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Biography of William Petersen - Actor
Biography
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William Louis Petersen is an United States|American actor born on February 21, 1953, in Evanston, Illinois|Evanston, Illinois. Although he comes from 4th generation Danish immigrant stock, he attended a Catholic high school, Bishop Kelly High School, in Boise, Idaho|Boise, Idaho. Petersen attended Idaho State University on a American football|football scholarship. Later, moving back to Chicago, he became a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre|Steppenwolf Theatre Company. His film career began with a small part in the 1981 film Thief (movie)|Thief, and in 1986 he starred as Will Graham in Manhunter (film)|Manhunter (later to be remade as Red Dragon). In a move perhaps indicative of his career choices, Petersen is alleged to have passed on a part in Oliver Stone's Platoon (movie)|Platoon, as it would have kept him away from his family. Instead, he worked on the 1987 made for TV movie Long Gone. In the 2000 release The Contender (movie)|The Contender, Petersen played the role of Governor Jack Hathway, a candidate for Vice President following the death of the incumbent. From 2000 to the present, Petersen has starred as Gil Grissom in the successful CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Petersen, who has one child from a previous marriage, married longtime girlfriend Gina Cirone in June of 2003. ==External link== *imdb name|id=0676973|name=William Petersen *http://www.bk.org Bishop Kelly High School official site *http://www.steppenwolf.org Steppenwolf Theatre Company official site

