William Atherton
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
After Peck (Atherton) charges the Ghostbusters with fraudulently staging the psychic disturbances, Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) proclaims: "Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by 'dickless' (Atherton) here." When Peck responds by accusing them of causing the explosion, the mayor (David Margulies) asks, "Is this true?" Venkmen (Bill Murray) replies: "Yes, it's true. This man has no dick." Peck lunges wildly at Venkman, and only after several frantic moments is calm restored to the office. "Well, that's what I heard," Venkman adds quietly. --from "Making Ghostbusters", edited by Don Shay
Biography
A pale, fair-haired, lanky performer, William Atherton first distinguished himself in the theater. After becoming the youngest member of the Long Wharf Theater Company (New Haven, Connecticut) while still a high school student, he went on to off-Broadway where he originated the part of Ronnie Shaughnessy in John Guare's "The House of Blue Leaves," as well as the title roles of David Rabe's "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" (both 1971) and David Wiltse's "Suggs in the City" (1972). That year also saw him make his Broadway debut in the short-lived "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" and his feature debut in "The New Centurions." Often cast as weaklings or high-strung characters, Atherton attracted attention as the likably charismatic escaped convict husband of Goldie Hawn in Steven Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express" (1974) and struck the correct balance of ambition and bewilderment as the aspiring art director whose perceptions of Hollywood shape John Schlesinger's "The Day of the Locust" (1975). He also turned up as a persistent suitor of Diane Keaton in "Looking For Mr. Goodbar" (1977), his last feature for seven years.
During that hiatus, Atherton concentrated primarily on stage work, including a one-man show and Broadway productions of Arthur Miller's "The American Clock" (1980) and Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" (1983). He roared back to features as Walter Peck, the zealous bureaucrat opposed to the methods of the "Ghostbusters" (1984), arguably the most memorable in a series of high profile supporting roles that included the comically unctuous professor in "Real Genius" (1985) and a zealous newsman in "Die Hard" (1988) and its first sequel "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990). Atherton's Dr. Noah Faulkner in the box office disaster "Bio-Dome" (1996) was really a variation on the creepy academic from "Real Genius," and his transparently vacuous local anchor in "Mad City" (1997) was a rehash of his Thornburg character from the "Die Hard" franchise. The 90s also saw him essay a number of historical figures: Allan Pinkerton in HBO's "Frank and Jesse" (1995), then-state prosecutor Thomas E Dewey in "Hoodlum" (1997) and Hollywood mogul Darryl Zanuck in Martha Coolidge's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" (HBO, 1999).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1964
Stage debut in "The Boy Friend" at the Clinton (Connecticut) Playhouse
1971
Originated title role in off-Broadway production of David Rabe's "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel"
1971
Portrayed Ronnie Shaughnessy in original off-Broadway production of John Guare's "The House of Blue Leaves"
1972
Created title role of David Wiltse's "Suggs in the City" on stage
1972
Broadway debut, "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window"
1972
Screen acting debut in "The New Centurions"
1974
Sang "What'll I Do?" behind title credits for "The Great Gatsby"
1974
Gained critical attention for his work opposite Goldie Hawn in Steven Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express"
1975
Played saboteur who planted the bomb on "The Hindenberg"
1975
Portrayed a budding art director smitten by aspiring starlet Karen Black in "The Day of the Locust"
1976
Acted the part of Bing Ringling in New York Shakespeare Festival production of Guare's "Rich and Famous"
1977
Cast as Diane Keaton's beau in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar"
1978
Performed in one-man show, "William Atherton: Acting, Ethics, Person"
1978
TV miniseries debut, "Centennial" (NBC)
1980
Returned to Broadway in Arthur Miller's "The American Clock"
1983
Back on Broadway as Lieutenant Commander John Challee in revival of Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial"
1984
Co-starred in "Ghostbusters" as the butt of perhaps Bill Murray's funniest line
1988
Created role of newscaster Dick Thornburg in "Die Hard"
1990
Reprised role of Thornburg in "Die Hard 2: Die Harder"
1992
Delivered an assured performance as the corrupt sheriff in "Chrome Soldiers" (USA Network)
1993
Appeared in "The Pelican Brief"
1995
Portrayed Allan Pinkerton in "Frank and Jesse" (HBO)
1996
Co-starred as Dr. Noah Faulkner, the head of the environmentally-controlled scientific community called "Bio-Dome"
1997
Returned to journalistic mode as an arrogant TV newscaster in Costa-Gavras' "Mad City"
1997
Played New York state prosecutor Thomas E Dewey in "Hoodlum"
1998
Essayed pathetically hormonal US President in routine thriller "Executive Power"
1999
Portrayed Darryl Zanuck in Martha Coolidge's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" (HBO)
Videos
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Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
After Peck (Atherton) charges the Ghostbusters with fraudulently staging the psychic disturbances, Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) proclaims: "Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by 'dickless' (Atherton) here." When Peck responds by accusing them of causing the explosion, the mayor (David Margulies) asks, "Is this true?" Venkmen (Bill Murray) replies: "Yes, it's true. This man has no dick." Peck lunges wildly at Venkman, and only after several frantic moments is calm restored to the office. "Well, that's what I heard," Venkman adds quietly. --from "Making Ghostbusters", edited by Don Shay
