Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · September 13, 2025 · Entertainment

Bruce Willis' Beloved Co-Star Still Sprightly at 78: Meet William Atherton!

A beloved actor from two of the most memorable film franchises of the 1980s was spotted out in Los Angeles this week, aged 78

THE SCHOLARLYNOTE.COM EXCLUSIVE: WILLIAM ATHERTON SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT IN LOS ANGELES!

Get ready for a blast from the past, folks! A Hollywood legend and one of our favorite actors from the 1980s has been spotted out and about in Los Angeles this week. The dashing William Atherton, now an impressive 78 years young, was seen sporting a sky-blue shirt untucked over loose-fitted black trousers and accessorized with a stylish burnt-orange pair of shades. But what's even more fascinating is that he still has the dark blonde hair that fans adored him for back in the day!

For those who may not be familiar with this Hollywood icon, Atherton first broke into the industry in the 1970s, starring alongside the stunning Goldie Hawn in the theatrical feature-length debut of none other than Steven Spielberg. That film was 1974's The Sugarland Express, a madcap adventure about an escaped convict and his wife on a mission to rescue their child from foster care. Who could forget Clovis, played by Atherton? His portrayal of this lovable rogue stole the hearts of audiences everywhere!

He is none other than William Atherton (left), who played the stuffy bureaucrat Walter Peck in Ghostbusters, in which he is pictured with Annie Potts, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis

But it was during the 1980s that Atherton solidified his place in Hollywood history with two of the most memorable film franchises of all time: Ghostbusters and Die Hard! He played the infamous Walter Peck, the Environmental Protection Agency inspector who often clashed with the Ghostbusters, rendering him both a nemesis and a comedic relief to the leads. Fans still can't get enough of Atherton's iconic role as the "d*less" Peck!

In fact, his portrayal was so memorable that it became a running joke in his private life. According to co-star Harold Ramis, Atherton would often walk into bars and have people want to pick a fight with him simply because they recognized him as Walter Peck! And get this - even teenagers on the bus yelled at him, chanting "Yo, d*less!" Can you imagine? We're guessing he took it all in stride, flashing that famous smile of his!

Of course, no discussion of Atherton's career would be complete without mentioning his memorable role as TV reporter Dick Thornburg in 1988's Die Hard. Who can forget this shady journalist who would stoop to any level to get a scoop? He even returned for the sequel, Die Hard 2, and more recently, reprised his role in last year's release Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

In 1988 Atherton held another memorably unsympathetic role in Die Hard - TV reporter Dick Thornburg, who will stoop to any level to get a story

But Atherton has been just as busy on television, guest-starring on hits like Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, Desperate Housewives, and Monk. More recently, he even appeared in this year's independent movie Where Did the Adults Go?, written and directed by Courtney Marsh.

We're thrilled to report that despite his age, Atherton is still going strong! With a career spanning over four decades, it's no wonder he's become one of Hollywood's most beloved actors. We can't wait to see what's next for this talented gent!

He first broke through in Hollywood in the 1970s, featuring in a Goldie Hawn-led movie that marked the theatrical feature-length debut of Steven Spielberg

The Connecticut-born actor accessorized with a burnt-orange set of shades for his outing, which included a stop at the dry cleaner's to pick up a few of his clothes

He has retained the dark blonde hair that fans will remember him sporting in the 1980s classics that cemented his place in Hollywood history

Atherton's breakthrough was as escaped convict Clovis in the 1974 movie The Sugarland Express - the feature theatrical debut of Steven Spielberg

Exactly 10 years later, he appeared in one of his career-defining movies, Ghostbusters, amid the legendary original cast led by Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd

Atherton played the pompous, meddling Environmental Protection Agency inspector Walter 'D***less' Peck who often butts up against the Ghostbusters

He portrayed the role so well that the public began identifying him with Walter Peck, to the point of nagging inconvenience in his private life

Harold Ramis once recalled: 'Atherton told me that he was walking down the street in New York and a busload of teenagers yelled at him,' shouting a line from the film: 'Yo, d***less!'

He returned to both franchises, featuring in the 1990 picture Die Hard 2 and acting in last year's release Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

He could be seen in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire with a few of his old co-stars from the original as well as younger names like Paul Rudd and McKenna Grace