William Atherton

Biography

William Atherton is an American actor who was born in Orange, Connecticut, and trained at the drama school at Carnegie Tech, graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969. He found success on the New York stage soon after, working with playwrights such as David Rabe, John Guare and Arthur Miller and winning awards on and off Broadway. His break came as the fugitive Clovis Poplin in Steven Spielberg's feature debut The Sugarland Express (1974), followed by dark dramas including The Day of the Locust (1975) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) and the disaster film The Hindenburg (1975). He is best known as the EPA agent Walter Peck in Ghostbusters (1984) and reporter Richard Thornburg in Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990), and he returned as Peck in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). Other credits include Real Genius (1985), The Pelican Brief (1993) and The Last Samurai (2003), plus voice work on Justice League.

79years old

Turns 80 on July 30in 294 days

Born July 30, 1947Orange
Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
William Atherton Knight (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 31
Career span: 52 years1972 to 2024

Genres

Drama42%, 13 films
Thriller32%, 10 films
Action29%, 9 films
Crime29%, 9 films
Comedy23%, 7 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
Atherton's breakthrough came as Clovis Poplin, a hapless fugitive, in The Sugarland Express (1974), which was Steven Spielberg's first feature film.
Beyond film
For the Robert Redford film version of The Great Gatsby, Atherton sang lead on "What'll I Do", which served as the main title theme.

William Atherton movies on Netflix

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1as Mayor Walter Peck
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Clinical2017IMDb rating 5.1as Terry Drummond
Jinn2014IMDb rating 4.2as Father Westhoff
Jersey Shore Shark Attack2012IMDb rating 3.1as Dolan
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie2012IMDb rating 5.4as Earle Swinter
Black Crescent Moon2008IMDb rating 4.2as Jo Dexton
The Girl Next Door2007IMDb rating 6.4as Adult David Moran
Headspace2005IMDb rating 4.6as Dr. Ira Gold
Into the Sun2005IMDb rating 4.3as CIA Agent Block
The Last Samurai2003IMDb rating 7.8as Winchester Rep
The Crow: Salvation2000IMDb rating 4.9as Nathan Randall
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge1999IMDb rating 7.0as Darryl Zanuck
Hoodlum1997IMDb rating 6.3as Thomas Dewey
Mad City1997IMDb rating 6.3as Dohlen
Bio-Dome1996IMDb rating 4.5as Dr. Noah Faulkner
Raven Hawk1995IMDb rating 5.1as Philip Thorne
Frank & Jesse1994IMDb rating 5.8as Allan Pinkerton
The Pelican Brief1993IMDb rating 6.7as Bob Gminski
Buried Alive1990IMDb rating 6.5as Cort van Owen
Die Hard 21990IMDb rating 7.2as Richard Thornburg
Grim Prairie Tales1990IMDb rating 5.5as Arthur
Die Hard1988IMDb rating 8.2as Thornburg
No Mercy1986IMDb rating 5.7as Allan Deveneux
Real Genius1985IMDb rating 6.9as Prof. Jerry Hathaway
Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8as Walter Peck
Looking for Mr. Goodbar1977IMDb rating 6.7as James
The Day of the Locust1975IMDb rating 6.9as Tod Hackett
The Hindenburg1975IMDb rating 6.3as Boerth
The Sugarland Express1974IMDb rating 6.7as Clovis Michael Poplin
The New Centurions1972IMDb rating 7.0as Johnson

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Die Hard1988 Action, Thrilleras Thornburg
IMDb rating 8.21.0M votes
Die Hard 21990 Action, Thrilleras Richard Thornburg
IMDb rating 7.2410K votes
Ghostbusters1984as Walter Peck
IMDb rating 7.8491K votes
The Last Samurai2003as Winchester Rep
IMDb rating 7.8510K votes
The Pelican Brief1993as Bob Gminski
IMDb rating 6.7105K votes
Bio-Dome1996as Dr. Noah Faulkner
IMDb rating 4.532K votes
Real Genius1985as Prof. Jerry Hathaway
IMDb rating 6.942K votes
The Sugarland Express1974as Clovis Michael Poplin
IMDb rating 6.723K votes

Most often with

Martha Coolidge directed two of these films. Four actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Dan Aykroyd

