William Petersen
Encyclopedia
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
. He portrayed President John F. Kennedy
in the 1998 TV film The Rat Pack
.
, the youngest of six children of June (née Hoene; 1909–2006) and Arthur Edward Petersen, Sr. (1907–2004), who worked in the furniture business. He is of Danish
and German descent. He has two brothers, Arthur, Jr. and Robert, plus three sisters: Anne, Mary Kay, and Elizabeth. He graduated from Bishop Kelly High School
in Boise
, Idaho
, in 1972. He was accepted to Idaho State University
on a football
scholarship. While at Idaho State, Petersen took an acting course which changed the direction of his life. He left school along with his wife, Joanne, in 1974 and followed a drama
professor to the Basque country
where he studied as a Shakespearean actor. Petersen was interested in Basque culture and he studied the Basque language
, Euskera, and gave his daughter the Basque name Maite Nerea (meaning My Beloved); she was born in Arrasate - Mondragón
1975. Petersen returned to Idaho intent on being an actor. Not wanting to work a non-acting job in Idaho, he returned to the Chicago area, living with relatives. He became active in the theater and earned his Actors' Equity card. He performed with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
, of which he has been an ensemble member since 2008, and was a co-founder of the Remains Theater Ensemble which also included other prominent Chicago actors Gary Cole
and Ted Levine
.
1985 action film To Live and Die in L.A. The following year, Petersen starred in the first Hannibal Lecter
film, Manhunter
, playing FBI agent Will Graham
. Because his role in Michael Mann's Manhunter
was so emotionally exhausting, he did everything he could to rid himself of Graham after finishing principal photography
. He shave
d off his beard
, cut his hair and dyed it blonde. He also claims to have done this because, while rehearsing for a play in Chicago, his dialogue was always coming out like Graham's; he dyed his hair so he could look in the mirror and see a different person.
In a move perhaps indicative of his career choices, Petersen declined a part in Oliver Stone
's Platoon
, as it would have kept him in the Philippines
, away from his family. Instead, he worked on the 1987 HBO made-for-TV movie Long Gone as a minor league baseball player and manager. Petersen was offered the role of Henry Hill in the movie Goodfellas
but also turned it down.
In a 1990 ABC three-part miniseries, The Kennedys of Massachusetts
, Petersen played U.S. President John F. Kennedy
's enormously powerful father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. This film won an Emmy, and a Golden Globe from eight and two nominations, respectively. Also in 1990, Petersen delved back into history in Young Guns II
portraying the infamous Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett, the one time friend of the famous outlaw Billy the Kid and the future sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico responsible for his downfall. In 1993, Petersen appeared in another miniseries, Return to Lonesome Dove
, and in 1996's Fear. Having already portrayed Joseph and John F. Kennedy, another political character came his way with the 2000 release The Contender. Petersen played the role of Governor Jack Hathaway, an unscrupulous candidate for vice president following the death of the incumbent.
He appeared uncredited in the noir thriller Mulholland Falls
as a character who finds himself on the violent receiving end of a Los Angeles police squad's tactics. He starred in Kiss the Sky and also appeared as part of an all-star cast in a remake of the film 12 Angry Men
with Courtney B. Vance, George C. Scott, Jack Lemmon, and Mykelti Williamson. He would also go on to costar in the popular Hollywood version of the famous Yale secret society Skull and Bones, titled The Skulls starring Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek
fame.
Since 2000, Petersen has gained his greatest fame starring as Dr. Gil Grissom
in the CBS
crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
. Petersen took a break from CSI to appear in a five-week run of the Trinity Repertory Company production of Dublin Carol
in Providence, Rhode Island
. On the evening of Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Petersen was at Wrigley Field
to join WGN
radio sportscasters covering a Chicago Cubs
– Florida Marlins
game and he mentioned he had seen CSI: The Experience
at the Museum of Science and Industry
on the South Side
of Chicago. He was on a nine-week break from the show at the time, and he expressed how he and his castmates were "blessed" to have such a successful series when he had seen shows starring friends cancelled after only a few episodes.
Petersen renewed his contract with CBS to appear on CSI for the 2008-2009 season, reportedly for $600,000 per episode. On July 15, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Petersen was leaving the show as a regular following Season 9's tenth episode in order to pursue more stage acting opportunities, but that he may return for guest spots. He remains an executive producer of the show. He also said that, if offered, he will reprise his role as Grissom as a regular again.
