James Woods
| James Woods | |
|---|---|
 Woods at the 1995 Emmy Awards |
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| Born | James Howard Woods April 18, 1947 Vernal, Utah, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pilgrim High School |
| Alma mater | MIT |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kathryn Morrison (1980–83) Sarah Owen (1989–90) |
James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American film, stage and television actor. After his first Golden Globe nomination for a breakthrough role in The Onion Field (1979), Woods starred in Once Upon a Time in America, the Oliver Stone films Salvador and Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, and in legal series Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards (for tele-movies Promise and My Name Is Bill W., and for the animated series of Hercules). He has been twice nominated for an Academy Award. His voice work has been heard in the animated series Family Guy, The Simpsons, Disney movie Hercules as Hades and the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
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Early life [edit]
Woods was born in Vernal, Utah. His father, Gail Peyton Woods, was an army intelligence officer who died in 1960[1] following routine surgery. His mother, Martha A. (née Smith), operated a pre-school after her husband's death[2] and later married Thomas E. Dixon.[3] Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended Pilgrim High School.
At school Woods was considered a genius for his age, receiving a 800 on the math section of the SAT, the only person to do so in his grade[citation needed]. Woods was heavily involved in science and math clubs at his school, heading two of them. He also received a full scholarship to UCLA to study linear algebra[citation needed].
Woods chose to pursue his undergraduate studies at MIT, where he majored in political science[4] (though he originally planned on a career as an eye surgeon). While at MIT, Woods pledged to Theta Delta Chi Fraternity. He was also an active member of the student theatre group 'Dramashop' where he both acted in and directed a number of plays. In order to pursue a career in acting, he dropped out of MIT in 1969 before his graduation.[5] Woods has said that he became an actor because of the father of actor Ben Affleck, Tim Affleck, who was a stage manager at the Theatre Company of Boston while Woods was a student there.[6]
Career [edit]
Woods did 36 plays before making his Broadway debut in 1970 at the Lyceum Theatre, in the first US production of Frank McMahon's Borstal Boy, he got the part by pretending he was British and returned to Broadway the following year to portray David Darst in Daniel Berrigan's The Trial of the Catonsville Nine. In 1971, he played Bob Rettie in the American premiere of Michael Weller's Moonchildren at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. The production moved to Broadway the following year and Woods won a Theatre World Award for his performance. He returned to Broadway in 1973 to portray Steven Cooper in the original production of Jean Kerr's Finishing Touches. Since then, he has worked regularly as an actor for film and television.[4] In 1975, he portrayed an arrogant high school drama teacher and debate team leader in the television sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.
Woods is a prominent Hollywood character actor. He is known for his dark, intense characters. Early examples include his portrayals of a sadistic murderer in 1979's The Onion Field,[4] and of serial killer Carl Panzram in 1994's Killer: A Journal of Murder. He appeared in an episode of The Rockford Files, playing a son whose parents were murdered.
He has been twice nominated for an Academy Award: first, for Best Actor, for playing a journalist chronicling events in El Salvador in early Oliver Stone film Salvador (1986), and again in 1996, for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance as real-life white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith in drama Ghosts of Mississippi.[4]
One of his favorite film roles is Max, the domineering gangster, in Sergio Leone's epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984).[7] In 1995, Woods took the role of pimp Lester Diamond in Martin Scorsese's Casino. That same year, he portrayed H. R. Haldeman in Nixon, the biopic of Richard M. Nixon, directed by Oliver Stone.
One of his most prominent television roles to date saw him starring in CBS legal drama TV series Shark, which ran for two seasons between 2006 and 2008. He played an infamous defense lawyer who, after growing disillusioned when his client commits a murder, becomes a successful prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
He was briefly considered for the role of The Joker by director Tim Burton and screenwriter Sam Hamm for the 1989 film Batman. Hamm recalls that he and Burton thought, "James Woods would be good and wouldn't need any makeup, which would save a couple of hours' work every morning." The role ended up going to Jack Nicholson.[8] Quentin Tarantino wrote a part in Reservoir Dogs with Woods in mind, but Woods' agent rejected the script without showing it to the actor. When Woods learned of this some time later, he considered firing his agent.[9][10] Woods was also considered for the part of Donald Kimball in American Psycho, but he turned it down. The part was given to Willem Dafoe. In 2006, Woods starred in the political thriller End Gamewith Cuba Gooding, Jr. and makes a cameo of himself in the premiere episode of Entourage's third season. In 2011, Woods appeared as Richard S. Fuld, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Lehman Brothers, in HBO's Too Big to Fail, for which he gained an Emmy Award[11] nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-series or Movie.[12]
Voiceover work [edit]
Woods has lent his voice talents to many animated television shows and feature films. He garnered critical praise for his voice work as Hades in 1997 Disney film Hercules,[13] he won for an Daytime Emmy Award after reprising the role in a follow-up television series. He also voiced Phillium Benedict, the twisted former headmaster who attempts to abolish summer vacation in the 2001 film, Recess: School's Out. He also appeared as a fictional version of himself in the episode of The Simpsons entitled "Homer and Apu" and in five episodes of Family Guy, which is set in Woods' native state of Rhode Island. Woods also lent his voice talents to Family Guy episode "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side" (a parody of The Empire Strikes Back). Other references in Family Guy include the local high school, James Woods High School, and a forest briefly mentioned in "The Fat Guy Strangler" named James Woods. In 2004, Woods played the character Jallak in the animated film Ark. In the movie Surf's Up, he voices the animated otter who recruits surfers and pits them against each other, and he voices the falcon in Stuart Little 2. In the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, he voiced the undercover agent Mike Toreno.
