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William Petersen
Born: February 21, 1953
Birthplace: Evanston, IL
Marital Status: 1st marriage: Joanne; daughter, Matie (b. 1975). 2nd marriage, Gina Cirone (m Jun 14 2003)
Credits: Please check out the IMDB Database
IMDB
Full name: William Louis Petersen
Eye color: Blue
Height: 5'10"
Goes by Bill or Billy but most people call him Billy.
William is the youngest of six children born to a family in Evanston, Illinois. While he was good at sports, his academic
grades were poor, he moved to Boise Idaho when he was 15 to live with his brother. There he attented Bishop Kelly High School,
a Catholic school, where he graduated in 1972.
He latter attented Idaho State University his advisors recommended he take acting classes in order to boost his grade
point average. Little did they know that William would flourish in the theatrical atmosphere, so much so that after he left
school, William and Joanne (his girlfriend who soon became his wife) went to Spain where they started a Shakespeare company.
Soon he and his wife (and new daughter Maite, born in 1975) moved back to Idaho, where he dabbled in other jobs, then
they moved to then to Evanston but the lure of the theater took him to Chicago where he earned his Actor's Equity card in
1979 at the Victory Gardens Theater.
With longtime friend Cindy Chvatal and actor Gary Cole, they co-founded the Remains Theater, where Petersen honed his
acting abilities. His portrayal of Jack Henry Abbott in Belly of the Beast: Letters from Prison earned his the Joseph Jefferson
award for best actor, which he reprised at the Kennedy Center and in London. He also received Joseph Jefferson Award nominations
for The Tooth of the Crime and The Night of the Iguana. He appeared in a number of regional productions, including The Time
of Your Life, A Streetcar Named Desire, Glengarry Glen Ross, Fool for Love and Speed-the-Plow. His Broadway debuted was in
a revival of Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana.
His talent soon came to the attention of film directors, and he was asked to read for William Friedkin's cop thriller,
To Live and Die in L.A. That film led to more, such as Manhunter, Cousins and Fear.
On television, he has been seen in Long Gone, The Rat Pack, , 12 Angry Men, The Kennedys of Massachusetts (which won a
Golden Globe Award), the sci-fi miniseries The Beast and Keep the Change, which he also produced.
It was only when CSI came along that Petersen decided to commit to his first television series, which he's excutive co-producer.
Declined the offer to produce "CSI: Miami" (2002), the spin-off of his series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"
(2000).
Favorite residence: Chicago, Illinois " Chicago is such a blue-collar, middle-American city, it's just real people,
you know? Nobody has an agenda that fits into yours. I get recognized and stuff but they don't give a shit about that. They
just want to know whether or not you're going to buy them a beer." - William Petersen
What is he like? : According to some who know him, he can be enigmatic and enjoys his solitude, but he is also well-liked
with a generous, charming and magnanimous personality. Owning an adventurous spirit and sharp intellect, he is prone to restlessness
and by his own admission, easily bored. He is an excellent horseman, experienced fisherman and avid sports fan, who is especially
passionate about Chicago sports.
Also credited as William L. Petersen (full name William Louis Petersen
Petersen resides with his wife in Los Angeles, and became a grandfather for the first time in October 2003.
He wears his old football jersey from Bishop Kelly High School in most of his movies.
Attended the renowned Steppenwolf Company.
In 1990, William and Cindy Chvatal formed High Horse Films. Their first project was Hard Promises, in which William starred
with Sissy Spacek.
Was offered a role in Platoon (1986), but turned it down because it was a low paying job and the prospect of going to
the Phillipines for weeks of training before filming didn't appeal to him.
Calls Long Gone the most fun he ever had making a movie. He made it instead of appearing in Platoon (1986).
Played Missy Crider's father in the mini series The Beast (1996) (TV). Crider later appeared in the second season premiere
of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000).
He has one grandchild named Mazrik William (born October 2003).
An avid Chicago Cubs fan, he sings the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field every year and also narrated the documentary
"Beyond The Ivy" about Wrigley Field.
Owns the rights of James Ellroy's crime novel "Clandestine".
Turned down a major part in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas.
Turned down a major part in Michael Mann's Heat.
Testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on increased funding for crime labs.
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