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William Petersen

William Petersen Biography

Actor

William Petersen, born on February 21, 1953, is an accomplished American actor. He is best known for his role as Jim Bruckner in the television series 'CSI: NY', and has made significant contributions to film and television.

William Petersen, born on February 21, 1953, is an accomplished American actor. He is best known for his role as Jim Bruckner in the television series 'CSI: NY', and has made significant contributions to film and television.

Related Quotes

“One of the things I love about theater, one of the reasons I'll never give it up, is that it's fifty percent the audience's responsibility.”

Giving Reason Responsibility Audience Percent Theater Fifty Things I Love

Author:William Petersen

“I want to live and work in Chicago for the rest of my life. You know when you were growing up and you wanted to become president? What I want now is to be mayor of this damned town in ten years.”

Knows Want Years Wanted President Growing Up Growing Ten Towns Chicago Mayors

Author:William Petersen

“I've been telling anybody who would listen that I wanted to do a series for the last 10 years. But I wouldn't do it if I was just another cop pushing bad guys up against the wall.”

Ifs Years Wanted Lasts Guy Wall Series Pushing Cop Bad Guys

Author:William Petersen

“If I could change on thing about myself, I would: Have better knees. Mine are shot because of injuries. You're only as good as your legs, whether you're an athlete or an actor.”

Ifs Actors Mines Shots Athlete Legs Knees If I Could Injury

Author:William Petersen

“The show can go on without me, and probably will, but I want to come back to act in Chicago. My wife and I just bought a condo downtown, and I want to do theater.”

Want Shows Wife Goes On Theater My Wife Chicago Downtown

Author:William Petersen

“I get a lot of stuff from Germany - stuffed bugs and tarantulas.”

Stuff Germany Bugs Tarantulas

Author:William Petersen

“Theater in Chicago will always be my first love.”

Firsts Theater Chicago First Love

Author:William Petersen

“I know a lot of actors who've just gotten bitter because they did something and then nobody ever saw it or whatever.”

Knows Actors Saws Bitter

Author:William Petersen

“I do the work just because I enjoy it on the day, working with the guys. For me, it's like going to play a game of baseball: you've got your teammates, you get to do something that's fun, hopefully, and whatever happens with that stuff is in the cosmos someplace.”

Play Happens Guy Games Fun Stuff Enjoy Baseball Hopefully Cosmos Teammate Whatever Happens

Author:William Petersen

“I can't figure out how they decide on those things. So I don't have any regrets about anything that I did that didn't get a lot of people to see it.”

People I Can Figures Regret

Author:William Petersen

“Sure, I always chose rebels to identify with - I still do - but to me a rebel isn't so much someone who breaks the law as someone who goes against the odds.”

Stills Law Break Rebel Odds Against All Odds Against The Odds

Author:William Petersen

“The beard is here because I got tired of shaving and Grissom, subsequently, got tired of shaving. Grissom, like any other 50-year-old man, is going through a series of mid-life changes. Who knows, he may start drinking.”

Knows Men Years May Tired Series Drinking Life Changing Old Man Beard Shaving

Author:William Petersen

“Now I'm seen by more people in one episode than I was in 20 years of theatre and movies. It's gratifying to have an impact on 25 million people a night, but I can say goodbye to my lunch-pail life as a working actor. I'm scared I might be a celebrity.”

People Years I Can Might Night Actors Millions Impact Scared Theatre Goodbye Lunch Episodes Farewell Saying Goodbye

Author:William Petersen

“A smart person is not one that knows the answers, but one who knows where to find them.”

Knows Persons Answers Smart Smart Person

Author:William Petersen

“Grissom is a character who doesn't really want people poking around in his life. He likes to poke around in his work.”

People Want Character Likes Poke

Author:William Petersen

“Corporate Hollywood thinks I'm a geek to go back and do theater. They don't understand why I don't want to be a movie star, why I'm not pursuing Mel Gibson's roles.”

Thinking Want Stars Roles Hollywood Theater Corporate Movie Star Geek

Author:William Petersen

“Grissom is pretty asexual. He's not that interested in anything other than work - except for Lady Heather. She's the closest to getting his heart of anyone.”

Heart Closest Heathers

Author:William Petersen

“I didn't want to play a lawyer. I didn't want to play a doctor. I didn't want to play a single dad. I wanted to do something I felt I could learn from, something that would be a challenge and something that would not dry up.”

Want Play Would Be Wanted Felt Challenges Dad Doctors Lawyer Dry Dry Up Single Dad

Author:William Petersen

“I had panic attacks during rehearsal. There were times when I really thought I wasn't going to be able to do it.”

Able Panic Rehearsal Panic Attacks

Author:William Petersen

“I think you can find yourself on one of these shows for a long period of time and think that all you'll ever be able to do is that character. Certainly people think of you that way.”

People Thinking Way Long Character Shows Able Periods Finding Yourself Think Of You Long Periods Of Time

Author:William Petersen

“I was horrible at science and math. I couldn't pass a test to save my life! I'm surprised that it didn't take me until I was 20 to graduate. That's why my role is so cool - Grissom is the complete opposite of me.”

Roles Tests Opposites Math Horrible Take Me Graduates Complete Opposites

Author:William Petersen

“I won't miss Grissom. It was a complete life for me that's reached its end, and it's reached it in the right way, I think. So I won't miss Grissom. And I hope that the audience won't miss him either.”

Thinking Way Ends Audience Missing Right Way Complete Life

Author:William Petersen

“There’s no greater search than that of lost love.”

Lost Greater Lost Love

Author:William Petersen

“Theater in Chicago will always be my first love. It started careers for me and about 50 of my friends. We all love coming back. As soon as the TV show is over, I'll be back in Chicago, doing live theater.”

Firsts Shows Careers Tvs My Friends Theater Chicago First Love Tv Shows Coming Back Friend Love Live Theater Love Coming Back

Author:William Petersen

“Grissom comes from a place where we know he had a deaf mother, he was raised in a silent household, on some level, had a father who potentially was not around and he learned what he knew by himself in the back yard, with bugs and animals. He's not comfortable being a supervisor and that's his problem.”

Knows Problem Mother Father Animal Levels Comfortable Silent Raised Household Yards Bugs Deaf Supervisors

Author:William Petersen

“Writing is a vessel...with readers the ocean and authors as its sails.”

Writing Reader Ocean Sail Vessel

Author:William Petersen

“I've never been in this business for the recognition or the awards. I just want to do good work, grab a decent paycheck, and move onto the next job.”

Want Jobs Moving Next Rewards Recognition Decent Awards Good Work Paychecks

Author:William Petersen

“Basically, we are a whole world of people desperately trying to figure out what is the dark side of our natures and how much can we explore without becoming something else.”

People World Trying Whole Sides Dark Figures Becoming Whole World Dark Side Figure Skating Becoming Something

Author:William Petersen

“If I stayed a football player, my career would have been over 20 years ago. As it is, my knees are shot. I found I got the same good feeling in acting that I had in sports, but I found I could have a more profound impact on people.”

People Ifs Years Has Beens Feelings Found Sports Acting Careers Player Football Shots Years Ago Impact Profound Knees Football Player Good Feeling

Author:William Petersen

About the Author

Born: February 21, 1953
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 29

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