Happy Birthday: William Petersen

William Petersen

Born: February 21, 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, USA

Married to: Gina Cirone (14 June 2003 – present) (2 children)
Joanne Brady (1974 – 1981) (divorced) (1 child)

After Manhunter (1986) and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), there were all these cop movies that came my way, but they weren’t any good, so I didn’t do them. Then, there was talk about my doing Platoon (1986), but I didn’t want to sit in a ditch in the Philippines for eight weeks for no money. Instead, I did an HBO baseball movie for more money and more fun, and I got to play ball. I enjoy watching great movies like Platoon (1986), but I don’t have to be in them. I never fell in love with movies. I didn’t want to spend all that time an effort. I’ve had it pretty good. I’ve had it my own way.

I’m a huge “Membership First” guy. It seems to me that all of the artists in all of the unions and guilds are getting screwed. What we’re losing in the SAG contract is the middle class — those who want to be actors and won’t make much money but want to stick with it anyway. The studios and companies, meanwhile, get to have it both ways. They’ve got their $100 million movies where they pay Brad and Tom $20 million and everyone else works for scale. Then those who make the indie movies don’t pay anybody anything. You’re supposed to make 28 cents for the honor of working with Gus Van Sant. But the company behind, say, “Milk,” winds up making a ton. The whole thing is a shell game, a con, and the actors are the ones who wind up getting jobbed.

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