---
name: "James Woods"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-woods"
fi1m_id: "james-woods"
imdb_id: "nm0000249"
tmdb_id: 4512
wikidata_id: "Q193105"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 April 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 13
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-04T23:39:24.310115+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Woods

## Identity

James Woods

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-woods
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-woods
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000249
- **TMDB ID:** 4512
- **Wikidata ID:** Q193105
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Woods, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q193105, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000249/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4512

Actor. Born 18 April 1947 in Vernal, Utah, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 April 1947, Vernal, Utah, USA
- **Active:** 1974–present
- **Also known as:** James H. Woods, James Howard Woods
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 13: 11 acting, 1 producing, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Joe Pesci](https://film.one/person/joe-pesci.md), [Robert De Niro](https://film.one/person/robert-de-niro.md), [Sharon Stone](https://film.one/person/sharon-stone.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 2 Emmys (2 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 83 (1), 1980s 79 (3), 1990s 70 (5), 2000s 69 (2), 2020s 74 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 71 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 4 of 10 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Crime 5, Mystery 5, Romance 2, Science Fiction 2, Thriller 2
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $730m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Woods, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q193105, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000249/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4512

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Rockford Files*](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md) (83)
- **Tubi:** [*Casino*](https://film.one/film/casino.md) (82)
- **Disney+:** [*Hercules*](https://film.one/film/hercules.md) (75)
- **Apple TV:** [*Salvador*](https://film.one/film/salvador.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on James Woods

> James Woods gives unpleasant men a nervous energy that makes them hard to ignore. We rate the precision of his speech and behaviour, especially in *Casino*, though repeated casting as the wired hustler can become predictable.

In *Casino* (1995), James Woods plays Lester Diamond, a hustler whose sleaze is hard to overlook. The quick speech and nervous shifts of manner give us plenty to watch without giving us much reason to like him. We found Lester repellent, and enjoyed watching him more than we cared to admit, because Woods makes his hustling so energetic. Martin Scorsese gives that familiar Woods manner a fitting job to do.

The breakthrough came with Gregory Powell in *The Onion Field* (1979), a part that established his screen intensity. The 1980s gave him both leading and supporting parts, including Sergio Leone's *Once Upon a Time in America* (1984) and the reckless journalist Richard Boyle in *Salvador* (1986). By the 1990s, supporting roles were an important strand of the work. *Casino* makes a strong case for using his intensity in short stretches, where there is less opportunity for it to become tiring.

His strength is in the diction and the quick changes of manner, which give con men and outsiders recognisable human behaviour. We can understand what keeps them going without being asked to forgive them. The limitation is that repeated casting as the wired, sleazy man can make a performance feel familiar before it has begun. His voice work as Hades in *Hercules* (1997) is worth considering too, for the distinctive delivery alone.

We would not choose *Contact* (1997), in which he plays Michael Kitz, as an introduction to his work. Our enthusiasm there rests chiefly with Jodie Foster and the excitement of discovery in Robert Zemeckis's science fiction. For Woods, *Casino* offers the clearer starting point, though its repeated confrontations do wear us down. Sharon Stone makes the personal turmoil matter; Lester supplies a more concentrated dose of bad company. Begin there, provided an evening with people this unpleasant sounds like entertainment.

## Biography

James Woods is an American actor. Born on 18 April 1947 in Vernal, Utah, he is known for intense, fast-talking roles in film and on stage.

He rose to prominence with performances in *The Onion Field* (1979) and *Once Upon a Time in America* (1984). Notable film roles include Lester Diamond in *Casino* (1995), appearances in *Nixon* (1995) and *Ghosts of Mississippi* (1996), and the voice of Hades in *Hercules* (1997). On television he has starred in the series *Shark* and provided voices for *The Simpsons* and *Family Guy*.

