Acting credits
46
Established
Large and steady acting portfolio.
Actor
William Petersen
Acting
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
2.0
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Movies: 34Series: 12Crew credits: 4
TMDB ID: 52267
IMDb ID: nm0676973
Known for: Acting
Born: February 21, 1953
Age: 72
Place of birth: Evanston, Illinois, USA
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1981 - 2021
Years active: 41
Average TMDB rating: 6.82
Wikidata: Q311892
Also known as
William L. Petersen • William Peterson • William Louis Petersen
Other jobs
Executive Producer (3)Producer (1)
Biography
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.
Photos
Movies
Movies
Movie credits linked with William Petersen.
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
as Ted
2021 Movie
7.0
Friedkin Uncut
as Self
2018 Movie
7.2
CSI: Immortality
as Gil Grissom
2015 Movie
100 Years of Wrigley Field
as Narrator
2014 Movie
6.6
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
as Trucker
2012 Movie
7.6
Detachment
as Mr. 'Sarge' Kepler
2011 Movie
This Old Cub
as Himself
2004 Movie
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
as Narrator
2004 Movie
8.0
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
as Self
2003 Movie
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
as Narrator
2001 Movie
7.0
Inside 'Manhunter'
as Himself
2001 Movie
6.8
Haven
as Jackson Connolly
2001 Movie
6.7
The Contender
as Jack Hathaway
2000 Movie
5.8
The Skulls
as Ames Levritt
2000 Movie
5.3
Kiss the Sky
as Jess
1998 Movie
5.8
The Rat Pack
as John F. Kennedy
1998 Movie
7.4
The Staircase
as Joad
1998 Movie
5.4
Gunshy
as Jake Bridges
1998 Movie
7.7
12 Angry Men
as Juror 12
1997 Movie
5.7
The Beast
as Whip Dalton
1996 Movie
6.0
Mulholland Falls
as Jack Flynn
1996 Movie
6.5
Fear
as Steve Walker
1996 Movie
2.7
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
as Tony C.
1995 Movie
6.1
Curaçao
as Stephen Guerin
1993 Movie
Series
Series
Series credits linked with William Petersen.
7.8
CSI: Vegas
as Gil Grissom • 10 eps
2021 Series
7.0
Manhattan
as Col. Emmett Darrow • 10 eps
2014 Series
7.1
Blue
as Mitch • 1 eps
2012 Series
7.2
Without a Trace
as Gil Grissom • 1 eps
2002 Series
7.6
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Gil Grissom • 194 eps
2000 Series
5.8
The Directors
as Self • 1 eps
1999 Series
6.3
The Beast
as Whip Dalton • 2 eps
1996 Series
6.9
Return to Lonesome Dove
as Captain Gideon Walker • 4 eps
1993 Series
5.9
Fallen Angels
as Georgie • 1 eps
1993 Series
7.2
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. • 3 eps
1990 Series
5.1
Sacrée Soirée
as Self • 1 eps
1987 Series
7.8
The Twilight Zone
as (segment "Need to Know") • 1 eps
1985 Series