Actor
James Woods
Born 18 April 1947 · Vernal, Utah, USA
James Woods (born 1947) is an American actor known for intense, fast-talking performances, often as volatile, cunning or morally compromised men. He rose to prominence in the 1980s with films by Cronenberg, Leone and Oliver Stone, and later worked extensively in film, television and voice acting.
Key films
Videodrome (1983)
Lead role in David Cronenberg's body-horror cult classic, a defining early part.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Played Max in Sergio Leone's gangster epic, a celebrated supporting role.
Salvador (1986)
Oliver Stone's war drama gave him a career-best lead role and an Oscar nomination.
Nixon (1995)
Played H. R. Haldeman in Oliver Stone's historical drama.
Casino (1995)
Appeared in Scorsese's Las Vegas crime epic as a hustler.
Key awards
- 1987 Academy Award nomination, Best Actor (Salvador)
- 1997 Academy Award nomination, Best Supporting Actor (Ghosts of Mississippi)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 129
- 1971All the Way Home · as Andrew LynchActor
- 1972Hickey & Boggs · as Lt. WyattActor
- 1972The Visitors · as Bill SchmidtActor
- 1972A Great American Tragedy · as RickActor
- 1972Footsteps · as ReporterActor
- 1973The Way We Were · as Frankie McVeighActor
- 1974The Gambler · as Bank OfficerActor
- 1975Night Moves · as QuentinActor
- 1975F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood · as Leonard "Lenny" SchoenfeldActor
- 1975Distance · as Larry VincentActor
- 1975Foster & Laurie · as Walter The AddictActor
- 1976Raid on Entebbe · as Capt. Sammy BergActor
- 1976Alex & the Gypsy · as CrainpoolActor
- 1976The Disappearance of Aimee · as Asst. Dist. Atty. Joseph RyanActor
- 1977The Choirboys · as Harold BloomguardActor
- 1978The Gift of Love · as Alfred BrowningActor
- 1978The Billion Dollar Bubble · as Art LewisActor
- 1979The Onion Field · as Gregory PowellActor
- 1979...And Your Name Is Jonah · as Danny CorelliActor
- 1979The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel · as Sin EaterActor
- 1979Young Maverick - Dead Man's Hand · as Len FrakerActor
- 1980The Black Marble · as The FiddlerActor
- 1981Eyewitness · as Aldo MercerActor
- 1982Split Image · as Charles PrattActor
- 1982Fast-Walking · as Fast-WalkingActor
- 1982The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome · as IntervieweeActor
- 1983Videodrome · as Max RennActor
- 1984Once Upon a Time in America · as MaxActor
- 1984Against All Odds · as Jake WiseActor
- 1985Cat's Eye · as MorrisonActor
- 1985Joshua Then and Now · as Joshua ShapiroActor
- 1985Badge of the Assassin · as Robert K. Tanenbaum, Assistant District AttorneyActor
- 1986Salvador · as Richard BoyleActor
- 1986Promise · as DJActor
- 1987Best Seller · as CleveActor
- 1987In Love and War · as James B. StockdaleActor
- 1988Cop · as Lloyd HopkinsActor
- 1988The Boost · as Lenny BrownActor
- 1988Crimes of Passion · as Himself - HostActor
- 1989True Believer · as Eddie DoddActor
- 1989Immediate Family · as Michael SpectorActor
- 1989My Name Is Bill W. · as Bill WilsonActor
- 1989Hollywood on Horses · as SelfActor
- 1990Women and Men: Stories of Seduction · as Robert (segment "Hills Like White Elephants")Actor
- 1991The Hard Way · as John MossActor
- 1991Voices That Care · as Self - Host & Choir MemberActor
- 1991The Boys · as Walter FarmerActor
- 1992Chaplin · as Joseph ScottActor
- 1992Diggstown · as Gabriel CaineActor
- 1992Straight Talk · as Jack RussellActor
- 1992Citizen Cohn · as Roy Marcus CohnActor
- 1994The Specialist · as Ned TrentActor
- 1994The Getaway · as Jack BenyonActor
- 1994Next Door · as Matt ColerActor
- 1994Curse of the Starving Class · as Weston TateActor
- 1994Jane's House · as Paul ClarkActor
- 1995Casino · as Lester DiamondActor
- 1995Nixon · as H.R. HaldemanActor