Woods has received two Academy Award nominations, for *Salvador* (1986) and *Ghosts of Mississippi* (1996), three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (13)

### Performed in (11) — the average rests on these

- *Shark* (2006), Fi1m 55, as Sebastian Stark — [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md)
- *The Virgin Suicides* (2000), Fi1m 83, as Mr. Lisbon — [page](https://film.one/film/the-virgin-suicides.md)
- *Contact* (1997), Fi1m 76, as Michael Kitz — [page](https://film.one/film/contact.md)
- *Hercules* (1997), Fi1m 75, as Hades (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/hercules.md)
- *Casino* (1995), Fi1m 82, as Lester Diamond — [page](https://film.one/film/casino.md)
- *The Specialist* (1994), Fi1m 45, as Ned Trent — [page](https://film.one/film/the-specialist.md)
- *Fallen Angels* (1993), Fi1m 72, as Mickey Cohen — [page](https://film.one/tv/fallen-angels-1993.md)
- *Salvador* (1986), Fi1m 74, as Richard Boyle — [page](https://film.one/film/salvador.md)
- *Once Upon a Time in America* (1984), Fi1m 81, as Max — [page](https://film.one/film/once-upon-a-time-in-america.md)
- *Videodrome* (1983), Fi1m 82, as Max Renn — [page](https://film.one/film/videodrome.md)
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), Fi1m 83, as Larry Kirkoff — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)

### Produced (1)

- *Oppenheimer* (2023), Fi1m 84, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Eddington* (2025), Fi1m 64, as James Woods (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/eddington.md)

