Acting
William Atherton
Born 1947-07-30
Orange, Connecticut, USA
Department: Acting
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
Prominent works featuring William Atherton
Movie
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Die Hard
1988
TMDB3.9
Movie
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Ghostbusters
1984
TMDB3.8
Movie
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The Last Samurai
2003
TMDB3.8
TV
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
TMDB4.0
Movie
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Die Hard 2
1990
TMDB3.5
TV
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Lost
2004
TMDB4.0
TV
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Law & Order
1990
TMDB3.6
TV
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Castle
2009
TMDB4.0
TV
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Desperate Housewives
2004
TMDB4.0
TV
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Stargate SG-1
1997
TMDB4.2
Filmography & Credits
Complete career catalog (95 titles)
| Poster | Title | Character / Role | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Where Did the Adults Go? | The Father | Movie | 2025 |
 | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire | Mayor Walter Peck | Movie | 2024 |
 | Reunited Apart | Self | TV Series | 2020 |
 | Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters | Self | Movie | 2020 |
 | Bad Company | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2018 |
 | Clinical | Terry Drummond | Movie | 2017 |
 | Ghostheads | Self | Movie | 2016 |
 | Jinn | Father Westhoff | Movie | 2014 |
 | The Citizen | Self / Appearance | Movie | 2012 |
 | Jersey Shore Shark Attack | Dolan | Movie | 2012 |
 | Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie | Earle Swinter | Movie | 2012 |
 | Workaholics | Thor Holmvik | TV Series | 2011 |
 | The Kane Files: Life of Trial | Daniel Morgan | Movie | 2010 |
 | Castle | Ari Weiss | TV Series | 2009 |
 | Childrens Hospital | Levon Bainter | TV Series | 2008 |
 | Ghouls | Stefan | Movie | 2008 |
 | Black Crescent Moon | Jo Dexton | Movie | 2008 |
 | Aces 'N' Eights | Howard | Movie | 2008 |
 | Life | Mickey Rayborn | TV Series | 2007 |
 | The Girl Next Door | Adult David Moran | Movie | 2007 |
 | Kush | King | Movie | 2007 |
 | Towards Darkness | John | Movie | 2007 |
 | Into the Sun | Agent Block | Movie | 2005 |
 | Headspace | Dr. Ira Gold | Movie | 2005 |
| Headspace | Co-Producer | Movie | 2005 |
 | Numb3rs | Warren Pierce | TV Series | 2005 |
 | Gone But Not Forgotten | Sen. Ray Colby | Movie | 2005 |
 | Desperate Housewives | Dr. Barr | TV Series | 2004 |
 | Boston Legal | A.D.A. Howard Zale | TV Series | 2004 |
 | Lost | Donald Reynolds | TV Series | 2004 |
 | Who's Your Daddy? | Duncan Mack | Movie | 2004 |
 | The Last Samurai | Winchester Rep | Movie | 2003 |
 | Monk | Commander Nathan Whitaker | TV Series | 2002 |
 | Justice League | Dr. Destiny / John Dee (voice) | TV Series | 2001 |
 | Race to Space | Ralph Stanton | Movie | 2001 |
 | Night Visions | William Price (segment "Hate Puppet") | TV Series | 2001 |
 | Burning Down the House | Arthur Kranston | Movie | 2001 |
 | Bread and Roses | Party Guest (uncredited) | Movie | 2000 |
 | The Crow: Salvation | Nathan Randall | Movie | 2000 |
 | The Stranger | Self / Appearance | Movie | 1999 |
 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Ned Bogden | TV Series | 1999 |
 | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Darryl Zanuck | Movie | 1999 |
 | Michael Kael vs. the World News Company | James Denit | Movie | 1998 |
 | Mad City | Dohlen | Movie | 1997 |
 | Executive Power | President Fields | Movie | 1997 |
 | Hoodlum | Thomas E. Dewey | Movie | 1997 |
 | Stargate SG-1 | Emissary Varta | TV Series | 1997 |
 | The Practice | D.A. Keith Pratt | TV Series | 1997 |
 | Raven Hawk | Philip Thorne | Movie | 1996 |
 | Nash Bridges | Dr. Linus Mills | TV Series | 1996 |
 | Bio-Dome | Dr. Noah Faulkner | Movie | 1996 |
 | Broken Trust | Neil Roemer | Movie | 1995 |
 | A Night to Die For | Self | Movie | 1995 |
 | Virus | Dr. Reginald Holloway | Movie | 1995 |
 | The Outer Limits | Franklin Murdoch | TV Series | 1995 |
 | Frank & Jesse | Allan Pinkerton | Movie | 1994 |
 | Saints and Sinners | Terence | Movie | 1994 |
 | The Pelican Brief | Bob Gminski | Movie | 1993 |
 | HBO First Look | Self / Appearance | TV Series | 1992 |
 | Chrome Soldiers | Sheriff Blackwell | Movie | 1992 |
 | Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder | Eric Walker | Movie | 1992 |
 | Oscar | Overton | Movie | 1991 |
 | Grim Prairie Tales | Arthur | Movie | 1990 |
 | Law & Order | Don Snyder | TV Series | 1990 |
| Law & Order | Dan Jensen | TV Series | 1990 |
 | Die Hard 2 | Richard Thornberg | Movie | 1990 |
 | Buried Alive | Cort van Owen | Movie | 1990 |
| Max Monroe: Loose Cannon | Sloane | TV Series | 1990 | |
 | Tales from the Crypt | Malcolm Mayflower | TV Series | 1989 |
 | Intrigue | Doggett | Movie | 1988 |
 | Die Hard | Richard Thornburg | Movie | 1988 |
 | The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine | Martin 'Alpha' Loeber | Movie | 1987 |
 | No Mercy | Allan Deveneux | Movie | 1986 |
 | A Fight for Jenny | Michael Rosen | Movie | 1986 |
 | The Twilight Zone | Brian Wolfe (segment "Night of the Meek") | TV Series | 1985 |
| The Twilight Zone | (segment "The Card") | TV Series | 1985 |
 | The Equalizer | Martin 'Alpha' Loeber | TV Series | 1985 |
| The Equalizer | Gideon | TV Series | 1985 |
 | Real Genius | Professor Hathaway | Movie | 1985 |
 | Murder, She Wrote | Larry Holleran | TV Series | 1984 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Greg Dalton | TV Series | 1984 |
| Murder, She Wrote | Andy Henley | TV Series | 1984 |
 | Ghostbusters | Walter Peck | Movie | 1984 |
 | Malibu | Stan Harvey | Movie | 1983 |
 | Tomorrow's Child | Jim Spence | Movie | 1982 |
| The House of Mirth | Lawrence Selden | Movie | 1981 | |
 | Centennial | Jim Lloyd | TV Series | 1978 |
 | Looking for Mr. Goodbar | James | Movie | 1977 |
 | Independence | Benjamin Rush | Movie | 1976 |
 | The Hindenburg | Boerth | Movie | 1975 |
 | The Day of the Locust | Tod Hackett | Movie | 1975 |
 | The Sugarland Express | Clovis Poplin | Movie | 1974 |
 | Class of '44 | Fraternity President | Movie | 1973 |
 | The New Centurions | Johnson | Movie | 1972 |
 | Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story | Self / Appearance | Movie | — |