On February 3, 2009, Petersen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. Most of the cast and crew of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
came out for the ceremony. Petersen's star is located at 6667 Hollywood Blvd, directly in front of the legendary Musso & Frank Grill
.
He will star with Adrien Brody
, James Caan
, and others in the upcoming comedy-drama film Detachment
.
Petersen reprised his role of Gil Grissom in the eleventh season CSI episode, "The Two Mrs. Grissoms," which aired on CBS on February 3, 2011.
fan, and will drop by Wrigley Field
to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch
. In 2004, Petersen described to Playboy Magazine a near death experience
he had in the 1980s, which gave him assurance that there is an afterlife
.
On July 5, 2011, Peterson and Cirone (via surrogate) welcomed twins, a son and a daughter.
Gil Grissom
Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
on the hit CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. He portrayed President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
in the 1998 TV film The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack (film)
The Rat Pack is a 1998 HBO TV movie about the Rat Pack. The movie stars Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford....
.
Early life
Petersen was born in Evanston, IllinoisEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, the youngest of six children of June (née Hoene; 1909–2006) and Arthur Edward Petersen, Sr. (1907–2004), who worked in the furniture business. He is of Danish
Danish Americans
Danish Americans are Americans of Danish descent. There are approximately 1,500,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danish-Americans live in the Western United States or the Midwestern United States.-Population:...
and German descent. He has two brothers, Arthur, Jr. and Robert, plus three sisters: Anne, Mary Kay, and Elizabeth. He graduated from Bishop Kelly High School
Bishop Kelly High School
Bishop Kelly High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Boise, Idaho, operated by the Diocese of Boise.-History:The school opened its doors in the fall of 1964, succeeding St. Teresa's Academy, which had closed that spring. Bishop Kelly is the only Catholic high school in the state of...
in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, in 1972. He was accepted to Idaho State University
Idaho State University
Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls....
on a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
scholarship. While at Idaho State, Petersen took an acting course which changed the direction of his life. He left school along with his wife, Joanne, in 1974 and followed a drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
professor to the Basque country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
where he studied as a Shakespearean actor. Petersen was interested in Basque culture and he studied the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, Euskera, and gave his daughter the Basque name Maite Nerea (meaning My Beloved); she was born in Arrasate - Mondragón
Mondragón
Arrasate or Mondragón - is a town and municipality in Gipuzkoa province, Basque Country, Spain...
1975. Petersen returned to Idaho intent on being an actor. Not wanting to work a non-acting job in Idaho, he returned to the Chicago area, living with relatives. He became active in the theater and earned his Actors' Equity card. He performed with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
, of which he has been an ensemble member since 2008, and was a co-founder of the Remains Theater Ensemble which also included other prominent Chicago actors Gary Cole
Gary Cole
Gary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
and Ted Levine
Ted Levine
Frank Theodore "Ted" Levine is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Captain Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk.-Early life and career:...
.
Career
In 1985, Petersen received his first break when he starred as a Secret Service Agent gone rogue to avenge his mentor in William Friedkin'sWilliam Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
1985 action film To Live and Die in L.A. The following year, Petersen starred in the first Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
film, Manhunter
Manhunter (film)
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
, playing FBI agent Will Graham
Will Graham
Will Graham is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon. He is an FBI profiler responsible for the original capture of the serial killer Hannibal Lecter and the man who is assigned to locate killer Francis Dolarhyde.Although successful, Graham is...
. Because his role in Michael Mann's Manhunter
Manhunter (film)
Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
was so emotionally exhausting, he did everything he could to rid himself of Graham after finishing principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
. He shave
Shaving
Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair...
d off his beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
, cut his hair and dyed it blonde. He also claims to have done this because, while rehearsing for a play in Chicago, his dialogue was always coming out like Graham's; he dyed his hair so he could look in the mirror and see a different person.
In a move perhaps indicative of his career choices, Petersen declined a part in Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's Platoon
Platoon (film)
Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and stars Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen. It is the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and 1993's Heaven & Earth....
, as it would have kept him in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, away from his family. Instead, he worked on the 1987 HBO made-for-TV movie Long Gone as a minor league baseball player and manager. Petersen was offered the role of Henry Hill in the movie Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
but also turned it down.
In a 1990 ABC three-part miniseries, The Kennedys of Massachusetts
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
The Kennedys of Massachusetts is a 1990 TV miniseries that aired on ABC. Focusing mainly on the fifty-four year marriage of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Kennedy. The events depicted in the series are based upon the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin titled The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys : An...