## Complete filmography (135)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Eddington* (2025), as James Woods (uncredited) — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/eddington.md)
- *Once Upon a Studio* (2023), as Hades (voice)
- *Oppenheimer* (2023), Executive Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/oppenheimer.md)
- *Justice League Action* (2016), series, as Lex Luthor / Repulse (voice), Lex Luthor (voice)
- *First Contact* (2016), as Narrator
- *Bling* (2016), as Victor (voice)
- *Jamesy Boy* (2014), as Lt. Falton
- *Jobs* (2013), as Jack Dudman
- *Ray Donovan* (2013), series, as Patrick "Sully" Sullivan
- *White House Down* (2013), as Walker
- *Mary and Martha* (2013), as Mary's Father
- *Officer Down* (2013), as Captain Verona
- *Coma* (2012), series, as Dr. Howard Stark
- *Too Big to Fail* (2011), as Dick Fuld
- *Straw Dogs* (2011), as Tom Heddon
- *Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths* (2010), as Owlman (voice)
- *Family Guy Presents: Something, Something, Something, Dark Side* (2009), as James Woods as General Veers (voice)
- *An American Carol* (2008), as Todd Grosslight
- *Surf's Up* (2007), as Reggie Belafonte (voice)
- *Shark* (2006), series, as Sebastian Stark — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md)
- *End Game* (2006), as Agent Vaughn Stevens
- *Free as a Dog* (2006), Actor
- *Ark* (2005), as Jallak (voice)
- *Buddy* (2005), as Narrator
- *Be Cool* (2005), as Tommy Athens
- *Pretty Persuasion* (2005), as Hank Joyce
- *This Girl's Life* (2004), as Pops
- *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Introduction* (2004), as Toreno (voice)
- *The Easter Egg Adventure* (2004), as Grab Takit (voice)
- *Entourage* (2004), series, as James Woods — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *Bare Knuckle Filming: The Construction of Northfork* (2003), Actor
- *Northfork* (2003), as Walter O'Brien
- *Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story* (2003), as Rudy Giuliani
- *Mickey's House of Villains* (2002), as Hades (voice)
- *Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun* (2002), as Gloomius Maximus (voice)
- *Stuart Little 2* (2002), as Falcon (voice)
- *John Q* (2002), as Dr. Raymond Turner
- *Race to Space* (2001), as Dr. Wilhelm von Huber
- *Riding in Cars with Boys* (2001), as Leonard Donofrio
- *Scary Movie 2* (2001), as Father McFeely
- *Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within* (2001), as General Hein (voice)
- *Recess: School's Out* (2001), as Dr. Phillium Benedict (voice)
- *Disney's House of Mouse* (2001), series, as Hades (voice)
- *Founding Fathers* (2000), series, as John Adams (voice)
- *Clerks* (2000), series, as Major Baklava (voice)
- *Dirty Pictures* (2000), as Dennis Barrie
- *The Virgin Suicides* (2000), as Mr. Lisbon — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-virgin-suicides.md)
- *Sensational Cities: New York* (2000), as Narrator
- *Play It to the Bone* (1999), as James Woods (Ringside Fan)
- *Any Given Sunday* (1999), as Dr. Harvey Mandrake
- *Hercules: Zero to Hero* (1999), as Hades (voice) (archive sound)
- *The General's Daughter* (1999), as Colonel Robert Moore
- *True Crime* (1999), as Alan Mann
- *Family Guy* (1999), series, as James Woods (voice), James Woods as General Veers (voice), Family Guy James Woods / Simpsons James Woods (voice) — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/family-guy.md)
- *Another Day in Paradise* (1998), as Mel · Producer
- *Vampires* (1998), as Jack Crow
- *Hercules* (1998), series, as Hades (voice)
- *AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies* (1998), series, as Narrator
- *America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Good-bye* (1998), as Narrator
- *Kicked in the Head* (1997), as Uncle Sam
- *Contact* (1997), as Michael Kitz — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/contact.md)
- *Hercules* (1997), as Hades (voice) — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/hercules.md)
- *Ghosts of Mississippi* (1996), as Byron De La Beckwith
- *The Summer of Ben Tyler* (1996), as Temple Rayburn
- *Killer: A Journal of Murder* (1996), as Carl Panzram
- *Saturday Night Special* (1996), series, Actor
- *Nixon* (1995), as H.R. Haldeman
- *Casino* (1995), as Lester Diamond — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/casino.md)
- *Indictment: The McMartin Trial* (1995), as Danny Davis
- *For Better or Worse* (1995), as Reggie Makeshift
- *The Specialist* (1994), as Ned Trent — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/the-specialist.md)
- *ER* (1994), series, as Dr. Nate Lennox — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Curse of the Starving Class* (1994), as Weston Tate
- *Next Door* (1994), as Matt Coler
- *The Getaway* (1994), as Jack Benyon
- *Jane's House* (1994), as Paul Clark
- *Fallen Angels* (1993), series, as Mickey Cohen — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/fallen-angels-1993.md)
- *Chaplin* (1992), as Joseph Scott
- *Citizen Cohn* (1992), as Roy Marcus Cohn
- *Diggstown* (1992), as Gabriel Caine
- *Straight Talk* (1992), as Jack Russell
- *The Boys* (1991), as Walter Farmer
- *The Hard Way* (1991), as John Moss
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as Dennis Youngblood
- *Women and Men: Stories of Seduction* (1990), as Robert (segment "Hills Like White Elephants")
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as James Woods (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Immediate Family* (1989), as Michael Spector
- *My Name Is Bill W.* (1989), as Bill Wilson
- *True Believer* (1989), as Eddie Dodd
- *The Boost* (1988), as Lenny Brown
- *Cop* (1988), as Lloyd Hopkins · Producer
- *Best Seller* (1987), as Cleve
- *In Love and War* (1987), as James B. Stockdale
- *Promise* (1986), as DJ
- *Salvador* (1986), as Richard Boyle — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/salvador.md)
- *Joshua Then and Now* (1985), as Joshua Shapiro
- *Cat's Eye* (1985), as Morrison
- *Badge of the Assassin* (1985), as Robert K. Tanenbaum · Assistant District Attorney
- *Once Upon a Time in America* (1984), as Max — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/once-upon-a-time-in-america.md)
- *Against All Odds* (1984), as Jake Wise
- *Videodrome* (1983), as Max Renn — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/videodrome.md)
- *The Making of David Cronenberg's Videodrome* (1982), as Interviewee
- *Split Image* (1982), as Charles Pratt
- *Fast-Walking* (1982), as Fast-Walking
- *Eyewitness* (1981), as Aldo Mercer
- *The Black Marble* (1980), as The Fiddler
- *Young Maverick - Dead Man's Hand* (1979), as Len Fraker
- *The Onion Field* (1979), as Gregory Powell
- *...And Your Name Is Jonah* (1979), as Danny Corelli
- *The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel* (1979), as Sin Eater
- *The Gift of Love* (1978), as Alfred Browning
- *The Billion Dollar Bubble* (1978), as Art Lewis
- *Holocaust* (1978), series, as Karl Weiss
- *The Choirboys* (1977), as Harold Bloomguard
- *Raid on Entebbe* (1976), as Capt. Sammy Berg
- *The Disappearance of Aimee* (1976), as Asst. Dist. Atty. Joseph Ryan
- *Alex & the Gypsy* (1976), as Crainpool
- *Distance* (1975), as Larry Vincent
- *F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood* (1975), as Leonard "Lenny" Schoenfeld
- *Foster & Laurie* (1975), as Walter The Addict
- *Welcome Back, Kotter* (1975), series, Actor
- *Night Moves* (1975), as Quentin
- *The Gambler* (1974), as Bank Officer
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Larry Kirkoff — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Caz — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *The Way We Were* (1973), as Frankie McVeigh
- *Police Story* (1973), series, Actor
- *A Great American Tragedy* (1972), as Rick
- *Hickey & Boggs* (1972), as Lt. Wyatt
- *Footsteps* (1972), as Reporter
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, Actor
- *The Rookies* (1972), series, Actor
- *The Visitors* (1972), as Bill Schmidt
- *All the Way Home* (1971), as Andrew Lynch
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Andrew Lynch · Assistant District Attorney Joseph Ryan, DJ, Temple Rayburn, Bill Wilson

