Cast & creator
William Atherton
Best known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order, Law & Order
William Atherton Knight Jr. (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor, best known for portraying Richard Thornburg in Die Hard and its sequel and Walter Peck in Ghostbusters.
Also known as: William Atherton Knight , ویلیام آترتون, William Atherton Knight Jr.
65
film credits
30
television credits
94
1972–2025 · acting roles
6.3
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (95)
Showing 95 of 95 credits
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ned Bogden
1999
Law & Order
Don Snyder
1990Law & Order
Dan Jensen
1990
Castle
Ari Weiss
2009
Desperate Housewives
Dr. Barr
2004
Stargate SG-1
Emissary Varta
1997
Lost
Donald Reynolds
2004
Monk
Commander Nathan Whitaker
2002
The Outer Limits
Franklin Murdoch
1995
Murder, She Wrote
Larry Holleran
1984Murder, She Wrote
Greg Dalton
1984Murder, She Wrote
Andy Henley
1984
The Practice
Keith Pratt
1997
Numb3rs
Warren Pierce
2005
Boston Legal
A.D.A. Howard Zale
2004
Nash Bridges
Dr. Linus Mills
1996
The Twilight Zone
Brian Wolfe (segment "Night of the Meek")
1985The Twilight Zone
(segment "The Card")
1985
Childrens Hospital
Levon Bainter
2008
The Equalizer
Martin 'Alpha' Loeber
1985The Equalizer
Gideon
1985
Tales from the Crypt
Malcolm Mayflower
1989
Workaholics
Thor Holmvik
2011
Life
Mickey Rayborn
2007
Die Hard
Richard Thornburg
1988
The Last Samurai
Winchester Rep
2003
Justice League
Dr. Destiny / John Dee (voice)
2001
Die Hard 2
Richard Thornberg
1990
Ghostbusters
Walter Peck
1984
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Mayor Walter Peck
2024
HBO First Look
1992
Night Visions
William Price (segment "Hate Puppet")
2001
The Pelican Brief
Bob Gminski
1993
Centennial
Jim Lloyd
1978
Reunited Apart
Self
2020
The Girl Next Door
Adult David Moran
2007
The Crow: Salvation
Nathan Randall
2000
Real Genius
Professor Hathaway
1985
Hoodlum
Thomas E. Dewey
1997
No Mercy
Allan Deveneux
1986
Oscar
Overton
1991
Bio-Dome
Dr. Noah Faulkner
1996
The Sugarland Express
Clovis Poplin
1974
Into the Sun
Agent Block
2005
The Hindenburg
Boerth
1975Max Monroe: Loose Cannon
Sloane
1990
The Day of the Locust
Tod Hackett
1975
Aces 'N' Eights
Howard
2008
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
James
1977
Who's Your Daddy?
Duncan Mack
2004
Mad City
Dohlen
1997
Gone But Not Forgotten
Sen. Ray Colby
2005
Buried Alive
Cort van Owen
1990
The New Centurions
Johnson
1972
Frank & Jesse
Allan Pinkerton
1994
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
Self
2020
Jersey Shore Shark Attack
Dolan
2012
Ghouls
Stefan
2008
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Earle Swinter
2012
Headspace
Dr. Ira Gold
2005Headspace
Co-Producer
2005
A Night to Die For
Self
1995
Jinn
Father Westhoff
2014
Bread and Roses
Party Guest (uncredited)
2000
The Citizen
2012
Ghostheads
Self
2016
Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Darryl Zanuck
1999
Grim Prairie Tales
Arthur
1990
Diagnosis Murder: Diagnosis of Murder
Eric Walker
1992
Clinical
Terry Drummond
2017
Race to Space
Ralph Stanton
2001
Executive Power
President Fields
1997
Burning Down the House
Arthur Kranston
2001
The Kane Files: Life of Trial
Daniel Morgan
2010
Michael Kael vs. the World News Company
James Denit
1998
The Equalizer - The Movie: Blood & Wine
Martin 'Alpha' Loeber
1987
A Fight for Jenny
Michael Rosen
1986
Class of '44
Fraternity President
1973
Raven Hawk
Philip Thorne
1996
Where Did the Adults Go?
The Father
2025
Intrigue
Doggett
1988The House of Mirth
Lawrence Selden
1981
Saints and Sinners
Terence
1994
Broken Trust
Neil Roemer
1995
Chrome Soldiers
Sheriff Blackwell
1992
Towards Darkness
John
2007
Independence
Benjamin Rush
1976
Bad Company
2018
Black Crescent Moon
Jo Dexton
2008
Virus
Dr. Reginald Holloway
1995
Malibu
Stan Harvey
1983
Kush
King
2007
Tomorrow's Child
Jim Spence
1982