If you were a teen during the early 80's, chances you will remember hating him. His jerk-type characters were so sleazy and loathsome, you just wanted to go up to his house and beat the crap out of him. That was his gift, and greatest obstacle.
William Atherton Knight was born in Orange Connecticut on July 30th 1947. Inclined very young towards the scenic arts, he quickly carved his place among some prestigious stage companies, accumulating a strong background in very little time.
Jumping to the TV and films in the early 70's, the big break came as early as 1974. His performance as an escapee trying to kidnap his own child, in Steven Spielberg's debut 'Sugarland Express', was impressive enough to establish him as a true Hollywood rising star. He spent the next decade perfecting his acting chops on both the big and small screens, until landing his first 'great' jerks. In 1984's 'Ghostbusters' he plays city inspector Walter Peck, a stubborn a-hole who almost brings doom on the whole city. The very next year, he plays the overly ambitious Professor Hattaway, who exploits Val Kilmer's talent, in 'Real Genius'. The hate had begun, and typecasting was just one blockbuster away.
When Die Hard came out in theatres in 1986, it was almost overlooked. Once out on video though, it truly became a phenomenon. William appeared a news reporter who will stop at nothing to get the scoop, even interviewing young children while their parents are trapped with murdering terrorists. At the end of the movie, actress Bonnie Bedelia gets to do what every viewer wanted to for the entire 131 minutes - punch that bastard right in the nose!
The movie made him a star, but left him with a shadow he would never escape.
After reprising his role for the ill-fated sequel 'Die Hard 2' in 1988, feature film roles were harder to get. Every offer seemed to pit him back into the jerky role. Such was the case for 'Oscar' (1991), 'The Pelican Brief' (1993), and *gulp* 'Bio-dome' (1996).
He returned to his first love, the stage, while randomly appearing in supporting roles for average-to-forgettable movies all through the 90s.
2003 could have been his comeback year, with two feature films on his plate. 'Who's Your Daddy' made a VERY quick pass a theatrical release, before hiding out on video-store shelves. 'The Last Samurai', starring Tom Cruise, fared much better. William's role, however, was a 5 minutes on-screen appearance.
Even though Movie Fame escaped him, he passionately continues his acclaimed stage work, most recently in 'Address Unknown' on Broadway. As for the big screen, he'll next be part of 'Into The Sun' alongside….Steven Segal. Well, at least he keeps trying.
