William Petersen
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.
Acted in
CSI: Vegas
2021
as Gil Grissom
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
2021
as Ted
Friedkin Uncut
2018
as Self
CSI: Immortality
2015
as Gil Grissom
Manhattan
2014
as Col. Emmett Darrow
100 Years of Wrigley Field
2014
as Narrator
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2012
as Trucker
Blue
2012
as Mitch
Detachment
2011
as Mr. Sarge Kepler
This Old Cub
2004
as Himself
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
2004
as Narrator
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
2003
as Himself
Without a Trace
2002
as Gil Grissom
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
2001
as Narrator
Inside 'Manhunter'
2001
as Himself
Haven
2001
as Jackson Connolly
The Contender
2000
as Jack Hathaway
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Gil Grissom
The Skulls
2000
as Ames Levritt
The Directors
1999
as Self
Kiss the Sky
1998
as Jess
The Rat Pack
1998
as John F. Kennedy
The Staircase
1998
as Joad
Gunshy
1998
as Jake Bridges
12 Angry Men
1997
as Juror 12
The Beast
1996
as Whip Dalton
The Beast
1996
as Whip Dalton
Mulholland Falls
1996
as Jack Flynn
Fear
1996
as Steve Walker
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
1995
as Tony C.
Return to Lonesome Dove
1993
as Captain Gideon Walker
Fallen Angels
1993
as Georgie
Curaçao
1993
as Stephen Guerin
Keep the Change
1992
as Joe Starling
Passed Away
1992
as Frank Scanlan
Hard Promises
1992
as Joey
Young Guns II
1990
as Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
1990
as Joseph P. 'Joe' Kennedy, Sr.
Cousins
1989
as Tom Hardy
Long Gone
1987
as Stud Cantrell
Amazing Grace and Chuck
1987
as Russell
Manhunter
1986
as Will Graham
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985
as Richard Chance
The Twilight Zone
1985
Thief
1981
as Katz & Jammer Bartender