, Petersen played U.S. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's enormously powerful father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy. This film won an Emmy, and a Golden Globe from eight and two nominations, respectively. Also in 1990, Petersen delved back into history in Young Guns II
Young Guns II
Young Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...
portraying the infamous Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett, the one time friend of the famous outlaw Billy the Kid and the future sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico responsible for his downfall. In 1993, Petersen appeared in another miniseries, Return to Lonesome Dove
Return to Lonesome Dove
Return to Lonesome Dove, written by John Wilder, is a TV Miniseries involving characters created in the Pulitzer Prize-winning western novel Lonesome Dove. The story focuses on a retired Texas Ranger and his adventures driving mustangs from Texas to Montana...
, and in 1996's Fear. Having already portrayed Joseph and John F. Kennedy, another political character came his way with the 2000 release The Contender. Petersen played the role of Governor Jack Hathaway, an unscrupulous candidate for vice president following the death of the incumbent.
He appeared uncredited in the noir thriller Mulholland Falls
Mulholland Falls
Mulholland Falls is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori and written by Pete Dexter. The drama features Andrew McCarthy, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Melanie Griffith, Treat Williams, and John Malkovich.Nolte plays the...
as a character who finds himself on the violent receiving end of a Los Angeles police squad's tactics. He starred in Kiss the Sky and also appeared as part of an all-star cast in a remake of the film 12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men (1997 film)
12 Angry Men is a 1997 television film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the Reginald Rose teleplay of the same title.-Plot:After the final closing arguments have been presented to the judge, she gives her instructions to the jury. In the United States , the verdict in criminal cases must...
with Courtney B. Vance, George C. Scott, Jack Lemmon, and Mykelti Williamson. He would also go on to costar in the popular Hollywood version of the famous Yale secret society Skull and Bones, titled The Skulls starring Joshua Jackson of Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
fame.
Since 2000, Petersen has gained his greatest fame starring as Dr. Gil Grissom
Gil Grissom
Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. Petersen took a break from CSI to appear in a five-week run of the Trinity Repertory Company production of Dublin Carol
Dublin Carol
Dublin Carol is a three-handed play by Conor McPherson-Story:John, a middle-aged employee of a funeral home in Dublin, returns from a funeral on Christmas Eve with Mark, a 20-year-old who has helped out that day and to whom John tells his sad history about how he has destroyed much of his life and...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. On the evening of Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Petersen was at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
to join WGN
WGN (AM)
WGN is a radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is the only radio station owned by the Tribune Company, which also owns the flagship television station WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Chicago magazine locally. WGN's transmitter is located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois...
radio sportscasters covering a Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
– Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
game and he mentioned he had seen CSI: The Experience
CSI: The Experience
CSI: The Experience is a traveling exhibition about crime lab forensic science and technology inspired by the hit television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.- Development and location :...
at the Museum of Science and Industry
Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
The Museum of Science and Industry is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to Lake Michigan. It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
on the South Side
South Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
of Chicago. He was on a nine-week break from the show at the time, and he expressed how he and his castmates were "blessed" to have such a successful series when he had seen shows starring friends cancelled after only a few episodes.
Petersen renewed his contract with CBS to appear on CSI for the 2008-2009 season, reportedly for $600,000 per episode. On July 15, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Petersen was leaving the show as a regular following Season 9's tenth episode in order to pursue more stage acting opportunities, but that he may return for guest spots. He remains an executive producer of the show. He also said that, if offered, he will reprise his role as Grissom as a regular again.
On February 3, 2009, Petersen was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. Most of the cast and crew of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
came out for the ceremony. Petersen's star is located at 6667 Hollywood Blvd, directly in front of the legendary Musso & Frank Grill
Musso & Frank Grill
Musso & Frank Grill is a restaurant located at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Opened in 1919, it is steeped in Hollywood history, having been the hideout of a host of famous Hollywood celebrities from days gone by...
.
He will star with Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...
, James Caan
James Caan
James Caan is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles in The Godfather, Thief, Misery, A Bridge Too Far, Brian's Song, Rollerball, Kiss Me Goodbye, Elf, and El Dorado...
, and others in the upcoming comedy-drama film Detachment
Detachment (film)
Detachment is a 2011 American drama about the high school education system starring Adrien Brody with an ensemble supporting cast.-Plot:Detachment is a chronicle of three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of a substitute teacher named...
.
Petersen reprised his role of Gil Grissom in the eleventh season CSI episode, "The Two Mrs. Grissoms," which aired on CBS on February 3, 2011.
