Actor
James Stewart
Born 20 May 1908 · Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA — died 2 July 1997
James Stewart was an American actor whose gentle drawl and everyman persona made him one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. He worked with directors such as Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, and Anthony Mann, moving from comedies to dark thrillers and westerns. He also served as a decorated Air Force officer.
Key films
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Capra's political drama made him a star as an idealistic senator and defined his honest everyman image.
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Screwball comedy role that earned him his Academy Award for Best Actor.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)On Cinespective
His postwar return in Capra's holiday classic, one of the most enduring American films.
Rear Window (1954)On Cinespective
Landmark Hitchcock thriller in which he plays a voyeuristic photographer confined to his apartment.
Vertigo (1958)On Cinespective
Hitchcock's dark study of obsession, showing the unsettling side of his screen persona; widely ranked among the greatest films.
Key awards
- 1941 Academy Award for Best Actor (The Philadelphia Story)
- 1985 Academy Honorary Award for lifetime achievement
- 1940 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Shop Around the Corner)
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 177
- 1934Art Trouble · as Jack BurtonActor
- 1935The Murder Man · as ShortyActor
- 1936After the Thin Man · as David GrahamActor
- 1936Wife vs. Secretary · as DaveActor
- 1936Born to Dance · as Ted BarkerActor
- 1936The Gorgeous Hussy · as Roderick "Rowdy" DowActor
- 1936Rose Marie · as John FlowerActor
- 1936Small Town Girl · as Elmer ClampettActor
- 1936Next Time We Love · as Christopher TylerActor
- 1936Speed · as Terry MartinActor
- 1936Important News · as Cornelius 'Corn' StevensActor
- 1936Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1) · as SelfActor
- 1937The Last Gangster · as Paul North Sr.Actor
- 1937Seventh Heaven · as ChicoActor
- 1937Navy Blue and Gold · as John 'Truck' CrossActor
- 1937The Romance of Celluloid · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1938You Can't Take It with You · as Tony KirbyActor
- 1938Vivacious Lady · as PeterActor
- 1938Of Human Hearts · as Jason WilkinsActor
- 1938The Shopworn Angel · as Pvt. William 'Texas' PettigrewActor
- 1938Hollywood Goes to Town · as SelfActor
- 1938Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 · as James StewartActor
- 1939Mr. Smith Goes to Washington · as Jefferson SmithActor
- 1939Destry Rides Again · as Tom Destry Jr.Actor
- 1939Made for Each Other · as John Horace MasonActor
- 1939It's a Wonderful World · as Guy JohnsonActor
- 1939The Ice Follies of 1939 · as Larry HallActor
- 1939Hollywood Hobbies · as Self (uncredited)Actor
- 1939Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8 · as James Stewart (archive footage)Actor
- 1940The Philadelphia Story · as Macaulay 'Mike' ConnorActor
- 1940The Shop Around the Corner · as Alfred KralikActor
- 1940The Mortal Storm · as Martin BreitnerActor
- 1940No Time for Comedy · as Gaylord 'Gay' EsterbrookActor
- 1940A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound · as SelfActor
- 1940Hollywood: Style Center of the World · as SelfActor
- 1940Cavalcade of the Academy Awards · as SelfActor
- 1941Ziegfeld Girl · as Gilbert YoungActor
- 1941Come Live with Me · as Bill SmithActor
- 1941Pot o' Gold · as James Hamilton 'Jimmy' HaskellActor
- 1941Breakdowns of 1941 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1942Winning Your Wings · as SelfActor
- 1942Fellow Americans · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1946It's a Wonderful Life · as George BaileyActor
- 1947Magic Town · as Rip SmithActor
- 1947Thunderbolt · as Himself, IntroductionActor
- 1947Blow-Ups of 1947 · as SelfActor
- 1948Rope · as Rupert CadellActor
- 1948Call Northside 777 · as P.J. 'Jim' McNealActor
- 1948On Our Merry Way · as SlimActor
- 1948You Gotta Stay Happy · as Marvin PayneActor
- 194810,000 Kids and a Cop · as NarratorActor
- 1949The Stratton Story · as Monty StrattonActor
- 1949Malaya · as John RoyerActor
- 1950Harvey · as Elwood P. DowdActor
- 1950Winchester '73 · as Lin McAdamActor
- 1950Broken Arrow · as Tom JeffordsActor
- 1950The Jackpot · as Bill LawrenceActor
- 1950And Then There Were Four · as Self - Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1951No Highway in the Sky · as Theodore HoneyActor
- 1952The Greatest Show on Earth · as ButtonsActor
- 1952Bend of the River · as Glyn McLyntockActor
- 1952Carbine Williams · as Marsh WilliamsActor
- 1953The Naked Spur · as Howard KempActor
- 1953Thunder Bay · as Steve MartinActor
- 1954Rear Window · as L.B. JefferiesActor
- 1954The Far Country · as Jeff WebsterActor
- 1954The Glenn Miller Story · as Glenn MillerActor
- 1954Tomorrow's Drivers · as the story tellerActor
- 1954Jamboree · as SelfActor
- 1955The Man from Laramie · as Will LockhartActor
- 1955Strategic Air Command · as Robert "Dutch" HollandActor
- 1956The Man Who Knew Too Much · as Ben McKennaActor
- 1957The Spirit of St. Louis · as Charles Augustus 'Slim' LindberghActor
- 1957Night Passage · as Grant McLaineActor
- 1958Vertigo · as Det. John 'Scottie' FergusonActor
- 1958Bell, Book and Candle · as Shep HendersonActor
- 1958The All-Star Christmas Show · as SelfActor
- 1959Anatomy of a Murder · as Paul BieglerActor
- 1959The FBI Story · as John Michael ('Chip') HardestyActor
- 1960The Mountain Road · as Major BaldwinActor
- 1960Hedda Hopper's Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1961Two Rode Together · as Marshal Guthrie McCabeActor
- 1961X-15 · as Himself / Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1962The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance · as Ransom StoddardActor
