James Woods

6QpG...jFZi

15 Feb 2024

James Woods

James Howard Woods, born April 18, 1947, is a highly acclaimed American actor known for his fast-talking intense roles on stage and screen. Throughout his career, Woods has received numerous awards and nominations, including three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Woods began his career with minor roles on and off-Broadway before making his Broadway debut in "The Penny Wars" (1969), followed by performances in "Borstal Boy" (1970), "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine" (1971), and "Moonchildren" (1972). His early film roles include appearances in "The Visitors" (1972), "The Way We Were" (1973), and "Night Moves" (1975). He gained prominence portraying Gregory Powell in "The Onion Field" (1979) and received critical acclaim for his performances in "Videodrome" (1983), "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), and "Nixon" (1995).

Woods earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his role in "Salvador" (1986) and Best Supporting Actor for "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996). He also served as an executive producer on the Christopher Nolan biographical drama film "Oppenheimer" (2023). Woods has won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his roles in "Promise" (1987) and "My Name Is Bill W." (1989). He has portrayed notable figures such as Roy Cohn in "Citizen Cohn" (1992) and Dick Fuld in "Too Big to Fail" (2011).
In addition to his film and television work, Woods has provided voice roles for animated films such as "Hercules" (1997), "Recess: School's Out" (2001), "Stuart Little 2" (2002), and "Surf's Up" (2007). He has also voiced himself several times on the animated series "Family Guy" (2005-present).

James Howard Woods was born on April 18, 1947, in Vernal, Utah. He had a younger brother who was ten years his junior. His father, Gail Peyton Woods, served as an army intelligence officer but tragically passed away in 1960 following routine surgery. After her husband's death, Woods's mother, Martha A. Woods (née Smith), ran a preschool and later remarried to Thomas E. Dixon. The family eventually settled in Warwick, Rhode Island, where Woods attended Pilgrim High School and graduated in 1965.
Raised Catholic, Woods briefly served as an altar boy during his youth. He is of part Irish descent. After high school, Woods pursued higher education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he initially intended to become an eye surgeon. At MIT, he became a member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity and actively participated in the student theater group, Dramashop, where he both acted in and directed numerous plays.
However, Woods's passion for acting led him to drop out of MIT in 1969, just one semester short of graduating, in order to pursue a career in acting. He has credited Tim Affleck, the father of actors Ben and Casey Affleck, who served as a stage manager at the Theatre Company of Boston, for helping him kickstart his acting career.

James Woods' career in acting began with a remarkable stage presence, appearing in 36 plays before making his Broadway debut in 1970 at the Lyceum Theatre. He starred in the first American production of Frank McMahon’s adaptation of Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy, securing the role by convincingly pretending to be British. The following year, he returned to Broadway to portray David Darst in Daniel Berrigan's The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, also at the Lyceum Theatre. Woods continued to showcase his talent on stage, playing Bob Rettie in the American premiere of Michael Weller's Moonchildren in 1971 at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., which later moved to Broadway. For his performance, Woods won a Theatre World Award in 1972. He returned to Broadway in 1973 to portray Steven Cooper in the original production of Jean Kerr's Finishing Touches at the Plymouth Theatre.
While establishing himself as a theater actor, Woods also began making a name for himself in Hollywood. By the early 1970s, he started landing small roles in films, including his feature film debut in Elia Kazan's The Visitors and a role as Barbra Streisand's boyfriend in The Way We Were.
In 1978, Woods played the husband of Meryl Streep in the critically acclaimed miniseries Holocaust. His portrayal earned him recognition and praise, setting the stage for his future success. In 1979, he starred in The Onion Field as murderer Gregory Powell, receiving acclaim for his performance and garnering nominations for Best Actor awards from various prestigious organizations.

James Woods delivered notable performances throughout the 1980s, showcasing his versatility as an actor in various genres.
In Sergio Leone's epic crime drama Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Woods portrayed Maximillian "Max" Bercovicz, a Jewish gangster. His performance in the film, alongside Robert De Niro and Tuesday Weld, is regarded as one of his favorites. The film premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival to critical acclaim, receiving a lengthy standing ovation. Woods' role earned praise, contributing to the film's success.
He also starred in Against All Odds (1984) as a nightclub owner opposite Jeff Bridges. In Oliver Stone's drama Salvador (1986), Woods portrayed real-life journalist Richard Boyle in his coverage of events in El Salvador. His performance garnered him critical acclaim, winning him the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor and earning him his first Academy Award nomination.

In 1987, Woods won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his role in the television film Promise (1986), where he played a disabled man alongside James Garner and Piper Laurie. He won his second Primetime Emmy Award in 1989 for his portrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill W. in the television drama film My Name is Bill W., starring James Garner and Gary Sinise.
Woods continued to impress with his portrayal of a man struggling with cocaine addiction in The Boost (1988), earning praise from critics for his intense and convincing performance. Roger Ebert hailed Woods as one of the most intense and unpredictable actors in Hollywood, capable of portraying complex characters with depth and authenticity.
Additionally, Woods showcased his versatility by hosting Saturday Night Live in 1989 and starring alongside Glenn Close in the family drama Immediate Family (1989), further solidifying his reputation as a talented and respected actor in both film and television.