William Petersen
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:For-multi Template:Infobox person William Louis Petersen (born February 21, 1953) is an American retired actor. He is best known for his role as Gil Grissom in the CBS drama thriller series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015), for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award; he was further nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards as a producer of the show.<ref>"William Petersen Emmy Nominations" emmys.com, accessed July 5, 2021</ref> He reprised his role as Gil Grissom in the sequel CSI: Vegas, which premiered on October 6, 2021.
He also starred in the films To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Manhunter (1986), Young Guns II (1990), Fear (1996), The Contender (2000), Detachment (2011), and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012).<ref>"William Petersen Filmography" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref>
Early life
Petersen was born in Evanston, Illinois, the youngest of six children of June (née Hoene; 1909–2006) and Arthur Edward Petersen (1907–2004), who worked in the furniture business.<ref>"William Petersen Biography, filmreference.com; accessed July 9, 2018.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Of Danish and German descent, he was raised in the Roman Catholic faith of his mother.<ref>Obituary: June Hoene Petersen, legacy.com; accessed March 21, 2020.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has two brothers, Arthur Jr. and Robert, and three sisters, Anne, Mary Kay, and Elizabeth.<ref name="highbeam">Template:Cite news</ref>
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<ref name=idaho>Gabettas, Chris. "William Petersen: From ISU to CSI" isu.edu, Spring 2010 Issue, accessed April 10, 2016.</ref> 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: He studied the Basque language and gave his daughter the Basque name "Maite Nerea" ("My Beloved"); she was born in Arrasate/Mondragón in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Petersen returned to Idaho with the intention of being an actor. Not wanting to work a nonacting 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,<ref>Jones, Kenneth. "William Petersen Is Now a Steppenwolf Ensemble Member" playbill.com, December 2, 2008</ref> and was a co-founder of the Remains Theater Ensemble,<ref name=idaho/> which also included other prominent Chicago actors Gary Cole and Ted Levine.Template:Citation needed
Career
Petersen made his film debut with a bit part in Thief (1981), directed by Michael Mann. The actor received his first break when he played a Secret Service agent gone rogue to avenge his mentor in William Friedkin's 1985 action film To Live and Die in L.A.<ref>"'To Live and Die in L.A.' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> In 1986, he played FBI agent Will Graham in the first Hannibal Lecter film, Manhunter.<ref>"'Manhunter' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> Because his role was so emotionally exhausting, he did everything he could to rid himself of Graham after finishing principal photography. He shaved off his beard, cut his hair, and bleached it blond. 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.<ref>Inside Manhunter: Interviews with stars William Petersen, Joan Allen, Brian Cox and Tom Noonan</ref>
He 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 named Cecil "Stud" Cantrell.<ref>Richmond, Ray. "William Petersen: Leaving Las Vegas" The Hollywood Reporter, February 2, 2009</ref> Petersen was offered the role of Henry Hill in the film Goodfellas, but turned it down. An exposé about the film in the May 2015 issue of Playboy claims that Petersen turned down the audition altogether.<ref>Playboy Magazine, May 2015</ref> In a 1990 ABC three-part miniseries, The Kennedys of Massachusetts, Petersen played U.S. President John F. Kennedy's father, Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The film won an Emmy and a Golden Globe from eight and two nominations, respectively. Also in 1990, Petersen portrayed the infamous Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett in Young Guns II.<ref>Template:IMDb title</ref>
In 1993, Petersen appeared in a CBS TV miniseries, Return to Lonesome Dove, as former Ranger Gideon Walker.<ref>Kogan, Rick. "'Return To Lonesome Dove' Trails Far Behind The Original" Chicago Tribune, November 12, 1993</ref> He played Steven Walker, a father who stops at nothing to break up the relationship between his daughter and her vicious boyfriend in Fear (1996).<ref>"'Fear' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> Petersen played Governor Jack Hathaway, an unscrupulous candidate for vice president following the death of the incumbent, in The Contender in 2000.<ref>"'The Contender' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref>
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. In 1999, he starred in Kiss the Sky as "Jeff."<ref>"'Kiss the Sky' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref><ref>Kiss the Sky rottentomatoes.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> He appeared as part of an all-star cast in the 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men (as Juror #12, a.k.a. "the Snob").<ref>"'12 Angry Men' Listing" tcm.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref>
From 2000 to 2009, he played Dr. Gil Grissom in the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Petersen took a break from CSI in 2006 to appear in a five-week run of the Trinity Repertory Company production of Dublin Carol by Conor McPherson, in Providence, Rhode Island.<ref name=dublin/> Petersen renewed his contract with CBS to appear on CSI for the 2008–09 season, reportedly for $600,000 per episode.<ref>William Petersen Renews CSI Contract" TV Guide. March 31, 2008. Retrieved on April 1, 2008.</ref> 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 might return for guest spots.<ref name=CNNquit>Template:Cite news</ref> He remained an executive producer of the show.<ref name=CNNquit/> He reprised his role of Gil Grissom in the eleventh-season episode "The Two Mrs. Grissoms" (aired February 3, 2011). He came back in 2015 as a guest in the series finale, "Immortality."
