Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1953-02-21 (Age: 73)
Place of Birth
Evanston, Illinois, USA
William L. Petersen
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.
Filmography (34)
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
2021
Friedkin Uncut
2018
CSI: Immortality
2015
100 Years of Wrigley Field
2014
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2012
Detachment
2011
This Old Cub
2004
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
2004
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
2003
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
2001
Inside 'Manhunter'
2001
Haven
2001
The Contender
2000
The Skulls
2000