- 1995Indictment: The McMartin Trial · as Danny DavisActor
- 1995For Better or Worse · as Reggie MakeshiftActor
- 1996Ghosts of Mississippi · as Byron De La BeckwithActor
- 1996Killer: A Journal of Murder · as Carl PanzramActor
- 1996The Summer of Ben Tyler · as Temple RayburnActor
- 1997Hercules · as Hades (voice)Actor
- 1997Contact · as Michael KitzActor
- 1997Kicked in the Head · as Uncle SamActor
- 1998Vampires · as Jack CrowActor
- 1998Another Day in Paradise · as MelActor
- 1998America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Good-bye · as NarratorActor
- 1999Any Given Sunday · as Dr. Harvey MandrakeActor
- 1999The General's Daughter · as Colonel Robert MooreActor
- 1999True Crime · as Alan MannActor
- 1999Play It to the Bone · as James Woods (Ringside Fan)Actor
- 1999Hercules: Zero to Hero · as Hades (voice) (archive sound)Actor
- 2000The Virgin Suicides · as Mr. LisbonActor
- 2000The American Nightmare · as SelfActor
- 2000Dirty Pictures · as Dennis BarrieActor
- 2000Once Upon a Time: Sergio Leone · as SelfActor
- 2000The Making of The Virgin Suicides · as SelfActor
- 2000Sensational Cities: New York · as NarratorActor
- 2000The Making of Hercules · as SelfActor
- 2001Scary Movie 2 · as Father McFeelyActor
- 2001Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within · as General Hein (voice)Actor
- 2001Riding in Cars with Boys · as Leonard DonofrioActor
- 2001Recess: School's Out · as Dr. Phillium Benedict (voice)Actor
- 2001Race to Space · as Dr. Wilhelm von HuberActor
- 2001America | A Tribute to Heroes · as SelfActor
- 2001Breaking the Silence: The Making of Hannibal · as SelfActor
- 2001Playboy Mansion Parties Uncensored · as SelfActor
- 2001Into the Valley of Death · as SelfActor
- 2002John Q · as Dr. Raymond TurnerActor
- 2002Stuart Little 2 · as Falcon (voice)Actor
- 2002Mickey's House of Villains · as Hades (voice)Actor
- 2002Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun · as Gloomius Maximus (voice)Actor
- 2002Behind the Scenes of 'John Q' · as SelfActor
- 2003Northfork · as Walter O'BrienActor
- 2003Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story · as Rudy GiulianiActor
- 2003Bare Knuckle Filming: The Construction of NorthforkActor
- 2004This Girl's Life · as PopsActor
- 2004Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession · as SelfActor
- 2004Videodrome: Forging the New Flesh · as SelfActor
- 2004Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction · as Toreno (voice)Actor
- 2004The Easter Egg Adventure · as Grab Takit (voice)Actor
- 2005Be Cool · as Tommy AthensActor
- 2005Pretty Persuasion · as Hank JoyceActor
- 2005Ark · as Jallak (voice)Actor
- 2005Buddy · as NarratorActor
- 2006End Game · as Agent Vaughn StevensActor
- 2006Stardust: The Bette Davis Story · as SelfActor
- 2006Free as a DogActor
- 2007Surf's Up · as Reggie Belafonte (voice)Actor
- 2008An American Carol · as Todd GrosslightActor
- 2009Family Guy Presents: Something, Something, Something, Dark Side · as James Woods as General Veers (voice)Actor
- 2010Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths · as Owlman (voice)Actor
- 2011Straw Dogs · as Tom HeddonActor
- 2011Too Big to Fail · as Dick FuldActor
- 2013White House Down · as WalkerActor
- 2013Jobs · as Jack DudmanActor
- 2013Officer Down · as Captain VeronaActor
- 2013Mary and Martha · as Mary's FatherActor
- 2013Any Given Tuesday · as selfActor
- 2014Jamesy Boy · as Lt. FaltonActor
- 2014Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2016Bling · as Victor (voice)Actor
- 2016First Contact · as NarratorActor
- 2021Dean Martin: King of Cool · as SelfActor
- 2023Once Upon a Studio · as Hades (voice)Actor
- 2023A Journey to Sundance · as SelfActor
- 2025Eddington · as James Woods (uncredited)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.