In February 2020, Petersen was announced to return for a CSI sequel series along with Jorja Fox, before the series was picked up as CSI: Vegas. In October 2025, Petersen stated he was retired from acting and was not seeking out any new roles.<ref>CSI Star William Petersen Is Happily Retired, Says His Agent 'Hasn't Done Anything in 15 Years': 'Poor Guy'</ref>
Personal life
In 1975, Petersen and his then-wife Joanne Brady had a daughter, Maite. In June 2003, Petersen married his longtime girlfriend Gina Cirone. On July 5, 2011, Petersen and Cirone had twins, a daughter and son, via surrogate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2004, he described to Playboy a near-death experience he had in the 1980s which gave him "assurance" that there is an afterlife.<ref>Playboy magazine, March 2004, page 139</ref> In August 2021, he was taken to the hospital via ambulance after feeling unwell on the set of CSI: Vegas. He was experiencing symptoms of exhaustion after 12 weeks of shooting, and released from the facility soon after.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Petersen is an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs.
Honors
On February 3, 2009, Petersen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<ref>"William Petersen Gets Star No. 2,379" nbclosangeles.com, accessed April 11, 2016</ref>
Filmography
As actor
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Thief | Katz & Jammer Bartender | |
| 1985 | To Live and Die in L.A | Secret Service Agent Richard Chance | |
| 1986 | Manhunter | FBI Agent Will Graham | |
| 1987 | Amazing Grace and Chuck | Russell | |
| 1989 | Cousins | Tom | |
| 1990 | Young Guns II | Pat Garrett | |
| 1992 | Hard Promises | Joey | Also producer<ref>"William Petersen Is As Close To Stardom As He Plans To Get" Orlando Sentinel, June 9, 1992</ref><ref>Turan, Kenneth. "Movie Review. Hard Choices to Be Made in 'Hard Promises'" Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1992</ref> |
| Passed Away | Frank Scanlan | ||
| 1995 | In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King | Tony 'Tony C' | |
| 1996 | Fear | Steve Walker | |
| Mulholland Falls | Jack Flynn, Mobster | Uncredited | |
| 1998 | Gunshy | Jake Bridges<ref>McCarthy, Todd. Review: 'Gunshy'" Variety, May 11, 1998</ref> | |
| Kiss the Sky | Jeff | ||
| 2000 | The Skulls | Senator Ames Levritt | |
| The Contender | Jack Hathaway | ||
| 2011 | Detachment | Sarge<ref>Cox, Gordon. "'Detachment', Rocker Doc Join Tribeca" Variety, April 4, 2011</ref> | |
| 2012 | Seeking a Friend for the End of the World | Glenn | |
| 2021 | The Old Country | Ted | Short |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Edward Sayers | Episode: "Need to Know" |
| 1987 | Long Gone | Cecil Cantrell | Television film |
| 1990 | The Kennedys of Massachusetts | Joseph P. Kennedy | Miniseries |
| 1992 | Keep the Change | Joe Starling | Television film |
| 1993 | Curacao | Stephen Guerin | |
| Return to Lonesome Dove | Gideon Walker | 3 episodes | |
| 1995 | Fallen Angels | George | Episode: "Good Housekeeping" |
| 1996 | The Beast | Whip Dalton | Television film |
| 1997 | 12 Angry Men | Juror #12 | |
| 1998 | The Staircase | Joad | |
| The Rat Pack | President John F. Kennedy | ||
| 2000–2015 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Gil Grissom | Main role (seasons 1–9) Guest role (seasons 11, 13 & 15) |
| 2001 | Haven | Jackson Connolly | Television film |
| 2007 | Without a Trace | Gil Grissom | Episode: "Where and Why?" |
| 2013 | Blue | Mitch | Episode: "Hard Time" |
| 2015 | Manhattan | Colonel Emmett Darrow<ref name=ManhattanSeason2>Template:Cite web</ref> | 10 episodes |
| 2021 | CSI: Vegas | Gil Grissom |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Gil Grissom |
| 2004 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Dark Motives | |
| 2006 | CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder | |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Hard Evidence |
As producer
- Hard Promises (1991)
- Keep the Change (1992)<ref name="change">"'Keep the Change' Listing" allmovie.com, accessed April 11, 2016</ref>
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)
- CSI: Vegas (2021–2024)
Theatre
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Darkness at Noon | Jewish Community Theater | |
| 1977 | Canticle of the Sun | Wisdom Bridge Theatre | |
| 1978 | Twelfth Night | Sebastian | Illinois Shakespeare Festival |
| As You Like It | |||
| Dillinger | John Dillinger | Victory Gardens Theater<ref name=victory/> | |
