William Devane

William Devane: The West Wing seems to be feeding the myth about how presidential politics are.

William Devane: The business is built on slowing or even stopping the aging process.

William Devane: My objective (on Knots) was to act what was not there, which is not what television is about. In television that's why you have so many people who aren't really talented who are successful at it because it's all there in front of them, you just act what's on the page and you're fine.

William Devane: A show like Knots or any other show that can be called a soap opera does terribly in syndication because if you're a viewer and you miss a week you don't know what's going on.

William Devane: I like to live in the present rather than dwell on the past.

William Devane: I think the idea of this reunion show is the cast all sit around on a set and talk about the old days. I don't want to be a snob about it.

William Devane: Ultimately the Emmys are a popularity contest. I remember going to the Golden Globes one year and David was so sure we were going to win. I said, "David, this is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association … they only give it to foreigners." And I was right; in my category they gave it to the English guy who won two or three years in a row. I don't remember what show he was on. He was a detective, I think.

William Devane: I'm a left-wing liberal Democrat but Greg Sumner, he's basically a conservative Republican. That's how I played him anyway.

William Devane: There's always a certain amount of conflict between the writing staff and the actors. Knots had a large writing staff and they farmed a lot of (the writing) out to others. So the writers would have the dialogue be a certain way until it got to the floor. Once the scene hits the floor, the actors are in charge. But you would notice in the script that's mentioned that I never altered the story. I altered the script to the point that it allowed the "what's not being said" to come out, lines here and there.