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William Atherton

 
Actor: William Atherton
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Jul 30, 1947 in Orange, Connecticut
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '70s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Thriller
  • Career Highlights: Die Hard 2, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, The Sugarland Express
  • First Major Screen Credit: Class of '44 (1973)

Biography

For those who grew up in the 1980s, many will remember hating actor William Atherton for his hissable characters in such films as Ghostbusters (1984) and Real Genius (1985). Specializing in heady, clueless bureaucrats who never cease to hinder the protagonist and who often get what's coming to them before the credits roll, Atherton is one of those busy character actors who audiences are not likely to forget, even if they can't remember where they know him from. A Connecticut native who got his start on the stage while still in high school, Atherton would subsequently move on to become the youngest member ever accepted into New Haven's Long Wharf Theater repertory. Studies at the Pasadena Playhouse and Carnegie Tech led Atherton to pursue more theater roles, and a few short years later the seasoned stage actor made his leap to the big screen with The New Centurions (1972). A role in Steven Spielberg's The Sugarland Express (1974) found Atherton's feature career getting off to a solid start, and the fledgling actor would continue career momentum with featured roles in The Hindenburg (1975) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977). In the 1980s Atherton would develop a convincingly weasel-like persona with roles as the popcorn-hating professor of Real Genius and a relentlessly obnoxious EPA agent who unleashes a nightmare upon New York in Ghostbusters. Following up with a memorably sleazy reporter in Die Hard (1988) and its sequel, Atherton would remain busy in the 1990s with roles in The Pelican Brief (1993), Bio-Dome (1996), Hoodlum, and Mad City (both 1997). The millennial turnover found Atherton appearing in such fare as The Crow: Salvation (2000) and Race to Space (2001), and as 2003 approached his feature career seemed to be having a bit of a resurgence with such major releases as Who's Your Daddy? and The Last Samurai. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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William Atherton

William Atherton in February 2009
Born William Atherton Knight II
July 30, 1947 (1947-07-30) (age 62)
Orange, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1972–present

William Atherton (born July 30, 1947) is an American film, stage and television actor.

Contents

Early life

Atherton was born William Atherton Knight II in Orange, Connecticut, the son of Myrtle (née Robison) and Robert Atherton Knight.[1] He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Pasadena Playhouse.[2]

Career

After a handful of small film roles, Atherton got his big break playing hapless fugitive Clovis Poplin in The Sugarland Express, the feature film debut of Steven Spielberg. After this, he garnered major roles in dark dramas such as Looking for Mr. Goodbar and The Day of the Locust, as well as the big-budget disaster film The Hindenburg. He also played the young cowboy Jim Lloyd in the 1978 miniseries Centennial, based on the novel by James Michener.

Atherton entered pop culture history in 1984, when he appeared in the hit comedy Ghostbusters as the overbearing EPA agent Walter Peck. Atherton was almost injured on the set when 200 pounds of shaving cream were dumped on him from a crane to simulate a torrent of molten marshmallow engulfing him, nearly knocking him off his feet.

In 1985, Martha Coolidge chose Atherton to play Professor Jerry Hathaway in the teen comedy Real Genius. In 1988, Atherton played narcissistic reporter Dick Thornburg in the blockbuster action film Die Hard, as well as its 1990 sequel.

Other film credits include No Mercy, The Pelican Brief, Bio-Dome, Mad City, The Crow: Salvation, The Last Samurai, Grim Prairie Tales, the TV movies Buried Alive, Headspace and Virus. He has also made guest appearances on such TV shows as The Twilight Zone, Desperate Housewives, The Equalizer, Law & Order and Monk. Atherton also provided the voice of Dr. Destiny on Justice League. Recently, Atherton guest starred in several episodes of NBC's detective drama Life.

His 2007 appearances included Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, an adaptation of the best-selling novel The Girl Next Door.

He has reprised his role as Walter Peck in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, released on June 16, 2009.

Filmography

  • The New Centurions (1972) - Johnson
  • Class of '44 (1973) - Fraternity President
  • The Sugarland Express (1974) - Clovis Michael Poplin
  • The Day of the Locust (1975) - Tod Hackett
  • The Hindenburg (1975) - Boerth
  • Independence (1976) - Benjamin Rush
  • Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - James
  • Centennial (1978-1979) (TV) - Jim Lloyd
  • A Single Light (1981) (TV) - unknown role
  • The House of Mirth (1981) (TV) - Lawrence Selden
  • Tomorrow's Child (1982) (TV) - Jim Spence
  • Malibu (1983) (TV) - Stan Harvey
  • Ghostbusters (1984) - Walter Peck
  • Real Genius (1985) - Prof. Jerry Hathaway
  • A Fight for Jenny (1986) (TV) - Michael Rosen
  • No Mercy (1986) - Allan Deveneux
  • Die Hard (1988) - Richard Thornburg
  • Intrigue (1988) (TV) - Doggett
  • Buried Alive (1990) (TV) - Cortland 'Cort' van Owen
  • Grim Prairie Tales: Hit the Trail... to Terror (1990) - Arthur
  • Die Hard 2 (1990) - Richard Thornburg
  • Oscar (1991) - Overton
  • Diagnosis Murder (1992) (TV) - Eric Walker
  • Chrome Soldiers (1992) (TV) - Sheriff Blackwell
  • The Pelican Brief (1993) - Bob Gminski
  • Saints and Sinners (1994) - Terence McCone
  • Frank & Jesse (1995) - Allan Pinkerton
  • Virus (1995) (TV) - Dr. Reginald Holloway
  • Broken Trust (1995) (TV) - Roemer
  • Raven Hawk (1996) (TV) - Philip Thorne
  • Bio-Dome (1996) - Dr. Noah Faulkner
  • Executive Power (1997) - President John Fields
  • Hoodlum (1997) - Thomas Dewey
  • Mad City (1997) - Malt Dohlen
  • Michael Kael contre la World News Company (1998) - James Denit
  • The Stranger (1999) - Arthur
  • Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) (TV) - Darryl Zanuck
  • The Crow: Salvation (2000) - Nathan Randall
  • Burning Down the House (2001) - unknown role
  • Race to Space (2001) - Ralph Stanton
  • Who's Your Daddy? (2003) - Uncle Duncan 'Duncay' Mack
  • The Last Samurai (2003) - Winchester Rep
  • Gone But Not Forgotten (2004) (TV) - Sen. Ray Colby
  • Into the Sun (2005) - Agent Block
  • Headspace (2005) - Dr. Ira Gold
  • Kush (2007) - King
  • Totally Baked: A Pot-U-Mentary (2007) - Lyle Funion
  • Hacia la oscuridad (Towards Darkness) (2007) - John
  • The Girl Next Door (2007) - Adult David
  • Aces 'N' Eights (2008) (TV) - Howard
  • bgFATLdy (a.k.a. Black Crescent Moon) (2008) - Jo Dexton
  • Ghouls (2008) (TV) - Stefan

References

  1. ^ William Atherton Biography (1947-)
  2. ^ William Atherton Biography - Yahoo! Movies

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
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Class of '44 (1973 Comedy Drama Film)
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Real Genius (1985 Comedy Film)

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