William Petersen
Acting
Born: February 21, 1953 (age 73) · Evanston, Illinois, USA
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2012
Detachment
2011
Manhunter
1986
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
Fear
1996
Thief
1981
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985
Young Guns II
1990
The Skulls
2000
12 Angry Men
1997
Mulholland Falls
1996
CSI: Vegas
2021
Photos (2)
Movies (29)
Fear
Steve Walker
Detachment
Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
To Live and Die in L.A.
Richard Chance
Young Guns II
Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
Thief
Katz & Jammer Bartender
12 Angry Men
Juror 12
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Trucker
Mulholland Falls
Jack Flynn
The Skulls
Ames Levritt
The Contender
Jack Hathaway
Cousins
Tom Hardy
CSI: Immortality
Gil Grissom
Passed Away
Frank Scanlan
Long Gone
Stud Cantrell
Gunshy
Jake Bridges
The Rat Pack
John F. Kennedy
Kiss the Sky
Jess
Hard Promises
Joey
Amazing Grace and Chuck
Russell
The Beast
Whip Dalton
Keep the Change
Joe Starling
Haven
Jackson Connolly
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
Tony C.
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
Ted
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
Narrator
Curaçao
Stephen Guerin
The Staircase
Joad
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
Narrator
Manhunter
Will Graham
TV Shows (11)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Gil Grissom · 194 eps
Without a Trace
Gil Grissom · 1 eps
The Twilight Zone
(segment "Need to Know") · 1 eps
CSI: Vegas
Gil Grissom · 10 eps
Fallen Angels
Georgie · 1 eps
Manhattan
Col. Emmett Darrow · 10 eps
Blue
Mitch · 1 eps
Return to Lonesome Dove
Captain Gideon Walker · 4 eps
The Beast
Whip Dalton · 2 eps
Haven
Jackson Connolly · 2 eps
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. · 3 eps
Self / Appearances (8)
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Sacrée soirée
Self · 1 eps
The Directors
Self · 1 eps
Friedkin Uncut
Self
Inside 'Manhunter'
Himself
This Old Cub
Himself
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
Self
100 Years of Wrigley Field
Self - Narrator (voice)
Producing (7)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Executive Producer
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Supervising Producer
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Co-Executive Producer
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Producer
CSI: Vegas
Executive Producer
CSI: Immortality
Executive Producer
Hard Promises
Producer