Personal life
Petersen married longtime girlfriend Gina Cirone in July 2003. He has a daughter, Maite (born in c. 1975), from his previous marriage. Maite gave birth to his grandsons, Mazrik William and Indigo August, in October 2003 and August 2009, respectively. Petersen is an avid Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
fan, and will drop by Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch
Seventh-inning stretch
The seventh-inning stretch is a tradition in baseball that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of any game – in the middle of the seventh inning. Fans generally stand up and stretch out their arms and legs and sometimes walk around. It is a popular time to get a late-game snack as...
. In 2004, Petersen described to Playboy Magazine a near death experience
Near death experience
A near-death experience refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including detachment from the body; feelings of levitation; extreme fear; total serenity, security, or warmth; the experience of absolute dissolution;...
he had in the 1980s, which gave him assurance that there is an afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
.
On July 5, 2011, Peterson and Cirone (via surrogate) welcomed twins, a son and a daughter.
Filmography
- ThiefThief (film)Thief is a 1981 neo-noir film written and directed by Michael Mann and based on the novel The Home Invaders by "Frank Hohimer"...
(1981) (credited as William L. Peterson) - To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) ... Richard Chance (credited as William L. Petersen)
- The Twilight Zone (1986) Ep. 21a, Need To Know ... Edward Sayers
- ManhunterManhunter (film)Manhunter is a 1986 American thriller film based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon. Written and directed by Michael Mann, it stars William Petersen as Will Graham and features Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor...
(1986) ... Will GrahamWill GrahamWill Graham is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Thomas Harris' 1981 novel Red Dragon. He is an FBI profiler responsible for the original capture of the serial killer Hannibal Lecter and the man who is assigned to locate killer Francis Dolarhyde.Although successful, Graham is... - Amazing Grace and ChuckAmazing Grace and ChuckAmazing Grace and Chuck is a 1987 film starring Gregory Peck, Jamie Lee Curtis and William Petersen.-Plot:Chuck Murdock, a 12-year-old boy from Montana and son of a military jet pilot, becomes anxious after seeing a Minuteman missile on a school field trip...
(1987) - Long GoneLong Gone (film)Long Gone is a 1987 baseball film by HBO based on Paul Hemphill's 1979 book of the same name. The made-for-television film was directed by Martin Davidson and starred William Petersen, Virginia Madsen and Dermot Mulroney. Outside North America, the movie was known as and titled, Stogies.-Plot:The...
(TV movie) (1987) - CousinsCousins (film)Cousins is a 1989 remake of a French film , with Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, Sean Young, William Petersen, Lloyd Bridges, and Keith Coogan.-Plot summary:...
(1989) - The Kennedys of MassachusettsThe Kennedys of MassachusettsThe Kennedys of Massachusetts is a 1990 TV miniseries that aired on ABC. Focusing mainly on the fifty-four year marriage of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Kennedy. The events depicted in the series are based upon the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin titled The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys : An...
(1990) - Young Guns IIYoung Guns IIYoung Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...
(1990) ... Pat GarrettPat GarrettPatrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid... - Hard PromisesHard Promises (1991 film)Hard Promises is a 1991 film directed by Martin Davidson. It stars Sissy Spacek and William Petersen.-Plot:A man who doesn't like stable work environments has been away for too many years when he finds out his wife has divorced him and is planning to remarry...
(1991) ... Joey (Credited as William L. Peterson) - Passed AwayPassed AwayPassed Away is an American ensemble comedy film from 1992.- Cast :*Bob Hoskins - Johnny Scanlan*Jack Warden - Jack Scanlan*William Petersen - Frank Scanlan*Diana Bellamy - BJ*Don Brockett - Froggie*Helen Lloyd Breed - Aunt Maureen...
(1992) - Keep the ChangeKeep the Change (film)Keep the Change is a 1992 television film directed by Andy Tennant. It stars William Petersen and Rachel Ticotin. It won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America in 1992.-Cast:*William Petersen as Joe Starling*Rachel Ticotin as Astrid...
(TV) (1992) - Return to Lonesome DoveReturn to Lonesome DoveReturn to Lonesome Dove, written by John Wilder, is a TV Miniseries involving characters created in the Pulitzer Prize-winning western novel Lonesome Dove. The story focuses on a retired Texas Ranger and his adventures driving mustangs from Texas to Montana...
(mini series) (1993) ... Gideon Walker - CuracaoCuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
(1993) - In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man With One Eye Is King (1995) ... Tony C.
