James Cromwell

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For Doris Duke's first husband, see James H. R. Cromwell.

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James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American film and television actor. Some of his more notable roles are in Babe (1995), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award of Best Supporting Actor, Star Trek: First Contact (1996), L.A. Confidential (1997), The Green Mile (1999), The Sum of All Fears (2002), The Artist (2011) and in the television series Six Feet Under (2003–2005). He has been nominated for an Oscar, three Emmy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards during his career.

Early years

Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Manhattan, New York. He is the son of actress Kay Johnson and actor, director, and producer John Cromwell, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Of English descent, he was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College and Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). Like his parents, he was drawn to the theater, performing in everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays.

Career

Cromwell's first television performance was in a 1974 episode of The Rockford Files playing Terry. A few weeks later, he began a recurring role as Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family. In 1975, he took his first lead role on television as Bill Lewis in the short-lived Hot l Baltimore, and a year later he made his film debut in Neil Simon's classic detective spoof Murder by Death.

In 1980, Cromwell guest-starred in the two-part pivotal episode "Laura Ingalls Wilder" of the long-running television series Little House on the Prairie. He played Harve Miller, one of Almanzo Wilder's (Dean Butler) old friends.

While Cromwell continued with regular television work throughout the 1980s, he made real inroads in film business for his supporting roles in the films Tank and Revenge of the Nerds. His starring roles in the 1990s critically acclaimed films Babe (1995), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), L.A. Confidential (1997), The Green Mile, and Snow Falling on Cedars (both 1999) were breakout roles for him, and made him more bankable in HollywoodTemplate:Citation needed. He also played Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot Broken Bow (the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" later reused some of the First Contact footage). He has appeared on other Star Trek television series The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, though not as Cochrane (his appearances on these shows predated his role in First Contact), he guest starred in episodes including "The Hunted", "Birthright" (Part I and II) and "Starship Down".

Cromwell also had additional success on television throughout his career. His role as newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst in the television film RKO 281 earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie. The following year, he received his second Emmy Award nomination for playing Bishop Lionel Stewart on the NBC medical drama series ER. In 2004, he guest-starred as former President D. Wire Newman in the The West Wing episode "The Stormy Present". From 2003 to 2005, Cromwell played George Sibley in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under, which earned him his third Emmy Award nomination in 2003. Along with the rest of his castmates, he was also nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2005 and 2006. The following year, Cromwell played Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in The Queen (2006), that earned Helen Mirren an Academy Award for Best Actress. He also guest starred as Phillip Bauer, father of lead character Jack, in the sixth season of the Fox thriller drama series 24.

In October 2007, Cromwell played the lead role of James Tyrone Sr. in the Druid Theatre Company's production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night, at the Gaiety in Dublin as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival's 50th Anniversary. That same year he received the King Vidor Memorial Award from the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival for his artistic achievements in film. More recently, Cromwell played George Herbert Walker Bush in Oliver Stone's W. (2008), that chronicles the rise to power of his son up until the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In an interview, Cromwell revealed that Stone had originally offered the role to Warren Beatty and Harrison Ford.

Personal life

He has long been an advocate of progressive causes.Template:Citation needed In the late 1960s, he was a member of "The Committee to Defend The Panthers", a group organized to defend 13 members of the Black Panther Party who had been imprisoned in New York on charges of conspiracy. All thirteen were eventually released. In a 2004 interview with CNN.com, Cromwell praised the Panthers. He became a vegetarian in 1974 after seeing a stockyard in Texas and experiencing the "smell, terror and anxiety." He became an ethical vegan while playing the character of Farmer Hoggett in the movie Babe in 1995. He frequently speaks out on issues regarding animal cruelty for PETA, largely the treatment of pigs. In the book Money Men, author Jeffrey Birnbaum describes how John McCain went out of his way to meet Cromwell as he advocated on Capitol Hill for funding of Native American arts education. He served as the narrator of the short film Farm to Fridge, a documentary produced by Mercy for Animals. In an October 2008 interview, he strongly attacked the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration, saying their foreign policy would "either destroy us or the entire planet."

Cromwell is known for his tall stature; at Template:Height, he is the tallest actor nominated for an Academy Award. His son John is also tall, standing at Template:Height

He was married to Anne Ulvestad from 1976 to 1986. They had three children. He married his second wife, Julie Cobb, on May 29, 1986; that marriage ended in divorce in 2005.

Cromwell endorsed the reelection campaign of Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio in 2012.

He attended the 2012 Academy Awards with Anna Stuart.

