William Atherton
Acting
93
Acting Credits
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 For
Filmography
Where Did the Adults Go?
2025
as The Father
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
2024
as Mayor Walter Peck
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
2020
as Self
Reunited Apart
2020
as Self
Bad Company
2018
Clinical
2017
as Terry Drummond
Ghostheads
2016
as Self
Jinn
2014
as Father Westhoff
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
2012
as Earle Swinter
Jersey Shore Shark Attack
2012
as Dolan
The Citizen
2012
Workaholics
2011
as Thor Holmvik
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
2010
as Daniel Morgan
Castle
2009
as Ari Weiss
Aces 'N' Eights
2008
as Howard
Ghouls
2008
as Stefan
Black Crescent Moon
2008
as Jo Dexton
Childrens Hospital
2008
as Levon Bainter
Kush
2007
as King
The Girl Next Door
2007
as Adult David Moran
Towards Darkness
2007
as John
Life
2007
as Mickey Rayborn
Into the Sun
2005
as Agent Block
Headspace
2005
as Dr. Ira Gold
Gone But Not Forgotten
2005
as Sen. Ray Colby
Numb3rs
2005
as Warren Pierce
Who's Your Daddy?
2004
as Duncan Mack
Desperate Housewives
2004
as Dr. Barr
Lost
2004
as Donald Reynolds
Boston Legal
2004
as A.D.A. Howard Zale
The Last Samurai
2003
as Winchester Rep
Monk
2002
as Commander Nathan Whitaker
Race to Space
2001
as Ralph Stanton
Burning Down the House
2001
as Arthur Kranston
Night Visions
2001
as William Price (segment "Hate Puppet")
Justice League
2001
as Dr. Destiny / John Dee (voice)
The Crow: Salvation
2000
as Nathan Randall
Bread and Roses
2000
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1999
as Darryl Zanuck
The Stranger
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Ned Bogden
Michael Kael vs. the World News Company
1998
as James Denit
Mad City
1997
as Dohlen
Executive Power
1997
as President Fields
Hoodlum
1997
as Thomas E. Dewey
The Practice
1997
as D.A. Keith Pratt
Stargate SG-1
1997
as Emissary Varta
Bio-Dome
1996
as Dr. Noah Faulkner
Raven Hawk
1996
as Philip Thorne
Nash Bridges
1996
as Dr. Linus Mills
Broken Trust
1995
as Neil Roemer
A Night to Die For
1995
as Self
Virus
1995
as Dr. Reginald Holloway
The Outer Limits
1995
as Franklin Murdoch
Frank & Jesse
1994
as Allan Pinkerton
Saints and Sinners
1994
as Terence
The Pelican Brief
1993
as Bob Gminski
Chrome Soldiers
1992
as Sheriff Blackwell
Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder
1992
as Eric Walker
HBO First Look
1992
Oscar
1991
as Overton
Die Hard 2
1990
as Richard Thornberg
Buried Alive
1990
as Cort van Owen
Grim Prairie Tales
1990
as Arthur
Max Monroe: Loose Cannon
1990
as Sloane
Law & Order
1990
as Don Snyder
Law & Order
1990
as Dan Jensen
Tales from the Crypt
1989
as Malcolm Mayflower
Die Hard
1988
as Richard Thornburg
Intrigue
1988
as Doggett
The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine
1987
as Martin 'Alpha' Loeber
No Mercy
1986
as Allan Deveneux
A Fight for Jenny
1986
as Michael Rosen
Real Genius
1985
as Professor Hathaway
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Brian Wolfe (segment "Night of the Meek")
The Equalizer
1985
as Martin 'Alpha' Loeber
The Equalizer
1985
as Gideon
The Twilight Zone
1985
as (segment "The Card")
Ghostbusters
1984
as Walter Peck
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Larry Holleran
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Greg Dalton
Murder, She Wrote
1984
as Andy Henley
Malibu
1983
as Stan Harvey
Tomorrow's Child
1982
as Jim Spence
The House of Mirth
1981
as Lawrence Selden
Centennial
1978
as Jim Lloyd
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
1977
as James
Independence
1976
as Benjamin Rush
The Day of the Locust
1975
as Tod Hackett
The Hindenburg
1975
as Boerth
The Sugarland Express
1974
as Clovis Poplin
Class of '44
1973
as Fraternity President
The New Centurions
1972
as Johnson