People

William L. Petersen

Acting · follow into films and chains

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.

Notable films

Where to start

Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.

Detachment

Appears in a KinoChain journey

To Live and Die in L.A.

Appears in a KinoChain journey

The Contender

Appears in a KinoChain journey

Fear

As Steve Walker

Young Guns II

As Patrick Floyd 'Pat' Garrett

Mulholland Falls

As Jack Flynn

The Skulls

As Ames Levritt

Cousins

As Tom Hardy

Chains

KinoChain journeys

Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.

Browse all chains

Neon Fog and the Long Way Home

From Thief's rain-slicked streets to Drive's neon avenues, a journey through neo-noir night drives where every turn tests the driver's moral compass.

8 films

Imperfect Pedagogues: Teachers in the Grey

From the cracked idealism of Half Nelson to the bureaucratic despair of The Teacher, a chain of films where educators are as flawed as the systems they serve.

7 films

The Weight of Command: Eight Faces of Authority

From courtroom to battlefield, from boardroom to the Oval Office, these eight performances explore the many masks of power and the human cost of wearing them.

8 films

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