William Petersen American actor and producer Date of Birth: 21.02.1953 Country: USA

1. William Petersen: An American Actor and Producer
2. Childhood and Youth
3. Films
4. Personal Life
5. William Petersen Today

William Petersen: An American Actor and Producer

William Petersen is an American actor and producer who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows throughout his career. He has gained particular love from fans of police procedurals. However, his significant success on the small screen did not make him forget about the theater stage, which he fell in love with in his youth.

Childhood and Youth

On February 21, 1953, Arthur Edward Petersen Sr. and Helen June welcomed their sixth child into the world. They named their son William Louis. Growing up in a large and close-knit family in Evanston, Illinois, his childhood was spent on the shores of Lake Michigan. William's paternal grandfather, Jürgen Petersen, was born in Germany to Danish parents, Andreas Christian Petersen and Anna Margarethe Eriksen. His paternal grandmother, Lizzie Riksher, had German and French ancestry. His maternal ancestors also had German roots. William, who was raised in the Catholic faith, received his education at Episcopal High School in Boise, Idaho. He then attended the University of Idaho on a football scholarship. During his college years, Petersen took acting classes that changed the course of his biography. He dropped out of college and traveled to the Basque Country to study acting. There, William fell in love with the unique culture of the mysterious Basque people, learned their language, and even gave his firstborn a Basque name. He eventually returned to the United States but struggled to find work in Idaho, so he moved to Chicago to live with relatives. In Chicago, Petersen found work at the Steppenwolf Theatre, named after the novel by German writer Hermann Hesse. The theater company included talented actors such as Gary Sinise, Joan Allen, John Malkovich, and others.

Films

In 1981, William Petersen made a transition from the stage to the big screen, playing a bartender in the detective film "Thief." His breakthrough came four years later when he starred as Richard Chance, seeking revenge for his partner's death, in the neo-noir film "To Live and Die in L.A." In 1986, Petersen made his television debut in an episode of the science fiction series "The Twilight Zone." That same year, he played the lead role in "Manhunter," based on Thomas Harris's novel "Red Dragon." The thriller, directed by Michael Mann, introduced the serial killer Hannibal Lecter for the first time. Although the film received a cold reception and only made $8.6 million at the box office on a $15 million budget, it gained a cult following in later years, in part due to Petersen's rising popularity and the renewed adaptations of Harris's novels. In the early 1990s, Petersen portrayed the legendary American lawman Pat Garrett in the Western film "Young Guns II." The movie's theme song, "Blaze of Glory," written by Jon Bon Jovi, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The following year, Petersen appeared in the romantic comedy "Fearless," alongside actress Sissy Spacek. In the musical "Rat Pack," which premiered on HBO in 1998, William Petersen portrayed the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Although the film received mixed reviews from viewers, they praised its excellent musical score and talented performances.

Personal Life

William Petersen made his first attempt at starting a family in his youth. He later recalled that he decided to get married at the age of 21 because he wanted to appear mature. He married his college sweetheart, Joanna Brady. In 1975, their first child, a daughter named Maite, was born in the Spanish city of Mondragón. Maite has given Petersen two grandchildren, Mazrik William and Indigo August.

The charming 5'10" actor has always been a favorite among women and has enjoyed popularity with the opposite sex, even while cohabiting with two-time Tony Award nominee Amy Morton. However, it was in his second marriage that he realized there was no need to search for a hamburger when he had steak waiting for him at home. In July 2003, the star of "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" married his longtime girlfriend, Gina Cirone. On July 5, 2011, the couple became parents to twins, a boy and a girl. They openly shared that their children were born via a surrogate mother.

William Petersen does not have official social media accounts, but there are fan communities dedicated to him on Instagram and Facebook, where they share the latest news and photos from his projects.

The actor is a passionate fan of the baseball team "Chicago Cubs" and sings the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," which has become an unofficial anthem for the sport.

William Petersen Today

On October 6, 2021, the premiere of the series "CSI: Vegas" took place. In this continuation of the cult procedural drama, William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprised their roles. Paul Guilfoyle returned as Jim Brass but appeared as a guest star in two episodes.