William Devane

William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1939) is an American film, television and theatre actor, perhaps best known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the serial drama 24 (2005–2007, 2014). He is also known for his supporting roles in films such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Marathon Man (1976), and Space Cowboys (2000).

Early life

Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1939, the son of Joseph (Joe) Devane, who had been Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York. His father was of Irish descent and his mother had Dutch and German ancestry. Devane graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Career

In 1966, Devane portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in the Off-Broadway spoof MacBird. He gained acclaim for his role as President John F. Kennedy in a TV movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis, The Missiles of October (1974), and again when he played blacklisted radio personality John Henry Faulk in the Emmy Award-winning TV movie, Fear on Trial (1975). He is widely known for his ten years as the villainous Greg Sumner on Knots Landing.