## Gallery

- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-1e8b60ffbe13.jpg) James Woods — Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/James_Woods_2015.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![1993 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-65e05385b24b.jpg) 1993 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/JamesWoods-1.jpg/1280px-JamesWoods-1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![1992 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-cfc12fc0d23a.jpg) 1992 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/JamesWoods-2.jpg/1280px-JamesWoods-2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![1992 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-463cc8f35703.jpg) 1992 Emmy Awards NOTE: Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post any of my photos, but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can. Thanks. Scan (2010) — _JamesWoods-2.jpg: Alan Light
derivative work: MrPanyGoff (talk), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/JamesWoods-3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-5d4c13e7ee58.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-70b1a718cfcc.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-98d1241d9cfd.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB
- ![AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) benefit, Los Angeles- Sept. 1990- Permission granted to copy, publish or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-e97bb4cf3b98.jpg) AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) benefit, Los Angeles- Sept. 1990- Permission granted to copy, publish or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you can (2010) — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/James_Woods_%28210411648%29.jpg/1280px-James_Woods_%28210411648%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![James Woods on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards 1993 - Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you ca](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-b3e50b2c18ac.jpg) James Woods on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards 1993 - Permission granted to copy, publish, broadcast or post but please credit "photo by Alan Light" if you ca — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/James_Woods_%28251689560%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-8e4dc1f576b2.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-2367d2e5a795.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB
- ![James Woods](https://film.one/media/person/86076/gallery-e414ca071512.jpg) James Woods — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 1997: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *Ghosts of Mississippi*
- 1987: Best Actor (nominated), for *Salvador*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won

- 1989: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *My Name Is Bill W.*
- 1987: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Promise*

### Other awards — 4 won

- Daytime Emmy Award 2000: Daytime Emmy Award (won)
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1998: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)
- Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award 1996: Sitges Film Festival Best Actor award (won), for *Killer: A Journal of Murder*
- Theatre World Award 1972: Theatre World Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-woods