Personal life [edit]
During a press interview for Kingdom Hearts II, Woods noted that he is an avid video game player.[14] He is an active dealer of antiques in Rhode Island.[15] Some of his favorite activities are playing golf and cooking.
Poker [edit]
Woods plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the American Stroke Association charity. In 2006, he finished in 24th place out of 692 at the L.A. Poker Classic for $40,000. Woods has shared an endorsement for the online poker website Hollywood Poker which is run in conjunction with Ongame Network, and "co hosted" with poker enthusiast Vince Van Patten. He plays poker at Hollywood Poker and contributes content to the website. James Woods is a "regular" at the Poker Room in Foxwoods Resort and Casino.
Lawsuits [edit]
In 1988, Woods sued Sean Young for $2 million, accusing her of stalking him after they appeared together in the movie The Boost.[16] Young later countered that he had overreacted after she had spurned his advances on set.[17] The suit was settled out of court in 1989 when Woods paid Sean Young $250,000.[18] On July 26, 2006, Woods' younger brother, Michael Jeffrey Woods, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 49. James Woods sued Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island, alleging negligence. The suit was settled in 2009.[19][20]
Activism [edit]
Politics [edit]
Woods was a vocal supporter of former U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq War, though he is still a registered Democrat.[21] He is a supporter of former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Woods lobbied hard to play Giuliani in the biopic Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story, and considers the role one of the favorites of his career.[22] In 2008, Woods appeared in David Zucker's comedy An American Carol, along with active Republican actors Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Farley, and Leslie Nielsen.
Woods's name was in an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times (August 17, 2006) that condemned Hamas and Hezbollah and supported Israel in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.[23]
9/11 [edit]
In late August 2001, James Woods was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles, California. On the flight Woods noticed 4 men nearby him acting suspiciously. He said that they never drank anything, ordered food, service or talked to anybody. They were just whispering to each other as if they were planning something secret. James Woods reported his suspicions to police officers at the Airport and it reached the FBI but they did not worry or take it seriously. When the September 11 Attacks occurred about two weeks later, Woods believed that he had encountered 4 of the 19 terrorists/hijackers that were just on the flight to study it for the 9/11 disaster.[24][25] Woods has been interviewed several times by FBI agents regarding this incident. Woods has confirmed that he looked at pictures of the hijackers and has identified two terrorists as being some of the men that he had seen on the flight.[26]
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes/Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Footsteps | Reporter | (TV movie) |
| 1974 | Kojak | Caz | Episode: "Death Is Not a Passing Grade" |
| The Rockford Files | Larry Kirkoff | Episode: "The Kirkoff Case" | |
| 1975 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Alex Welles | Episode: "The Great Debate" |
| The Streets of San Francisco | Doug | Episode: "Trail of Terror" | |
| The Rookies | Ted Ayres | Episode: "A Time to Mourn" | |
| Foster and Laurie | Walter the Addict | (TV movie) | |
| 1976 | F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood | Leonard 'Lenny' Schoenfeld | (TV movie) |
| Barnaby Jones | Danny Reeves | Episode: "Sins of Thy Father" | |
| The Disappearance of Aimee | Asst. Disty. Atty. Joseph Ryan | (TV movie) | |
| Police Story | Lewis Packer | Episode: "Thanksgiving" | |
| Raid on Entebbe | Capt. Sammy Berg | (TV movie) | |
| 1977 | Family | Dr. Robert Styles | Episode: "An Eye to the Future" |
| 1978 | Holocaust | Karl Weiss | (TV miniseries) |
| The Gift of Love | Alfred Browning | (TV movie) | |
| 1979 | The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel | Sin Eater | (TV movie) |
| ...And Your Name Is Jonah | Danny Corelli | (TV movie) | |
| 1979-1980 | Young Maverick | Lem Fraker | |
| 1985 | Badge of the Assassin | Robert K. Tannenbaum / Assistant District Attorney | (TV movie) |
| 1986 | Promise | D.J. | (TV movie) Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1987 | In Love and War | James B. 'Jim' Stockdale | (TV movie) Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV |
| 1989 | My Name Is Bill W. | Bill Wilson | (TV movie) Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1991 | The Boys | Walter Farmer | (TV movie) |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Roy Marcus Cohn | (TV movie) Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Nominated - CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries |
| 1993 | Dream On | Dennis Youngblood | Episode: "Oral Sex, Lies and Videotape" |
| Fallen Angels | Mickey Cohen | Episode: "Since I Don't Have You" | |
| 1994 | Jane's House | Paul Clark | (TV movie) |
