For other people named William Atherton, see William Atherton (disambiguation).
William Robert Atherton Knight Jr. (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in Die Hard and its sequel.
Atherton in February 2009
William Robert Atherton Knight Jr.
(1947-07-30) July 30, 1947 (age 71)
Orange, Connecticut, United States
Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son of William Robert Atherton Knight Sr. and Myrtle (maiden name Robison).[1] He studied acting at the Drama School at Carnegie Tech and graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1969.[1][2]
Atherton was successful on the New York stage immediately after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969 and worked with many of the country's leading playwrights including David Rabe, John Guare, and Arthur Miller, winning numerous awards for his work on and off Broadway.[3]
He got his big break playing hapless fugitive Clovis Poplin in The Sugarland Express (1974), the feature film debut of Steven Spielberg. After this, he garnered major roles in dark dramas such as The Day of the Locust (1975) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977),[4] as well as the big-budget disaster film The Hindenburg (1975).[5] Atherton also starred as cowboy Jim Lloyd in the miniseries Centennial (1978), based on the novel by James Michener. Atherton appeared in the comedy Ghostbusters (1984) as the EPA agent Walter Peck. K. Thor Jensen wrote, "Atherton, who plays cowardly EPA lawyer Walter Peck, is the real villain of the movie (his releasing the ghosts from the containment unit added to the chaos in New York), was so hated that after the movie came out he was harassed on the street and challenged to fights in bars."[6]
Martha Coolidge chose Atherton to play Professor Jerry Hathaway in the teen comedy Real Genius (1985). Atherton played reporter Richard "Dick" Thornburg in the blockbuster action film Die Hard (1988), and reprised the role in its sequel Die Hard 2 (1990).[7]
Other film credits include No Mercy (1986), The Pelican Brief (1993), Bio-Dome (1996), Mad City (1997), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Last Samurai (2003), Grim Prairie Tales (1990), the TV movies Buried Alive (1990), Headspace (2005) and Virus (1995). He has also made guest appearances on such television series as The Twilight Zone, Murder, She Wrote, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, The Equalizer, Boston Legal, Castle and Monk. Atherton provided the voice of Dr. Destiny on Justice League. He had a recurring role in NBC's detective drama Life.
While starring in The Day of the Locust, Atherton was offered and accepted the opportunity to provide lead vocals for "What'll I Do", the main title theme for the Robert Redford film version of The Great Gatsby. His 2007 appearances included the film The Girl Next Door, an adaptation of the best-selling Jack Ketchum novel of the same name. He has reprised his role as Walter Peck in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, released on June 16, 2009.[8]
Atherton was cast in the final season of ABC's Lost.[9] He appeared in the musical Gigi for the Reprise Theatre in Los Angeles as "Honoré Lachailles" in 2011.[10]
Following his work on the musical, he stepped into a comedic role in Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012), produced by Will Ferrell's Funny or Die, Gary Sanchez Productions and Abso Lutely Productions.[11][12]
In summer 2014, Atherton was cast in a recurring role as Viceroy Mercado in the Syfy series Defiance's second season.
Atherton co-starred in the 2017 Netflix thriller, Clinical,[13] and appears in several upcoming documentaries on his most iconic films. The first to be released is the 2019 Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters which features the original 1984 cast.[14][15]
Atherton has sung in various productions in recent years. In 2011, he performed "I Remember It Well," a popular song from Gigi with his former Reprise Theater co-star, Millicent Martin, at a sold-out performance in Palm Springs for Michael Childers' One Night Only, benefiting the Jewish Family Service of the Desert.[16] He returned in 2013 to the same sold-out event to sing the classic, "Isn't It Romantic?"[17]
As an avid promoter of education, Atherton has worked with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles in readings benefiting the Los Angeles Public Library. He appeared twice with his former co-star, Stephanie Zimbalist in the Gregory Peck Reading Series and they were directed by the iconic Gregory Peck. One of these evenings was a tribute to actor Roddy McDowall who emceed their evening for the Library's benefactors.[18]
More recently, in December 2018 Atherton participated in the Library Foundation's reading of excerpts from book editor and critic, David Kipen's best-seller, Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018.[19]
Atherton has also coached young adults in school programs, working directly with students in their class productions of Shakespearean plays and other well-known works.
