William Atherton

Acting

William Atherton

Born July 30, 1947Orange, Connecticut, USA89 credits

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia William Atherton Knight (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 For

Where Did the Adults Go?

Where Did the Adults Go?

Movie

2025

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
6.5

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Movie

2024

Reunited Apart
5.5

Reunited Apart

TV

2020

Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
6.9

Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters

Movie

2020

Bad Company
5.9

Bad Company

Movie

2018

Clinical
5.3

Clinical

Movie

2017

Filmography

Where Did the Adults Go?
2025Where Did the Adults Go?as The FatherMovie
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
2024Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireas Mayor Walter PeckMovie
Reunited Apart
2020Reunited Apartas SelfTV
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
2020Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbustersas SelfMovie
Bad Company
2018Bad CompanyMovie
Clinical
2017Clinicalas Terry DrummondMovie
Ghostheads
2016Ghostheadsas SelfMovie
Jinn
2014Jinnas Father WesthoffMovie
The Citizen
2012The CitizenMovie
Jersey Shore Shark Attack
2012Jersey Shore Shark Attackas DolanMovie
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
2012Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movieas Earle SwinterMovie
Workaholics
2011Workaholicsas Thor HolmvikTV
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
2010The Kane Files: Life of Trialas Daniel MorganMovie
Castle
2009Castleas Ari WeissTV
Childrens Hospital
2008Childrens Hospitalas Levon BainterTV
Ghouls
2008Ghoulsas StefanMovie
Black Crescent Moon
2008Black Crescent Moonas Jo DextonMovie
Aces 'N' Eights
2008Aces 'N' Eightsas HowardMovie
Life
2007Lifeas Mickey RaybornTV
The Girl Next Door
2007The Girl Next Dooras Adult David MoranMovie
Kush
2007Kushas KingMovie
Towards Darkness
2007Towards Darknessas JohnMovie
Into the Sun
2005Into the Sunas Agent BlockMovie
Headspace
2005Headspaceas Dr. Ira GoldMovie
Numb3rs
2005Numb3rsas Warren PierceTV
Gone But Not Forgotten
2005Gone But Not Forgottenas Sen. Ray ColbyMovie
Desperate Housewives
2004Desperate Housewivesas Dr. BarrTV
Boston Legal
2004Boston Legalas A.D.A. Howard ZaleTV
Lost
2004Lostas Donald ReynoldsTV
Who's Your Daddy?
2004Who's Your Daddy?as Duncan MackMovie
The Last Samurai
2003The Last Samuraias Winchester RepMovie
Monk
2002Monkas Commander Nathan WhitakerTV
Justice League
2001Justice Leagueas Dr. Destiny / John Dee (voice)TV
Race to Space
2001Race to Spaceas Ralph StantonMovie
Night Visions
2001Night Visionsas William Price (segment "Hate Puppet")TV
Burning Down the House
2001Burning Down the Houseas Arthur KranstonMovie
Bread and Roses
2000Bread and Rosesas Party Guest (uncredited)Movie
The Crow: Salvation
2000The Crow: Salvationas Nathan RandallMovie
The Stranger
1999The StrangerMovie
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999Law & Order: Special Victims Unitas Ned BogdenTV
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1999Introducing Dorothy Dandridgeas Darryl ZanuckMovie
Michael Kael vs. the World News Company
1998Michael Kael vs. the World News Companyas James DenitMovie
Mad City
1997Mad Cityas DohlenMovie
Executive Power
1997Executive Poweras President FieldsMovie
Hoodlum
1997Hoodlumas Thomas E. DeweyMovie
Stargate SG-1
1997Stargate SG-1as Emissary VartaTV
The Practice
1997The Practiceas D.A. Keith PrattTV
Raven Hawk
1996Raven Hawkas Philip ThorneMovie
Nash Bridges
1996Nash Bridgesas Dr. Linus MillsTV
Bio-Dome
1996Bio-Domeas Dr. Noah FaulknerMovie
Broken Trust
1995Broken Trustas Neil RoemerMovie
A Night to Die For
1995A Night to Die Foras SelfMovie
Virus
1995Virusas Dr. Reginald HollowayMovie
The Outer Limits
1995The Outer Limitsas Franklin MurdochTV
Frank & Jesse
1994Frank & Jesseas Allan PinkertonMovie
Saints and Sinners
1994Saints and Sinnersas TerenceMovie
The Pelican Brief
1993The Pelican Briefas Bob GminskiMovie
HBO First Look
1992HBO First LookTV
Chrome Soldiers
1992Chrome Soldiersas Sheriff BlackwellMovie
Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder
1992Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murderas Eric WalkerMovie
Oscar
1991Oscaras OvertonMovie
Grim Prairie Tales
1990Grim Prairie Talesas ArthurMovie
Law & Order
1990Law & Orderas Don SnyderTV
Die Hard 2
1990Die Hard 2as Richard ThornbergMovie
Buried Alive
1990Buried Aliveas Cort van OwenMovie
M
1990Max Monroe: Loose Cannonas SloaneTV
Tales from the Crypt
1989Tales from the Cryptas Malcolm MayflowerTV
Intrigue
1988Intrigueas DoggettMovie
Die Hard
1988Die Hardas Richard ThornburgMovie
The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine
1987The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wineas Martin 'Alpha' LoeberMovie
No Mercy
1986No Mercyas Allan DeveneuxMovie
A Fight for Jenny
1986A Fight for Jennyas Michael RosenMovie
The Twilight Zone
1985The Twilight Zoneas Brian Wolfe (segment "Night of the Meek")TV
The Equalizer
1985The Equalizeras Martin 'Alpha' LoeberTV
Real Genius
1985Real Geniusas Professor HathawayMovie
Murder, She Wrote
1984Murder, She Wroteas Larry HolleranTV
Ghostbusters
1984Ghostbustersas Walter PeckMovie
Malibu
1983Malibuas Stan HarveyMovie
Tomorrow's Child
1982Tomorrow's Childas Jim SpenceMovie
T
1981The House of Mirthas Lawrence SeldenMovie
Centennial
1978Centennialas Jim LloydTV
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977Looking for Mr. Goodbaras JamesMovie
Independence
1976Independenceas Benjamin RushMovie
The Hindenburg
1975The Hindenburgas BoerthMovie
The Day of the Locust
1975The Day of the Locustas Tod HackettMovie
The Sugarland Express
1974The Sugarland Expressas Clovis PoplinMovie
Class of '44
1973Class of '44as Fraternity PresidentMovie
The New Centurions
1972The New Centurionsas JohnsonMovie
Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story
—Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers StoryMovie