Ernie Hudson

Ed Lauter

Annie Potts

Bruce Willis

Bill Murray

Martha CoolidgeDirector, 2 films

Films together

Dan Aykroyd3 films together, 1984 to 2024
Dan Aykroyd's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Atherton as Mayor Walter PeckAykroyd as Ray Stantz
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Atherton as HimselfAykroyd as Himself
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Atherton as Walter PeckAykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz
Ernie Hudson3 films together, 1984 to 2024
Ernie Hudson's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Atherton as Mayor Walter PeckHudson as Winston Zeddemore
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Atherton as HimselfHudson as Himself
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Atherton as Walter PeckHudson as Winston Zeddemore
Ed Lauter3 films together, 1972 to 1995
Ed Lauter's page
- Raven Hawk1995IMDb rating 5.1Atherton as Philip ThorneLauter as Sheriff Daggert
- Real Genius1985IMDb rating 6.9Atherton as Prof. Jerry HathawayLauter as David Decker
- The New Centurions1972IMDb rating 7.0Atherton as JohnsonLauter as Galloway
Annie Potts3 films together, 1984 to 2024
Annie Potts's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Atherton as Mayor Walter PeckPotts as Janine Melnitz
- Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters2019IMDb rating 7.4Atherton as HimselfPotts as Himself
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Atherton as Walter PeckPotts as Janine Melnitz
Bruce Willis2 films together, 1988 to 1990
Bruce Willis's page
- Die Hard 21990IMDb rating 7.2Atherton as Richard ThornburgWillis as Lt. John McClane
- Die Hard1988IMDb rating 8.2Atherton as ThornburgWillis as John McClane
Bill Murray2 films together, 1984 to 2024
Bill Murray's page
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024IMDb rating 6.1Atherton as Mayor Walter PeckMurray as Peter Venkman
- Ghostbusters1984IMDb rating 7.8Atherton as Walter PeckMurray as Dr. Peter Venkman
Martha CoolidgeDirector, 2 films, 1985 to 1999
All films by Martha Coolidge
- Introducing Dorothy Dandridge1999IMDb rating 7.0Atherton as Darryl Zanuck
- Real Genius1985IMDb rating 6.9Atherton as Prof. Jerry Hathaway
Also two films together22 more actors
- Sigourney WeaverCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- Mike StarrBlack Crescent Moon (2008) and Hoodlum (1997)
- Richard GereNo Mercy (1986) and Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
- Burgess MeredithThe Day of the Locust (1975) and The Hindenburg (1975)
- Loretta DevineIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) and Hoodlum (1997)
- Mark MargolisThe Girl Next Door (2007) and Headspace (2005)
- Scott WilsonThe Last Samurai (2003) and The New Centurions (1972)
- George C. ScottThe Hindenburg (1975) and The New Centurions (1972)
- John RothmanGhostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) and Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019)
- Tony GoldwynThe Last Samurai (2003) and The Pelican Brief (1993)
- James SikkingThe Pelican Brief (1993) and The New Centurions (1972)
- Bonnie BedeliaDie Hard 2 (1990) and Die Hard (1988)
- Richard DysartThe Day of the Locust (1975) and The Hindenburg (1975)
- Alice DrummondCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- Michael EnsignCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- David MarguliesCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- Harold RamisCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- Reginald VelJohnsonDie Hard 2 (1990) and Die Hard (1988)
- Jennifer RunyonCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
- Daniel MancheThe Girl Next Door (2007) and Headspace (2005)
- Ina GouldReal Genius (1985) and The Day of the Locust (1975)
- Steven TashCleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019) and Ghostbusters (1984)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What William Atherton's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$1.6 billion

16 of the 31 films have a worldwide figure.

16Worldwide figure
3US gross only
6Never in cinemas
6Figure not found

Top grosser

The Last Samurai2003Winchester Rep$457 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 96% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Last Samurai2003as Winchester Rep
$457M27.9% of the total
2
Ghostbusters1984as Walter Peck
$297M18.1% of the total
3
Die Hard 21990as Richard Thornburg
$240M14.6% of the total
4
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire2024as Mayor Walter Peck
$202M12.3% of the total
5
The Pelican Brief1993as Bob Gminski
$195M11.9% of the total
6
Die Hard1988as Thornburg
$141M8.6% of the total
7
Hoodlum1997as Thomas Dewey
$23M1.4% of the total
8
Looking for Mr. Goodbar1977as James
$23M1.4% of the total