WILLIAM PETERSEN Biography - Other artists & entretainers

 
 

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WILLIAM PETERSEN
       

WILLIAM L. PETERSEN stars this fall in the new CBS series “CSI.” Along with Jerry Bruckheimer, Petersen is also producing the show, in which he stars as a forensics officer heading up a team of crime scene investigators.

       

Petersen first gained attention with his critically acclaimed performances in William Friedkin’s “To Live and Die in L.A.” and Michael Mann’s “Manhunter (1986) .” His later film credits include “Cousins,” “Young Guns II,” “Fear (1996) ,” and “Hard Promises,” which was the first production under his own High Horse Films banner.
His recent television work includes HBO’s “The Rat Pack” and “Long Gone,” and Showtime’s “12 Angry Men,” which reunited him with director William Friedkin. He also appeared in such longform projects as the miniseries “The Beast,” based on Peter Benchley’s novel, the award-winning miniseries “The Kennedys of Massachusetts,” and the TNT telefilm “Keep the Change,” which was another High Horse production.
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Petersen began his acting career on the Chicago stage, where he co-founded the Remains Theatre Ensemble.

       

He won a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jack Abbott in “The Belly of the Beast,” which he reprised at the Kennedy Center and in London. Petersen also garnered Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for “The Tooth of the Crime” and “The Night of the Iguana.” He later made his Broadway debut in the revival of “The Night of the Iguana.” His additional Chicago stage credits include “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Time of Your Life,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Fool for Love” and “Speed the Plow.”