William Atherton

Biography

William Atherton Knight Jr. (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in Die Hard and its sequel and Walter Peck in Ghostbusters.

Known ForActing

BornJuly 30, 1947 (79)

Place of BirthOrange, Connecticut, USA

Movie

Where Did the Adults Go?

2025

The Father

Movie

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

2024

Mayor Walter Peck

Reunited Apart

2020

Self

Movie

Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters

2020

Self

Movie

Bad Company

2018

Movie

Clinical

2017

Terry Drummond

Movie

Ghostheads

2016

Self

Movie

Jinn

2014

Father Westhoff

Movie

The Citizen

2012

Movie

Jersey Shore Shark Attack

2012

Dolan

Movie

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

2012

Earle Swinter

Workaholics

2011

Thor Holmvik

Movie

The Kane Files: Life of Trial

2010

Daniel Morgan

Castle

2009

Ari Weiss

Childrens Hospital

2008

Levon Bainter

Movie

Ghouls

2008

Stefan

Movie

Black Crescent Moon

2008

Jo Dexton

Movie

Aces 'N' Eights

2008

Howard

Life

2007

Mickey Rayborn

Movie

The Girl Next Door

2007

Adult David Moran

Movie

Kush

2007

King

Movie

Towards Darkness

2007

John

Movie

Into the Sun

2005

Agent Block

Movie

Headspace

2005

Dr. Ira Gold

Numb3rs

2005

Warren Pierce

Movie

Gone But Not Forgotten

2005

Sen. Ray Colby

Desperate Housewives

2004

Dr. Barr

Boston Legal

2004

A.D.A. Howard Zale

Lost

2004

Donald Reynolds

Movie

Who's Your Daddy?

2004

Duncan Mack

Movie

The Last Samurai

2003

Winchester Rep

Monk

2002

Commander Nathan Whitaker

Justice League

2001

Dr. Destiny / John Dee (voice)

Movie

Race to Space

2001

Ralph Stanton

Night Visions

2001

William Price (segment "Hate Puppet")

Movie

Burning Down the House

2001

Arthur Kranston

Movie

Bread and Roses

2000

Party Guest (uncredited)

Movie

The Crow: Salvation

2000

Nathan Randall

Movie

The Stranger

1999

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

Ned Bogden

Movie

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

1999

Darryl Zanuck

Movie

Michael Kael vs. the World News Company

1998

James Denit

Movie

Mad City

1997

Dohlen

Movie

Executive Power

1997

President Fields

Movie

Hoodlum

1997

Thomas E. Dewey

Stargate SG-1

1997

Emissary Varta

The Practice

1997

Keith Pratt

Movie

Raven Hawk

1996

Philip Thorne

Nash Bridges

1996

Dr. Linus Mills

Movie

Bio-Dome

1996

Dr. Noah Faulkner

Movie

Broken Trust

1995

Neil Roemer

Movie

A Night to Die For

1995

Self

Movie

Virus

1995

Dr. Reginald Holloway

The Outer Limits

1995

Franklin Murdoch

Movie

Frank & Jesse

1994

Allan Pinkerton

Movie

Saints and Sinners

1994

Terence

Movie

The Pelican Brief

1993

Bob Gminski

HBO First Look

1992

Movie

Chrome Soldiers

1992

Sheriff Blackwell

Movie

Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder

1992

Eric Walker

Movie

Oscar

1991

Overton

Movie

Grim Prairie Tales

1990

Arthur

Law & Order

1990

Don Snyder

Movie

Die Hard 2

1990

Richard Thornberg

Movie

Buried Alive

1990

Cort van Owen

Max Monroe: Loose Cannon

1990

Sloane

Tales from the Crypt

1989

Malcolm Mayflower

Movie

Intrigue

1988

Doggett

Movie

Die Hard

1988

Richard Thornburg

Movie

The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine

1987

Martin 'Alpha' Loeber

Movie

No Mercy

1986

Allan Deveneux

Movie

A Fight for Jenny

1986

Michael Rosen

The Twilight Zone

1985

Brian Wolfe (segment "Night of the Meek")

The Equalizer

1985

Martin 'Alpha' Loeber

Movie

Real Genius

1985

Professor Hathaway

Murder, She Wrote

1984

Larry Holleran

Movie

Ghostbusters

1984

Walter Peck

Movie

Malibu

1983

Stan Harvey

Movie

Tomorrow's Child

1982

Jim Spence

Movie

The House of Mirth

1981

Lawrence Selden

Centennial

1978

Jim Lloyd

Movie

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

1977

James

Movie

Independence

1976

Benjamin Rush

Movie

The Hindenburg

1975

Boerth

Movie

The Day of the Locust

1975

Tod Hackett

Movie

The Sugarland Express

1974

Clovis Poplin

Movie

Class of '44

1973

Fraternity President

Movie

The New Centurions

1972

Johnson

Movie