Select filmographyEdit
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) – Karl Boerth
Independence (1976) – Benjamin Rush
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) – James
Ghostbusters (1984) – Walter Peck
Real Genius (1985) – Professor Jerry Hathaway
No Mercy (1986) – Allan Deveneux
Die Hard (1988) – Richard Thornburg
Die Hard 2 (1990) – Richard Thornburg
Grim Prairie Tales: Hit the Trail... to Terror (1990) – Arthur
Oscar (1991) – Overton
The Pelican Brief (1993) – Bob Gminski
Saints and Sinners (1994) – Terence McCone
Frank & Jesse (1995) – Allan Pinkerton
Bio-Dome (1996) – Dr. Noah Faulkner
Hoodlum (1997) – Thomas Dewey
Mad City (1997) – Malt Dohlen
Michael Kael vs. the World News Company (1998) – James Denit
The Stranger (1999) – Arthur
The Crow: Salvation (2000) – Nathan Randall
Bread and Roses (2000) – Himself – Party Guest (uncredited)
Burning Down the House (2001) – Arthur Kranston
Night Visions (2001) (TV series) – William Price
Race to Space (2001) – Ralph Stanton
The Last Samurai (2003) – Winchester Rep
Who's Your Daddy? (2003) – Uncle Duncan 'Duncay' Mack
Into the Sun (2005) – Agent Block
Headspace (2005) – Dr. Ira Gold
Kush (2007) – King
Hacia la oscuridad (2007) – John
Totally Baked (2007) – Mr. Lyle Funonion (Segment "FunOnion Boardroom")
The Girl Next Door (2007) – Adult David Moran
Black Crescent Moon (2008) – Jo Dexton
The Kane Files: Life of Trial (2010) – Daniel Morgan
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012) – Earle Swinter
Jersey Shore Shark Attack (2012) – Dolan
The Citizen (2012) – Winston
Getting Back to Zero (2013)
Jinn (2014) – Father Westhoff
Clinical (2017) – Terry
Lowlifes (2017)
Video gamesEdit
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009) (VG) – Walter Peck (Voice)
Planet Coaster (2019) (VG) – Walter Peck (Voice)[20]
Centennial (1978–1979) (TV miniseries) – Jim Lloyd
The House of Mirth (1981) (TV) – Lawrence Selden
Malibu (1983) (TV) – Stan Harvey
The Twilight Zone (1985, 1987) (TV series) – Mr. Dundee/Brian Wolfe
Murder, She Wrote (1985, 1987, 1991) (TV series) – Larry Holleran/Greg Dalton/Andy Henley
The Equalizer (1987, 1989) (TV series) – Martin 'Alpha' Loeber/Gideon
Buried Alive (1990) (TV) – Cortland 'Cort' van Owen
Tales from the Crypt (1991) (TV series) – Malcolm Mayflower
Diagnosis: Murder (1992) (TV) – Eric Walker
Virus (1995) (TV)
Nash Bridges (1996) (TV series) – Dr. Linus Mills
The Practice (1997, 1999) (TV series) – D.A. Keith Pratt
The Outer Limits (1998) (TV series) – Franklin Murdoch
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) (TV) – Darryl Zanuck
Law & Order (2002, 2004) (TV series) – Don Snyder/Dan Jensen
Justice League (2003) (TV series) – Dr. Destiny (voice only)
Boston Legal (2005) (TV series) – A.D.A. Howard Zale
Stargate SG-1 (2006) (TV series) – Varta
Desperate Housewives (2006) (TV series) – Dr. Barr
Numb3rs (2007) (TV series) – Warren Pierce
Monk (2008) (TV series) – Commander Nathan Whitaker
Life (2008–2009) (TV series) – Mickey Rayborn
Lost (Episode 607: "Dr. Linus") (2010) (TV series) – Principal Donald Reynolds
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2010) (TV series) – Ned Bogden
Castle (Episode 61: "Head Case") (2011) (TV series) – Dr. Ari Weiss
Workaholics (Episode 306: "The Meat Jerking Beef Boys") (2012) – Thor Holmvik
Defiance (2013) – Viceroy Mercado
^ a b "William Atherton profile at". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
^ "William Atherton Biography". Movies.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2010-12-25.
^ "Professional Bio". William Atherton. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
^ Canby, Vincent (October 20, 1977). "Film: 'Goodbar' Turns Sour". The New York Times.
^ Canby, Vincent (December 26, 1975). "Screen: George Scott in 'Hindenburg'". The New York Times.
^ Jensen, K. Thor. "7 Things You Didn't Know About Ghostbusters". IFC.com. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
^ Maslin, Janet (July 3, 1990). "Attention, Claims Adjusters! Willis Is Back in 'Die Hard 2.'". The New York Times.
^ Miller, Greg (15 June 2009). "GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME REVIEW". IGN.
^ "Executive Producer Reveals Lost Guest Star on Twitter". tvguide.com. October 28, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
^ Mayank Keshaviah (2011-02-24). "LA Weekly Calendar 'Gigi". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
^ "William Atherton back on the big screen!". Moviehole. 2011-03-03. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
^ Weinstein, Joshua L. (2010-01-14). "'Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie' Ramps Up With Galifianakis, Ferrell". Thewrap.com. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
^ Rotten Tomatoes - Clinical
^ Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019)
^ Tickets Sold Out For "One Night Only"; April 18, 2011
^ WILLIAM ATHERTON: EXCLUSIVE CINEMA RETRO INTERVIEW; May 30, 2013
^ A Tribute to Roddy McDowall
^ Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018
^ "Update 1.12 - Planet Coaster: Ghostbusters Coming Soon".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Atherton.
William Atherton on IMDb
William Atherton at the Internet Broadway Database
William Atherton at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
William Atherton at the TCM Movie Database
William Atherton at AllMovie
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