| Next Door | Matt Coler | (TV movie) | |
| The Simpsons | as himself | Episode: Homer and Apu | |
| 1995 | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Danny Davis | (TV movie) Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Nominated - CableACE Award for Best Actor in a Movie or Miniseries |
| 1998-1999 | Hercules: The Animated Series | Hades | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program |
| 2000 | Dirty Pictures | Dennis Barrie | (TV movie) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries |
| 2001 | Clerks: The Animated Series | Major Baklava | Episode: "Leonardo Is Caught in the Grip of an Outbreak of Randal's Imagination and Patrick Swayze Either Does or Doesn't Work in the New Pet Store" |
| 2003 | Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story | Rudolph 'Rudy' Giuliani | (TV movie) Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 2001-2003 | House of Mouse | Hades | |
| 2005 | Odd Job Jack | Manny Kowalski | Episode: "Orgy: The Musical" |
| 2005-2012 | Family Guy | Himself | Episodes: "Peter's Got Woods" "Back to the Woods" "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side" "Brian Griffin's House of Payne" "And Then There Were Fewer" "Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream" |
| 2006 | ER | Dr. Nate Lennox | Episode: "Body & Soul" Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
| Entourage | Himself | Episode: "Aquamom" | |
| 2006-2008 | Shark | Sebastian Stark | Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Series, Drama |
| 2009 | iCarly | Security Guard #2 | Episode: "iWant My Website Back" |
| 2011 | Too Big to Fail | Richard Fuld | (TV movie) Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries |
| 2012 | Coma | Dr. Theodore Stark | A&E (TV channel) miniseries based on the novel of the same name |
| 2013 | Mary and Martha | Tom | (TV movie) |
| Ray Donovan | Patrick Sullivan |
Video games [edit]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Kingdom Hearts | Hades |
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Mike Toreno |
| 2005 | Kingdom Hearts II | Hades |
| 2006 | Scarface: The World Is Yours | George Sheffield Nominated - Spike Video Game Award for Best Supporting Male Performance |
| 2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ | Hades |
| 2010 | Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep | |
| Kingdom Hearts Re:coded |
References [edit]
- ^ Warwick Online: Michael Woods remembered for a smile, and a laugh
- ^ James Woods Biography (1947–)
- ^ http://www.warwickonline.com/stories/Martha-A-Woods-Dixon,67251?town_id=1&sub_type=stories
- ^ a b c d Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, 2000
- ^ New York Times Service, published by New York Times and Arno press, 1989, page 788
- ^ Lidz, Franz (10 February 2000), "FILM; Ben Affleck Shocker: I Bargained With Devil for Fame", New York Times, retrieved 4 March 2012
- ^ Turner Classic Movies biography, James Woods, accessed January 2, 2011
- ^ Batmanmovieonline.com
- ^ Hollywood's new radicalism: war, globalisation and the movies from Reagan to George W. Bush, by Ben Dickenson, 2006, page 157
- ^ Film voices: Interviews From Post Script, by Gerald Duchovnay, 2004, pages 244–245
- ^ James Woods Emmy Nominated
- ^ 2011 Emmy Nominations List: 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations Announced, Huffington Post, July 14, 2011. Accessed July 15, 2011
- ^ New York Magazine, July 7, 1997, page 54
- ^ YouTube.com
- ^ PAWT RI ANTIQUES WOODS The Times
- ^ newspaper article, Woods Suit May be Settled, by Anne Trebbe, USA Today, August 23, 1989
- ^ "Young Revisits 20-Year-Old James Woods Harassment Controversy," ContactMusic.com, 17 September 2007
- ^ newspaper column, Time Out, Orlando Sentinel, August 25, 1989
- ^ James Woods – Shark Halted After Woods' Brother Dies, ContactMusic.com, July 28, 2006
- ^ James Woods settles suit over brother’s death, by Associated Press, published by MSNBC.com, December 1, 2009
- ^ Reiter, Amy Woods on Fire, Front Page Magazine, Originally published in Salon.com August 1, 2003
- ^ Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story (2003) (TV)
- ^ "Nicole Kidman and 84 Others Stand United Against Terrorism" Hollywood Grind. 18 August 2006.
- ^ Interview with james Woods, Fox News, Available on YouTube, added July 21, 2007
- ^ Newspaper article, Probe reconstructs horror, calculated attacks on planes, by Glen Johnson, Boston Globe Staff, November 23, 2001
- ^ James Woods Reported Suspicious Passengers to FBI, ABC News.com, September 19, 2001
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Woods |
- James Woods at the Internet Movie Database
- James Woods at the Internet Broadway Database
- James Woods at Emmys.com
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- 1947 births
- 20th-century American actors
- 21st-century American actors
- Actors from Rhode Island
- Actors from Utah
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners
- Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Daytime Emmy Award winners
- Living people
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
- Military brats
- People from Vernal, Utah
- People from Warwick, Rhode Island
- Theatre World Award winners
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead winners
