American actor William Petersen: biography, career and family

For Russian audiences, William Petersen is known for the TV series "CSI: Crime Scene". Do you want to know when he was born, where he studied and how he got into the big cinema? Then we recommend reading the article from the beginning to the end.

William Petersen: Biography

He was born on February 21, 1953 in the American city of Evanston (Illinois). Our hero is the youngest of 6 children. William's parents have nothing to do with cinema. Father and mother were engaged in furniture business.

Study

William attended the Bishop Kelly High School, located in Boise, Idaho. He played in the local football team. The trainers predicted a brilliant sports future for him.

In 1972, William Petersen entered the Idaho State University. It was in this institution that he got into the acting courses. The guy got a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge. In 1974, Petersen, along with a drama professor, went to the Basque Country, an autonomous region in the north of Spain. There he was trained as an actor of the Shakespearean team. William even mastered the Basque language.

On his return from Spain, our hero decides to move to Chicago. In this city he had relatives who helped William at first.

Theater

In Chicago, Petersen was not idle. He got a job at a local theater. In his creative money box, he participated in such productions as "The Time of Your Life", "The Night of the Iguana", "The Essence of Crime" and others.

Thanks to his efforts, the guy from the remote area was able to earn the actor's card "Equity". After that, his career went up. William Petersen signed a contract with the theater company Steppenwolf. After a while, he co-founded the Remains Theater Ensemble. With this company, collaborated with the popular Chicago actors. Among them are Ted Levine and Gary Cole.

William Petersen: Movies

The film debut of our hero took place in 1981. Then the action movie "The Thief" appeared on the screens. He got a small role, which almost did not remember the viewers. But the actor did not despair. He made every effort to leave a visible mark in American cinema.

One of the most significant works of Petersen was his role in the film "The Hunter of the People." William successfully got used to the image of an FBI agent. According to the plot, he had to catch and neutralize the killer maniac.

In 1985, the screens went out thriller "Live and die in Los Angeles." Petersen played the role of Richard Chance in it. The image he created appealed to many American audiences.

Since 2000, William Petersen was associated with the crime series "CSI: Crime Scene." Our hero has the main role - Dr. Gil Grissom. It is thanks to this series that the actor has gained worldwide fame. The size of his fees has increased several times.

Continuation of career

To date, the filmography of William Petersen includes more than 40 roles in films related to different genres. Let us list his most striking works for 2000-2013:

• "Quiet Harbor" (2001) - Jackson Connolly;
• "Without a trace" (TV series) (2002-2009) - Gil Grissom;
• "Teacher for replacement" (2011);
• "Blue" (TV series) (2012) - Mitch;
• "Appomattox" (2013) - William Sherman.

Personal life

Our hero has always been popular with women. But he can not be called a ladies' man. The first time the actor got married when he was not 20 years old. William's heart was conquered by the beautiful Joan. Together they attended actors' courses and were fond of Basque culture.

Joan gave her husband a charming daughter. The baby got an interesting name, Mait, which in Basque means "love."

In June 2003, William Petersen married for the second time. His chosen one was an old friend - Gina Ciron. The couple have no joint children yet.

In October 2003, actor Petersen became a grandfather. The only daughter of Mait gave birth to his grandson Mazrik. William loves this child, spoils his expensive gifts and tries to spend with the boy as much as possible.

Finally

We voiced the details of the biography and personal life of William Petersen. Let's wish this wonderful actor of bright roles and quiet family happiness!