Biography
Who is William Atherton?
Early life and education
William Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, on July 30, 1947. He attended Amity Regional High School during his youth before pursuing formal acting training at the Drama School at Carnegie Tech. He later graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969 with a background in the fine arts.
Career highlights and films
William achieved immediate success on the New York stage after graduation, working alongside well-known playwrights such as Arthur Miller, David Rabe, and John Guare. He earned a Theatre World Award for his theatrical performances on and off Broadway. His feature film breakthrough occurred when he portrayed fugitive Clovis Poplin in Steven Spielberg's 1974 film The Sugarland Express. Following this project, he secured major roles in dark dramas including The Day of the Locust and Looking for Mr. Goodbar, as well as the disaster film The Hindenburg.
In 1984, William appeared as the officious EPA agent Walter Peck in the comedy Ghostbusters. He subsequently played reporter Richard Thornburg in the action film Die Hard in 1988, and he reprised that specific role in the 1990 sequel Die Hard 2. His extensive filmography also features appearances in No Mercy, The Pelican Brief, Bio-Dome, The Last Samurai, and Clinical. He returned to the Ghostbusters franchise in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
Television and music work
William has made guest appearances on numerous television programs, including The Twilight Zone, Murder, She Wrote, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, Boston Legal, and Monk. He also secured a recurring role in the NBC detective drama Life and appeared during the final season of ABC's Lost. Also, he provided the voice for the character Dr. Destiny on Justice League and was cast as Viceroy Mercado in the second season of the Syfy series Defiance.
Beyond acting on screen and stage, William has participated in musical productions and public readings. He performed in the musical Gigi for the Reprise Theatre in Los Angeles as Honoré Lachailles. He has also lent his voice to songs in theatrical projects and participated in literary readings for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.
Personal life
William has been married to writer Bobbi Goldin since December 8, 1980. Over the years, he has also participated in various community events, public library fundraisers, and retrospective documentaries detailing his most famous film roles.
Birthday and age
William Atherton was born on July 30, 1947, which makes William 79 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. William shares the date with 49 other famous people.
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