap opera "Knots Landing" (1979) for 10 years.

Because of his resemblance to President Kennedy and his ability to master a Kennedyesque Boston accent, Devane continues to be in demand as politicians, including presidents, in such shows as "The West Wing" (1999), "24" (2001), and "Stargate SG-1" (1997).

William Devane began in the cinema in 1967 in the city. Accustomed to the supporting roles, he shoots in several successful TV movies and films, such as Rolling Thunder (1977), Payback (1999) or Space Cowboys from and with Clint Eastwood.

Since the start of his career, William Devane has participated in many series, notably Côte Ouest in which he plays the character of Greg Sumner for ten years. He also appears in Loïs and Clark, the new adventures of Superman, tomorrow at the UN (1997) or Stargate SG-1 before joining in 2005 the casting of 24 hours Chrono where he embodied the defense secretary James Heller.

William Devane is an American actor known for his roles in films such as "The Missiles of October", "Family Plot" and "Space Cowboys". He also appeared in many television series, notably "Knots Landing" and "24".

Devane was born on September 5, 1939 in Albany, in New York State. He studied at the University of New York State in Albany before continuing his dramatic art studies at the University of Yale. He began his career in Broadway in the 1960s, before embarking on cinema and television.

One of his first appearances on the screen is in the film "The Missiles of October" (1974), in which he plays the role of John F. Kennedy, McGeorge Bundy's international relations advisor. He also played in films such as "Marathon Man" (1976), "Family Plot" (1976) and "Space Cowboys" (2000).

Devane has also made regular appearances in many television series, notably "Knots Landing" (1983-1993), in which he plays the role of the main character Greg Sumner, and "24" (2001-2010), in which he embodies The President of the United States James Heller.

In addition to his acting career, Devane is also a committed political activist. He notably worked in favor of the protection of workers' rights and participated in campaigns for democratic candidates during the elections.

In summary, William Devane is an American actor known for his roles in popular films and television series. He is also a committed political activist.

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• Creation date: 17/02/2009 by abdest