William Devane was born in Albany, NY, and it was there that he first became interested in acting, via neighborhood theatre work. He went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and made his professional debut as a $10-a-week spear carrier in "The Merchant of Venice." By 1971, he was giving New York audiences a critically acclaimed performance in the Broadway revival production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
Television audiences still remember his charismatic portrayal of John F. Kennedy in "The Missiles of October," for which he received an Emmy Award nomination in 1975. He received another Emmy Award nomination in 197 6 for his portrayal of John Henry Faulk in "Fear On Trial." His other notable television roles include Sgt. Milt Warden in the mini-series "From Here to Eternity," with Natalie Wood. He repeated this role in the series that followed: "From Here to Eternity, The War Years." Devane also starred in a number of other television movies, including "Red Flag," "The Other Victim," "Jane Doe," and most recently, "The Preppie Murders" and "Murder C.O.D."
Devane has worked with an illustrious group of actors in feature films, including Dustin Hoffman and Sir Laurence Olivier in "Marathon Man," and Vanessa Redgrave in "Yanks." He also worked with the legendary Alfred Hitchcock in the director's final film, "Family Plot." In addition, Devane has starred in the films "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training," "Rolling Thunder," "The Dark," Report to the Commissioner," "Vital Signs" and "Testament," with Jane Alexander.
An avid horseman and polo enthusiast, Devane and his wife of over 20 years, Eugenie, have wo sons, Josh and Jake. They reside in Sherman Oaks, CA, and on their Arabian horse ranch in Sundance, Utah. |
