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