| Heat | |||
| 1978 | Towards the Morning | ||
| 1980 | Indulgences in a Louisville Harem | Remains Theatre | |
| Waiting for Godot | |||
| 1980–82 | Balm in Gilead | Joe Conroy | Steppenwolf Theatre Company<ref name="steppenwolf">"Member Profiles. William Petersen" steppenwolf.org, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> Remains Theatre |
| 1981 | Sixty Six Scenes of Halloween | Remains Theatre | |
| 1983 | A Class "C" Trial in Yokohama | ||
| Gardenia | Goodman Theatre<ref name=library>"Goodman Theatre Archive, Production History Files, Part 1, 1982-83 Season and 1983-1984 Season" chipublib.org, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> | ||
| 1983–85 | In the Belly of the Beast | Jack Henry Abbott | Wisdom Bridge Theatre<ref name="webb">Webb, Andrew. "'In The Belly Of The Beast' Searing Tale Of Prison Survival" Sun-Sentinel, June 7, 1985</ref> Ivanhoe Theatre John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts<ref name=webb/> Glasgow, Scotland and London, England, including the American Festival<ref name=webb/> |
| 1984 | The Time of Your Life | Joe | Remains Theatre Goodman Theatre<ref name=library/> |
| Fool for Love | Eddie | Steppenwolf Theatre Company<ref name="steppenwolf" /> | |
| Glengarry Glen Ross | James Lingk | Goodman Theatre<ref>Glengarry Glen Ross Theatredatabase.com, accessed April 10, 2016</ref> | |
| The Tooth of Crime | Hoss | Remains Theatre | |
| Moby Dick | Ahab | ||
| A Streetcar Named Desire | Stanley Kowalski | Stratford Festival of Canada<ref>"Method Acting"
Chicago Tribune (archives), August 13, 1984</ref> | |
| 1986 | Days and Nights Within | Interrogator | Organic Theatre<ref>Smith, Sid. "Remains Offers An Eerie--if Pointless--love Tale" Chicago Tribune, January 31, 1986</ref> |
| Mr Puntila and His Man Matti | |||
| 1987 | Big Time | Paul | Remains Theatre |
| 1987, 1989 | Speed-the-Plow | Bobby Gould | Remains Theatre Wisdom Bridge Theatre<ref>Christiansen, Richard. Speed the Plow Chicago Tribune (archives), March 2, 1989</ref> John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |
| 1991 | American Buffalo | Teach | Remains Theatre |
| 1992 | Once in Doubt | Painter | |
| The Chicago Conspiracy Trial | |||
| 1994, 1996 | The Night of the Iguana | Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon<ref>Bommer, Lawrence. "Much-awaited `Night Of The Iguana' Ready At Goodman" Chicago Tribune, March 11, 1994</ref> | Goodman Theatre Criterion Center Stage Right Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company<ref>"'The Night of the Iguana' Listing" ibdb.com, accessed April 11, 2016</ref> |
| 1998 | Flyovers | Ted | Victory Gardens Theater<ref name=victory/><ref>Dretzka, Gary. "Hospital Dramas" Chicago Tribune, April 12, 1998</ref> |
| 2006, 2008 | Dublin Carol | John Plunkett | Trinity Repertory Company<ref name=dublin>Hernandez, Ernio. "CSI" Star Petersen Opens McPherson's 'A Dublin Carol' at Trinity Rep" playbill.com, December 6, 2006</ref> Steppenwolf Theatre Company<ref name="steppenwolf"/> |
| 2009 | Blackbird | Ray | Victory Gardens Theater<ref name=victory>Jones, Kenneth. "'Blackbird', with Hawkinson and "CSI" Star Petersen, Makes Chicago Premiere July 3" playbill.com, July 3, 2009</ref> |
| 2010 | Endgame | Hamm | Steppenwolf Theatre Company<ref name="steppenwolf" /> |
| 2013, 2014 | Slowgirl | Sterling | Steppenwolf Theatre Company Geffen Playhouse<ref>Boehm, Mike. "William Petersen among friends at Geffen Playhouse's 'Slowgirl'" Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2014</ref> |
| 2017 | The Minutes | Mayor Superba | Steppenwolf Theatre Company<ref name="steppenwolf"/> |
As director
- Farmyard, Remains Theatre, 1982
- Traps, Remains Theatre, 1983
Accolades
See also
References
External links
- Template:IMDb name
- Screen grabs, press stills and information about Petersen's famous role in Michael Mann's Manhunter (1986) Template:Webarchive
- "Petersen not sad about 'CSI' exit", Digital Spy, January 9, 2009
- William Petersen Biography (1953-) at Film Reference
- The William Petersen Appreciation Page
- 1953 births
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American people of Danish descent
- American people of German descent
- Television producers from Illinois
- Idaho State Bengals football players
- Idaho State University alumni
- Living people
- Male actors from Evanston, Illinois
- Male actors from Boise, Idaho
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company players
- Bishop Kelly High School alumni