- Fear (1996) ... Steve Walker
- The BeastThe Beast (1996 film)The Beast is a 1996 made for TV movie starring William Petersen, Karen Sillas and Charles Martin Smith. The movie is based on the 1991 novel Beast by Jaws author Peter Benchley. The film is about a giant squid that attacks and kills several people when its food supply becomes scarce and its...
(1996) (made for TV movie) ... Whip Dalton - 12 Angry Men12 Angry Men (1997 film)12 Angry Men is a 1997 television film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the Reginald Rose teleplay of the same title.-Plot:After the final closing arguments have been presented to the judge, she gives her instructions to the jury. In the United States , the verdict in criminal cases must...
(1997) (TV) ... Juror #12 - GunshyGunshy (film)Gunshy is 1998 crime drama film directed by Jeff Celentano and starring William Petersen, Michael Wincott, and Diane Lane.-Plot:When New York journalist Jake Bridges catches his girlfriend cheating on him, he travels to Atlantic City to drink away his troubles. Jake is saved from a bar brawl by...
(1998) ... Jake Bridges - The StaircaseThe Staircase (1998 film)The Staircase is a 1998 television film about the story of the spiral staircase, believed by some to be miraculously built, at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film stars Barbara Hershey as Mother Madalyn in charge of the Chapel and William Petersen as Joad, the traveling carpenter...
(1998) ... Joad - The Rat PackThe Rat Pack (film)The Rat Pack is a 1998 HBO TV movie about the Rat Pack. The movie stars Ray Liotta as Frank Sinatra, Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis, Jr., and Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford....
(TV) (1998) ... John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.... - Kiss the SkyKiss the Sky (film)Kiss the Sky is a 1999 film drama directed by Roger Young. The plot follows two men in their forties, friends since college, who travel together on a business trip to the Philippines. There they examine their lives and consider trading their adult responsibilities for a return to the hedonism of...
(1999) ... Jeff - The Skulls (2000) ... Ames Levritt
- The Contender (2000) ... Gov. Jack Hathaway
- CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
(2000–2009, 2011) ... Dr. Gilbert "Gil" GrissomGil GrissomDr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by William Petersen. Grissom was a forensic entomologist and the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI team, investigating crimes in and around the city of Las Vegas...
In 193 episodes - DetachmentDetachment (film)Detachment is a 2011 American drama about the high school education system starring Adrien Brody with an ensemble supporting cast.-Plot:Detachment is a chronicle of three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of a substitute teacher named...
(2011) ... Sarge ... - Seeking A Friend for the End of the WorldSeeking a Friend for the End of the WorldSeeking a Friend for the End of the World is an upcoming comedy with an ensemble cast. Filming began May of 2011, in Los Angeles, California.-Plot:The end of the world nears from the impending doom of an asteroid crash...
(2012) ... Trucker
Production credits
- CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
- Keep the ChangeKeep the Change (film)Keep the Change is a 1992 television film directed by Andy Tennant. It stars William Petersen and Rachel Ticotin. It won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America in 1992.-Cast:*William Petersen as Joe Starling*Rachel Ticotin as Astrid...
- Hard PromisesHard Promises (1991 film)Hard Promises is a 1991 film directed by Martin Davidson. It stars Sissy Spacek and William Petersen.-Plot:A man who doesn't like stable work environments has been away for too many years when he finds out his wife has divorced him and is planning to remarry...
Remains Theatre
- Indulgences in a Louisville Harem (1980)
- Sixty Six Scenes of Halloween (1981)
- The Tooth of CrimeThe Tooth of CrimeThe Tooth of Crime is a musical play written by Sam Shepard which made its premiere in London's Open Space Theatre on July 17, 1972. It tells the story of aging rock singer Hoss, doing battle with rival Crow.-Plot:...
(1984) .... Hoss (nominated by Joseph Jefferson Awards) - Balm in GileadBalm in GileadBalm in Gilead is a 1965 play written by American playwright Lanford Wilson.-Dramatic structure:Wilson's first full-length effort, Balm in Gilead centers on a cafe frequented by heroin addicts, prostitutes and thieves...
(1981–82) .... Joe Conroy - Moby Dick (1984) .... Ahab
- A Class "C" Trial in Yokahama
- Big Time (1987) .... Paul
- American BuffaloAmerican BuffaloAmerican Buffalo may refer to:*American Buffalo , a play by David Mamet*American Buffalo , a 1996 film of Mamet's play directed by Michael Corrente*American Buffalo , a United States coin...
