James Woods
James Woods | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Woods at the 1995 Emmy Awards | |
| Born | James Howard Woods April 18, 1947 Vernal, Utah, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Pilgrim High School |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, film producer |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouses |
|
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 the legal series Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards – for television movies Promise and My Name Is Bill W., and for the animated series Hercules. He has been nominated twice for an Academy Award. His voice work has been heard in the animated series The Simpsons, Family Guy, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and in films Stuart Little 2 (as Falcon) and Disney's Hercules (as Hades).
Early life
Woods was born in Vernal, Utah.[2] His father, Gail Peyton Woods, was an army intelligence officer who died in 1960[3] after routine surgery. His mother, Martha A. (née Smith), operated a pre-school after her husband's death[4] and later married Thomas E. Dixon.[5] Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he attended Pilgrim High School. He is of part Irish descent and was raised Catholic, briefly serving as an altar boy.[6][7] He reportedly scored a perfect 800 on the verbal section of the SAT and 779 on the math section of the SAT, yielding a total score of 1579.[8][9][10] He was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy and received scholarships from Tufts University and Johns Hopkins University for both undergraduate and graduate studies, intending to go to medical school.[10]
Woods ultimately chose to pursue his undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he majored in political science[11] (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.[12] Woods has said that he became an actor thanks to Tim Affleck (father of actor Ben Affleck), who was a stage manager at the Theatre Company of Boston while Woods was a student there.[13]
Career
Theater
Woods appeared in 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. He 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.
Film and television
A prominent Hollywood character actor, Woods has appeared in over 130 films and television series as of 2013[update], beginning with his first television appearance All the Way Home in 1971 and his film debut The Visitors in 1972. He is known for his dark, intense characters. Early examples include his portrayals of a sadistic murderer in 1979's The Onion Field,[11] 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 the 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.[11] One of his favorite film roles is Max, the domineering gangster, in Sergio Leone's epic Once Upon a Time in America (1984).[14] 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. In one of his most prominent television roles, Woods starred in the CBS legal drama 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.[15][citation needed] 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 fired his agents (CAA), replacing them with ICM.[16][17] 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 Game with Cuba Gooding, Jr. He makes a cameo appearance as himself in the first episode of Entourages 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[18] nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-series or Movie.[19]
Voice work
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 the 1997 Disney film Hercules[20] and he won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 for the role in the follow-up television series (for the 1999 season). 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 six episodes of Family Guy, which is set in Woods's home state of Rhode Island. Other references in Family Guy include the local high school, James Woods High School, and a forest named James Woods briefly mentioned in "The Fat Guy Strangler". In 2004, Woods voiced Jallak in the animated film Ark and Mike Toreno in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Personal life
During a press interview for Kingdom Hearts II, Woods noted that he is an avid video game player.[21] He is an active dealer of antiques in Rhode Island.[22] Some of his favorite activities are playing golf and cooking.
Poker
Woods is an avid poker player, playing in cash games and many tournaments. He played in the WPT's Hollywood Home Game series in 2004 for the American Stroke Association charity. As of 2013[update], he has to his credit 22 major event[23] finishes, including two 2nd place, a 3rd place, and a 24th place finish (of 692) at the 2006 L.A. Poker Classic $10K final event, paying $40K.[24] 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.
