James Cromwell is an American actor and producer, best known for The Green Mile, I Am Robot, and Star Trek: First Contact, as well as Boardwalk Empire and American Horror Story.
Early years
James Cromwell was born in January 1940. The actor's biography began in Los Angeles, California. When James was still a child, his family moved to New York.
James Cromwell was born into a creative family. His mother is a famous theater and film actress Katherine "Kay" Johnson, his father is an actor and director John Cromwell.
After graduating from high school, James entered Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania), where he studied architecture. However, he soon left school, deciding to devote himself entirely to his acting career.
Like his parents, Cromwell loved the theater and participated in theatrical productions from childhood. He did not neglect any roles, playing both in Shakespeare's plays and in experimental performances.
The beginning of an acting career
For the first timeJames appeared on the screen in 1974, playing a small role in the television series The Dossier of Detective Rockford. A few weeks later, he landed a role on the daring sitcom All in the Family, playing Jerome Cunningham.
A year later, the actor received a small role in the detective "Dinner with Murder" directed by Robert Moore. The film was well received by critics and was even nominated for a Golden Globe.
In the 80s, James worked mainly in television. In the sitcom Night Court, the actor played the mentally ill patient Alan. He also starred in the television series The Hunter and The Twilight Zone.
In 1984, Cromwell played in the action movie "Tank" with James Garner, at the same time he worked on the comedy "Revenge of the Nerds". Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine starred in the film, and James Cromwell played the role of Mr. Skolnick. The films were popular in the US and brought the actor well-deserved fame.
1990s
In the 90s, James Cromwell's filmography was replenished with several very successful projects. For example, he starred in the family comedy "Babe: Four-Legged Baby." For this role, James was nominated for an Oscar, but did not receive a statuette.
The following year, the actor played Dr. Cochrane in the sci-fi film Star Trek: First Contact. The film was well received by critics and audiences, grossed over $145 million and was nominated for several prestigious film awards.
The actor played one of the main roles in the action movie "The Eraser" directed by Chuck Russell. The film also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vanessa Williams. It was one of the highest grossing films of 1996. "The Eraser" has not lost its popularity so far, being considered a classic of the action and thriller genres.
In 1997, Cromwell appeared in the Oscar-winning thriller L. A. Confidential. His co-stars were Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce.
In 1999, the actor played perhaps the most important role of his career - he played the head of the prison in Frank Derabont's drama "The Green Mile", based on the novel by Stephen King. It is probably impossible to find a movie buff who hasn't heard of this film. The Green Mile was nominated for four Oscars and won praise from critics and audiences alike. For the past eighteen years, the picture has consistently been in the TOP 10 best films in the history of cinema.
2000s
In 2004, the actor played Dr. Alfred Lenning in the fantasy action movie "I - Robot". The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was quite successful commercially.
James Cromwell starred in another adaptation of Stephen King - a mini-series about vampires "Salem's Lot". Fans of science fiction and horror praised both the plot of the series and the acting.
In 2007, the actor played in the fantastic film "Spider-Man 3: The Enemy in Reflection", which completed the famous Sam franchiseReimi.
It is worth noting another fantastic film in Cromwell's filmography - "Surrogates". Director Jonathan Mostow chose a strong cast for this picture - in addition to James Cromwell, Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike played in it.
Modern period
Among the recent works of James Cromwell, the television series "American Horror Story" and the crime series "Boardwalk Empire" deserve special attention. Both series received two Golden Globe Awards in different categories, winning the recognition of viewers around the world.
James Cromwell took part in the voice acting of the cartoon "City of Heroes". It was also worked on by TJ Miller, who voiced Fred, the main character Hiro spoke in the voice of Ryan Potter, and Robert Sullagan was voiced by James Cromwell. Films and series with this actor are very popular, and his participation is one of the possible reasons for the commercial success of "City of Heroes".
Private life
The actor was married three times. He has three children from his first marriage to actress Ann Alvestad. He is now married to Anna Stewart, a famous television actress.
One of the hallmarks of James Cromwell is height. The actor is much taller than his parents, his height is 1.99 m. John Cromwell, son of James from his first marriage, is even taller - his height is 2.03 m.
