William Atherton

PersonBorn Jul 30, 1947 (age 78)Orange, Connecticut, USA

American actor

Most popular person

Buzz Score is a daily 0-100+ popularity score based on public activity across the web.

Person

William Atherton

William Atherton (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Ghostbusters (1984) and Die Hard (1988). Born in Orange, Connecticut, Atherton studied acting at the Drama School at Carnegie Tech and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969. He gained recognition for his work on and off Broadway, collaborating with acclaimed playwrights such as David Rabe, John Guare, and Arthur Miller. Atherton's breakthrough came with his role as Clovis Poplin in The Sugarland Express (1974), directed by Steven Spielberg. He went on to star in notable films such as The Day of the Locust (1975), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), and The Hindenburg (1975).

Buzz Score0.4

Daily update · May 18, 2026

William Atherton ranks #13,052 most popular person with a Buzz Score of 0.4. William Atherton peaked at #8,468 of all time (Mar 16 - Apr 14, 2024). William Atherton ranks #7,246 over the past 365 days.

William Atherton

Popularity Rankings & History

Current and historical popularity rankings

Ranks on May 18, 2026

Overall popularity

Ranking History

Peak, 1-year, and top-chart days

Peak Buzz Score

#8,468Overall rank

Mar 16 - Apr 14, 2024

1-Year Buzz Score

#7,246Overall rank

Days at #1

0

Past 365 days

Days in Top 10

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Past 365 days

William Atherton Buzz Score History

Daily Buzz Score over the last 30 days

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William Atherton Top TV Shows

William Atherton's shows ranked by Buzz Score

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Ned Bogden · 1 ep · 1999 – Present

Lost

Donald Reynolds · 1 ep · 2004 – 2010

Law & Order

Dan Jensen · 1 ep · 1990 – Present

Law & Order

Don Snyder · 1 ep · 1990 – Present

Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives

Dr. Barr · 1 ep · 2004 – 2012

Stargate SG-1

Emissary Varta · 1 ep · 1997 – 2007

Castle

Ari Weiss · 1 ep · 2009 – 2016

Boston Legal

A.D.A. Howard Zale · 1 ep · 2004 – 2008

Monk

Commander Nathan Whitaker · 1 ep · 2002 – 2009

Workaholics

Thor Holmvik · 1 ep · 2011 – 2017

Nash Bridges

Dr. Linus Mills · 1 ep · 1996 – 2001

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William Atherton Top Movies

William Atherton's movies ranked by Buzz Score

The Last Samurai

The Last Samurai

Winchester Rep · 2003

Mad City

Die Hard

Richard Thornburg · 1988

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Mayor Walter Peck · 2024

Die Hard 2

Richard Thornberg · 1990

The Pelican Brief

The Pelican Brief

Bob Gminski · 1993

The Sugarland Express

The Sugarland Express

Clovis Poplin · 1974

Bio-Dome

Dr. Noah Faulkner · 1996

Hoodlum

Thomas E. Dewey · 1997

Oscar

Overton · 1991

Real Genius

Professor Hathaway · 1985

The Day of the Locust

The Day of the Locust

Tod Hackett · 1975

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

Earle Swinter · 2012

No Mercy

Allan Deveneux · 1986

Class of '44

Fraternity President · 1973

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Updated May 19, 2026

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Person

William Atherton

William Atherton (born July 30, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Ghostbusters (1984) and Die Hard (1988). Born in Orange, Connecticut, Atherton studied acting at the Drama School at Carnegie Tech and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1969. He gained recognition for his work on and off Broadway, collaborating with acclaimed playwrights such as David Rabe, John Guare, and Arthur Miller. Atherton's breakthrough came with his role as Clovis Poplin in The Sugarland Express (1974), directed by Steven Spielberg. He went on to star in notable films such as The Day of the Locust (1975), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), and The Hindenburg (1975).

Buzz Score0.4