William L. Petersen
Acting
1953-02-21 · Evanston, Illinois, USA
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
Manhunter: The Final Cut
2026 · Movie
CSI: Vegas
2021 · Series
Three Short Plays by Tracy Letts
2021 · Movie
Friedkin Uncut
2018 · Movie
CSI: Immortality
2015 · Movie
Manhattan
2014 · Series
100 Years of Wrigley Field
2014 · Movie
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
2012 · Movie
Blue
2012 · Series
Detachment
2011 · Movie
This Old Cub
2004 · Movie
Blue Neon Night: Michael Connelly's Los Angeles
2004 · Movie
Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'
2003 · Movie
Without a Trace
2002 · Series
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy
2001 · Movie
Inside 'Manhunter'
2001 · Movie
Haven
2001 · Series
Haven
2001 · Movie
The Contender
2000 · Movie
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000 · Series
The Skulls
2000 · Movie
The Directors
1999 · Series
Kiss the Sky
1998 · Movie
The Rat Pack
1998 · Movie
The Staircase
1998 · Movie
Gunshy
1998 · Movie
12 Angry Men
1997 · Movie
The Beast
1996 · Series
The Beast
1996 · Movie
Mulholland Falls
1996 · Movie
Fear
1996 · Movie
In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King
1995 · Movie
Return to Lonesome Dove
1993 · Series
Late Show with David Letterman
1993 · Series
Fallen Angels
1993 · Series
Curaçao
1993 · Movie
Keep the Change
1992 · Movie
Passed Away
1992 · Movie
Hard Promises
1992 · Movie
Young Guns II
1990 · Movie
The Kennedys of Massachusetts
1990 · Series
Cousins
1989 · Movie
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Series
Long Gone
1987 · Movie
Amazing Grace and Chuck
1987 · Movie
Manhunter
1986 · Movie
To Live and Die in L.A.
1985 · Movie
The Twilight Zone
1985 · Series
Thief
1981 · Movie