Lawsuits
In 1988, Woods sued Sean Young for $2 million, accusing her of stalking him after they appeared together in the movie The Boost.[25] Young later countered that he had overreacted after she had spurned his advances on set.[26] The suit was settled out of court in August 1989.[27][28]
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.[29][30]
Activism
Politics
Woods was a vocal supporter of former U.S. President George W. Bush and the Iraq War, though he is still a registered Democrat.[31] 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.[32] In 2008, Woods appeared in David Zucker's comedy An American Carol (presented from a conservative-leaning perspective), 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.[33]
9/11
In late August 2001, Woods was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles. On the flight he noticed 4 men near him acting suspiciously. He said that they never drank anything, ordered food service or talked to anybody. They were just whispering to each other. Woods reported his suspicions to police officers at the airport and it reached the FBI[when?] 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 in preparation for the attacks.[34][35] 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 among the men that he had seen on his flight.[36]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes/Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 1976 | Barnaby Jones | Danny Reeves | Episode: Sins of Thy Father |
| The Disappearance of Aimee | Asst. Disty. Atty. Joseph Ryan | TV film | |
| Police Story | Lewis Packer | Episode: Thanksgiving | |
| Raid on Entebbe | Capt. Sammy Berg | TV film | |
| 1977 | Family | Dr. Robert Styles | Episode: An Eye to the Future |
| 1978 | Holocaust | Karl Weiss | TV miniseries |
| The Gift of Love | Alfred Browning | TV film | |
| 1979 | The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel | Sin Eater | TV film |
| 1979–80 | Young Maverick | Lem Fraker | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Badge of the Assassin | Robert K. Tannenbaum / Assistant District Attorney | TV film |
| 1986 | Promise | D.J. | TV film Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1987 | In Love and War | James B. 'Jim' Stockdale | TV film 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 film Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie |
| 1991 | The Boys | Walter Farmer | TV film |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Roy Marcus Cohn | TV film 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 film |
| Next Door | Matt Coler | TV film | |
| The Simpsons | Himself | Episode: Homer and Apu | |
| 1995 | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Danny Davis | TV film 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 |
| 1998–99 | Hercules: The Animated Series | Hades | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program |
| 2000 | Dirty Pictures | Dennis Barrie | TV film 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 film 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 |
| 2001–02 | House of Mouse | Hades | 10 episodes |
| 2005 | Odd Job Jack | Manny Kowalski | Episode: Orgy: The Musical |
| 2005–12 | Family Guy | Himself | 6 episodes |
| 2006 | ER | Dr. Nate Lennox | Episode: Body & Soul Nominated - Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series |
| Entourage | Himself | Episode: Aquamom | |
| 2006–08 | 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 film 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 | TV miniseries |
| 2013 | Mary and Martha | Tom | TV film |
| Ray Donovan | Patrick Sullivan | 6 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Hercules: Zero to Hero | Hades |
| 2005 | Mickey's House of Villains | |
| 2010 | Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths | Owlman |
| 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 | |
| 2011 | Kingdom Hearts Re:coded | |
| 2013 | Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/388663599230906368
- ^ http://www.sltrib.com/healthscience/ci_4063347
- ^ Archived 2007-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ James Woods Biography (1947–)
- ^ http://www.warwickonline.com/stories/Martha-A-Woods-Dixon,67251?town_id=1&sub_type=stories
- ^ https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/380720429855682560
- ^ McCardle, Kevin (September 17, 1999). "Face of the Day". The Herald.
- ^ http://www.wetpaint.com/network/gallery/15-celebrity-geniuses-beauty-and-brains-photos/photo/james-woods
- ^ http://www.bankrollmob.com/poker-players/james-woods
- ^ a b http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga63IBw3NPQ[dead link]
- ^ a b c 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
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ Turner Classic Movies biography, James Woods, accessed January 2, 2011
- ^ Archived 2008-02-11 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]
- ^ 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
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ PAWT RI ANTIQUES WOODS The Times
- ^ Generally, a major event is one with a prize pool of at least $10K.
- ^ "James Woods Poker Tournament Results". CardPlayer.com. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Time Out". Orlando Sentinel. August 25, 1989. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
- ^ Puig, Claudia (August 24, 1989). "Legal File". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ 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 on YouTube, 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
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1947 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Male actors from Rhode Island
- Male actors from Utah
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American Roman Catholics
- Rhode Island Democrats
- Utah Democrats
- Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners
- Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Daytime Emmy Award winners
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
- Military brats
- Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
- People from Warwick, Rhode Island
- Theatre World Award winners
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead winners