(1991) .... Teach - Once in Doubt (1992) .... Painter
- The Chicago Conspiracy Trial (1992)
- Waiting for GodotWaiting for GodotWaiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
- The Time of Your LifeThe Time of Your LifeThe Time of Your Life is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened 25 October 1939 at the Booth Theatre in New York City...
.... Joe - Farmyard
- Traps
- Speed the Plow (1987) .... Bobby Gould
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- Balm in GileadBalm in GileadBalm in Gilead is a 1965 play written by American playwright Lanford Wilson.-Dramatic structure:Wilson's first full-length effort, Balm in Gilead centers on a cafe frequented by heroin addicts, prostitutes and thieves...
(1981–82) .... Joe Conroy - Fool for LoveFool for Love (play)Fool for Love is a play written by American playwright/actor Sam Shepard.-Plot:The "fools" in the play are battling lovers at a Mojave Desert motel. May is hiding out at said motel when an old childhood friend and old flame, Eddie. Eddie tries to convince May to come back home with him and live in...
(1984) .... Eddie - A Dublin Carol .... John Plunkett
- EndgameEndgame (play)Endgame, by Samuel Beckett, is a one-act play with four characters, written in a style associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. It was originally written in French ; as was his custom, Beckett himself translated it into English. The play was first performed in a French-language production at the...
.... Hamm
Goodman Theatre
- Gardenia (1982) .... ???
- The Time of Your LifeThe Time of Your LifeThe Time of Your Life is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened 25 October 1939 at the Booth Theatre in New York City...
.... Joe - Glengarry Glen RossGlengarry Glen RossGlengarry Glen Ross is a 1984 play written by David Mamet. The play shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts—from lies and flattery to bribery, threats, intimidation and burglary—to sell...
(1984) .... James Lingk - The Night of the IguanaThe Night of the IguanaThe Night of the Iguana is a stageplay written by American author Tennessee Williams, based on his 1948 short story. The play premiered on Broadway in 1961. Two film adaptations have been made, including the Academy Award-winning 1964 film of the same name....
(1994) .... Reverend Shannon
Victory Gardens Theatre
- Dillinger (1978) .... John Dillinger
- Towards the Morning (1978)
- FlyoversFlyovers (play)Flyovers is a stage play by Jeffrey Sweet that premiered at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and later ran at the 78th Street Theatre Lab in New York City...
(1998) .... Ted - BlackbirdBlackbird (play)Blackbird is a one-act, ninety-minute play written in 2005 by Scottish playwright David Harrower. It was inspired in part by the crimes of sex offender Toby Studebaker and depicts a young woman meeting a middle-aged man fifteen years after having a sexual relationship, when she was twelve.-...
.... Ray (nominated by Jeff Awards) - HeatHeatIn physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
(1978)
Wisdom Bridge Theatre
- Canticle of the Sun (1981) .... ???
- The Belly of the Beast (1983) .... Jack Henry Abbott (Prize Joseph Jefferson Awards from Best Actor)
- Speed the Plow (1987) .... Bobby Gould
Other stage works
- Darkness at Noon (1976), Chicago area production
- A Streetcar Named DesireA Streetcar Named Desire (play)A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
(1984) .... Stanley Kowalski, Stratford Festival of Canada, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1984 - Days and Nights Within (1986) .... Interrogator, Organic Theatre
- Puntila and His Hired Mano (1986) .... Matti, Organic Theatre
- Speed the Plow .... Bobby Gould, Kennedy Center in D.C.
- The Night of the IguanaThe Night of the IguanaThe Night of the Iguana is a stageplay written by American author Tennessee Williams, based on his 1948 short story. The play premiered on Broadway in 1961. Two film adaptations have been made, including the Academy Award-winning 1964 film of the same name....
(1996) .... Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon, Roundabout Theatre Company, Criterion Center Stage Right Theatre, New York City - A Dublin Carol .... John Plunkett, Trinity Reportory Company (Providence)
- Twelfth Night .... ???, Illinois Shakespeare Festival
- As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
.... ???, Illinois Shakespeare Festival - The Belly of the Beast (1983) .... Jack Henry Abbott (Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1985 and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1985)
- A Class C Trial in Yokohama, Chicago Theatre Project
- The Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison, Glasgow, Scotland and London, England, including the American Festival, London, 1985
- Appeared in productions at Boise State University and Lewis and Clark College.
Stage director
- Farmyard, Remains Theatre, Chicago, IL, c. 1980
- Traps, Remains Theatre, 1983