- 1962How the West Was Won · as Linus RawlingsActor
- 1962Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation · as Roger HobbsActor
- 1962Flashing Spikes · as Slim ConwayActor
- 1963Take Her, She's Mine · as Frank MichaelsonActor
- 1964Cheyenne Autumn · as Wyatt EarpActor
- 1964Cheyenne Autumn Trail · as NarratorActor
- 1965The Flight of the Phoenix · as Frank TownsActor
- 1965Shenandoah · as Charlie AndersonActor
- 1965Dear Brigitte · as Professor Robert LeafActor
- 1966The Rare Breed · as Sam BurnettActor
- 1967Mondo HollywoodActor
- 1968Bandolero! · as Mace BishopActor
- 1968Firecreek · as Johnny CobbActor
- 1968The Dean Martin Christmas ShowActor
- 1970The Cheyenne Social Club · as John O'HanlanActor
- 1971Directed by John FordActor
- 1971Fools' Parade · as Mattie AppleyardActor
- 1971The American West of John Ford · as Self - NarratorActor
- 1972Harvey · as Elwood P. DowdActor
- 1972Hollywood: The Dream Factory · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1974That's Entertainment! · as Self - Host / NarratorActor
- 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1976The Shootist · as Dr. HostetlerActor
- 1976That's Entertainment, Part II · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1976CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years · as SelfActor
- 1976Sentimental JourneyActor
- 1977Airport '77 · as Philip StevensActor
- 1977The Shirley MacLaine Special: Where Do We Go from Here? · as SelfActor
- 1978The Big Sleep · as General SternwoodActor
- 1978The Magic of Lassie · as Clovis MitchellActor
- 1978Mickey's 50 · as SelfActor
- 1979All Star Tribute to Ingrid Bergman · as SelfActor
- 1980Mr. Krueger's Christmas · as Mr. KruegerActor
- 1980A Tale of Africa · as Old ManActor
- 1981All-Star Party for Burt Reynolds · as SelfActor
- 1982Night of 100 Stars · as SelfActor
- 1982Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1982Showbiz Goes to War · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1983Right of Way · as Teddy DwyerActor
- 1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1983James Bond: The First 21 Years · as SelfActor
- 1983George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business · as SelfActor
- 1983All-Star Party for Frank Sinatra · as SelfActor
- 1984All Star Party for Lucille Ball · as SelfActor
- 1984Olympic GalaActor
- 1985That's Dancing! · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1985Night of 100 Stars II · as SelfActor
- 1986Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special · as SelfActor
- 1986All Star Party for Clint Eastwood · as SelfActor
- 1987Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1987Grace Kelly: The American Princess · as SelfActor
- 1987James Stewart: A Wonderful Life · as SelfActor
- 1987A Beverly Hills Christmas · as Self - HostActor
- 1988Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC · as SelfActor
- 1989Son of Dinosaurs · as SelfActor
- 1989I Don't Even Like Apple Pie... · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1990Night of 100 Stars III · as SelfActor
- 1990The Making of 'It's a Wonderful Life' · as SelfActor
- 1991An American Tail: Fievel Goes West · as Wylie Burp (voice)Actor
- 1991Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker · as SelfActor
- 1992Fonda on Fonda · as SelfActor
- 1993La Classe américaine · as Jacques (archive footage)Actor
- 1993Dark Galaxy · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1994A Century of Cinema · as SelfActor
- 1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies · as SelfActor
- 1996No Angel: A Life of Marlene DietrichActor
- 1997Obsessed with Vertigo · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1997Frank Capra's American Dream · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1997Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas · as George Bailey (archive footage)Actor
- 1999Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2000The Making of 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2000John Wayne-A Life on Film · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2001'Rear Window' Ethics: Remembering and Restoring a Hitchcock Classic · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2001Rope Unleashed · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2002The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2003Hell's Highway: The True Story of Highway Safety Films · as Narrator (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Warner at War · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Frank Capra Jr. Remembers... You Can't Take It with You · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 20091939: Hollywood's Greatest Year · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2009The Size of Legends, The Soul of Myth · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2013John Ford & Monument Valley · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2015Discovering Jean Harlow · as archive footageActor
- 2016My Scientology Movie · as Self (archive photo)Actor
- 2017This Is Bob Hope... · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2017Stewart & Mitchum: The Two Faces of America · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2021I Am Alfred Hitchcock · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2022Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues · as Self - Glenn Miller (archive footage)Actor
- 2022Rat Pack · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2022Grace Kelly – Hollywoods tragische Prinzessin · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2023James Stewart, l'ami américainActor
- 2024The Bloody Hundredth · as Self - Pilot, 453rd Bomb Group (archive footage)Actor
- 2026It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead · as George BaileyActor
- 2026Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas · as John 'Scottie' Ferguson (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.