
William Atherton
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William Atherton Knight Jr. (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in Die Hard and its sequel and Walter Peck in Ghostbusters.
Known for
Credits

Die Hard (1988)
as Richard Thornburg

The Last Samurai (2003)
as Winchester Rep

Die Hard 2 (1990)
as Richard Thornberg

The Girl Next Door (2007)
as Adult David Moran

Ghostbusters (1984)
as Walter Peck

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)
as Mayor Walter Peck

The Pelican Brief (1993)
as Bob Gminski

Hoodlum (1997)
as Thomas E. Dewey

Oscar (1991)
as Overton

The Sugarland Express (1974)
as Clovis Poplin

Bio-Dome (1996)
as Dr. Noah Faulkner

No Mercy (1986)
as Allan Deveneux

Buried Alive (1990)
as Cort van Owen

Mad City (1997)
as Dohlen

Real Genius (1985)
as Professor Hathaway

Into the Sun (2005)
as Agent Block

Gone But Not Forgotten (2005)
as Sen. Ray Colby

The Crow: Salvation (2000)
as Nathan Randall

The Hindenburg (1975)
as Boerth

Frank & Jesse (1994)
as Allan Pinkerton

Aces 'N' Eights (2008)
as Howard

The New Centurions (1972)
as Johnson

Who's Your Daddy? (2004)
as Duncan Mack

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
as James

Jinn (2014)
as Father Westhoff

The Day of the Locust (1975)
as Tod Hackett

Clinical (2017)
as Terry Drummond

Raven Hawk (1996)
as Philip Thorne

Bread and Roses (2000)
as Party Guest (uncredited)

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012)
as Earle Swinter

Executive Power (1997)
as President Fields

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
as Darryl Zanuck

Class of '44 (1973)
as Fraternity President

Headspace (2005)
as Dr. Ira Gold

Bad Company (2018)
Actor

Broken Trust (1995)
as Neil Roemer

The Citizen (2012)
Actor

Grim Prairie Tales (1990)
as Arthur

Ghostheads (2016)
as Self

Chrome Soldiers (1992)
as Sheriff Blackwell

Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2020)
as Self

Race to Space (2001)
as Ralph Stanton

Jersey Shore Shark Attack (2012)
as Dolan

Where Did the Adults Go? (2025)
as The Father

A Night to Die For (1995)
as Self

Black Crescent Moon (2008)
as Jo Dexton

Virus (1995)
as Dr. Reginald Holloway

Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder (1992)
as Eric Walker

Ghouls (2008)
as Stefan

Malibu (1983)
as Stan Harvey

Saints and Sinners (1994)
as Terence

Towards Darkness (2007)
as John

Intrigue (1988)
as Doggett

Burning Down the House (2001)
as Arthur Kranston

The Stranger (1999)
Actor

The Kane Files: Life of Trial (2010)
as Daniel Morgan

Tomorrow's Child (1982)
as Jim Spence

Independence (1976)
as Benjamin Rush

The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine (1987)
as Martin 'Alpha' Loeber

A Fight for Jenny (1986)
as Michael Rosen

Kush (2007)
as King

Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story (—)
Actor

Michael Kael vs. the World News Company (1998)
as James Denit
The House of Mirth (1981)
as Lawrence Selden





