William Atherton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Atherton
Atherton in 2009
Born	William Atherton Knight (1947-07-30) July 30, 1947 (age 78) Orange, Connecticut, U.S.
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Bobbi Goldin ​ (m. 1980)​

William Atherton, born on July 30, 1947, is an American actor. He is well-known for his roles in popular movies like the Ghostbusters and Die Hard series. He also starred in films such as The Sugarland Express (1974), The Day of the Locust (1975), and The Hindenburg (1975).

Early Life and Education

William Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, on July 30, 1947. He loved acting and studied it at Carnegie Tech's Drama School. He finished his studies at Carnegie Mellon University in 1969.

Acting Career Highlights

After college, Atherton quickly found success on the New York stage. He worked with many important playwrights and won awards for his theater performances.

First Big Movie Roles

His first major movie role was as Clovis Poplin in The Sugarland Express (1974). This film was the first feature movie directed by Steven Spielberg. After this, he appeared in dramas like The Day of the Locust (1975) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977). He also starred in the disaster film The Hindenburg (1975).

Atherton also sang the main song, "What'll I Do", for the 1974 film The Great Gatsby.

Famous Roles in Film and TV

In 1978, Atherton played cowboy Jim Lloyd in the TV miniseries Centennial. This show was based on a popular novel by James Michener.

He became widely recognized for his role as Walter Peck in the comedy Ghostbusters (1984). Walter Peck was a strict government agent who caused trouble for the Ghostbusters.

Atherton also played Professor Jerry Hathaway in the teen comedy Real Genius (1985). Later, he appeared as reporter Richard "Dick" Thornburg in the action movie Die Hard (1988). He played this character again in the sequel, Die Hard 2 (1990).

Other Notable Appearances

William Atherton has been in many other films. These include The Pelican Brief (1993), Bio-Dome (1996), and The Last Samurai (2003). He also appeared in TV movies like Buried Alive (1990).

He has made guest appearances on many TV shows. Some of these are Murder, She Wrote, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, and Monk. He also provided the voice for Dr. Destiny in the animated series Justice League.

In 2009, Atherton returned to his role as Walter Peck in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. He also appeared in the final season of the TV show Lost in 2010. In 2014, he had a recurring role in the Syfy series Defiance.

More recently, Atherton co-starred in the 2017 Netflix thriller Clinical. He also appeared in the documentary Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019). In 2024, he reprised his role as Mayor Walter Peck in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Personal Life

William Atherton married writer Bobbi Goldin on December 8, 1980.

He has also shown his singing talent in various performances. In 2011, he sang "I Remember It Well" from the musical Gigi at a charity event. He returned to the same event in 2013 to sing "Isn't It Romantic?"

Atherton has also participated in reading events for the Los Angeles Public Library.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

See also

In Spanish: William Atherton para niños