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Murder by Death	Marcel
1978	Template:Sortname	Schnell
1981	Nobody's Perfekt	Dr. Carson
1983	Template:Sortname	Realtor
1984	Template:Sortname	Officer Quick
1984	Tank	Deputy Euclid Baker
1984	Revenge of the Nerds	Mr. Skolnick	Credited as "Jamie Cromwell"
1984	Oh, God! You Devil	Priest
1985	Explorers	Mr. Müller
1986	Template:Sortname	Detective Blist
1987	Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise	Mr. Skolnick
1988	Template:Sortname	Admiral Rothman
1989	Template:Sortname	Unknown
1989	Pink Cadillac	Motel Desk Clerk
1992	Template:Sortname	Brother Mathias
1993	Romeo Is Bleeding	Cage
1995	Babe	Farmer Arthur Hoggett	Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor
1996	Eraser	William Donohue
1996	Template:Sortname	Charles Keating
1996	Star Trek: First Contact	Dr. Zefram Cochrane
1997	Owd Bob	Adam MacAdam
1997	L.A. Confidential	Captain Dudley Smith	Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1997	Template:Sortname	Granpa
1998	Species II	Senator Judson Ross
1998	Deep Impact	Alan Rittenhouse
1998	Babe: Pig in the City	Farmer Arthur Hoggett
1999	Template:Sortname	Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell	Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Suspense
1999	Template:Sortname	Priest
1999	Template:Sortname	Warden Hal Moores	Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1999	RKO 281	William Randolph Hearst
1999	Snow Falling on Cedars	Judge Fielding
2000	Space Cowboys	Bob Gerson
2002	Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron	The Colonel	Western Heritage Award (Bronze Wrangler) for Theatrical Motion Picture
2002	Template:Sortname	President J. Robert Fowler
2002	Template:Sortname	Franz
2003	Blackball	Ray Speight
2003	Template:Sortname	Walter Shepherd	Nominated – DVD Exclusive Award for Best Supporting Actor (in a DVD Premiere Movie) (2006)
2004	I, Robot	Dr. Alfred Lanning
2005	Template:Sortname	Warden Hazen	Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Bad Guy
2006	Template:Sortname	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
2007	Dante's Inferno	Virgil
2007	Becoming Jane	Reverend Austen
2007	Spider-Man 3	Captain George Stacy
2008	Tortured	Jack
2008	W.	George H. W. Bush
2009	Template:Sortname	Howard Simons
2009	Surrogates	Dr. Lionel Canter
2010	Secretariat	Ogden Phipps
2011	Template:Sortname	Clifton	Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2011	Memorial Day	Bud Vogel
2012	Flying into Love	Lyndon B. Johnson	in production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Template:Sortname	Terry	Episode 1.3: "The Countess"
1974	All in the Family	Stretch Cunningham	Appeared in three episodes
1974, 1978	Maude	Alfie Dr. Farrington	Episode 3.9: "Last Tango in Tuckahoe" Episode 6.13: "The Obscene Phone Call"
1975	Hot l Baltimore	Bill Lewis	Main cast member
1975	Barbary Coast	Roy	Episode 1.4: "The Ballad of Redwing Jail"
1976	Stranded	Jerry Holmes	Television film
1976	Insight	Norman	Episode "Jesus B.C."
1976	Template:Sortname	Glen
1976	Once an Eagle	J. L. Cleghorne	Miniseries
1977	Police Story	Lutz	Episode 4.20: "Ice Time"
1977	Template:Sortname	Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.	Television film
1977	M*A*S*H	Captain Leo Bardonaro	Episode 6.3: "Last Laugh"
1977	Three's Company	Detective Lannigan	Episode 2.9: "Chrissy's Night Out"
1977	Deadly Game	Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.	Television film
1977, 1979, 1981	Barney Miller	Sgt. Wilkinson Neil Spencer Jason Parrish Dr. Edmund Danworth	Episode 3.20: "Group Home" Episode 6.6: "Strip Joint" Episode 7.22: "Liquidation" Episode 8.5: "Stress Analyzer"
1978	Alice	Detective Ralph Hilton	Episode 3.9: "Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?"
1979	Eight Is Enough	Coach Pollard	Episode 3.23: "The Better Part of Valour"
1979	Diff'rent Strokes	Father O'Brien	Episode 2.7: "Arnold's Hero"
1979, 1980	Template:Sortname	Mr. Hamilton Art Commings	Episode 1.13: "Mainstream" Episode 2.22: "The Death of Me Yet?"
1980	Flo	Leon	Episodes 1.1: "Homecoming" and 1.4: "Take My Sister, Please"
1980	Little House on the Prairie	Harve Miller	Episodes 7.1: "Laura Ingalls Wilder: Part 1" and 7.2: "Laura Ingalls Wilder: Part 2"
1980	Template:Sortname	Reverend Lohman	Television film
1981	Barefoot in the Park	Harry Pepper	Television film
1982	Template:Sortname	Noah Curry	Television film
1982	Nurse	Paul Moore	Episode 2.9: "A Place to Die"
1982	Template:Sortname	Francisek	Television film
1982	Born to the Wind	Fish Belly
1982	Father Murphy	Farley Webster	Episodes 2.5: "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 1" and 2.6: "The Reluctant Runaway: Part 2"
1984	Buffalo Bill	Unknown	Episode 2.2: "Jerry Lewis Week"
1984	Gimme a Break!	Russell Cosgrove	Episode 3.22: "Class of '84"
1984	Spraggue	Lieutenant Hurley	Television film
1984	Earthlings	Simon Games	Television film
1984–85	Dallas	Gerald Kane	Appeared in three episodes
1985	Night Court	Alan	Episode 2.14: "Nuts About Harry"
1985	Family Ties	John Hancock	Episode 3.15: "Philadelphia Story"
1985	Riptide	Joey Dietz	Episode 2.17: "Girls Night Out"
1985	Hardcastle and McCormick	Jake Fellows	Episode 2.20: "Undercover McCormick"
1985	Knight Rider	Curtis	Episode 3.18: "Ten Wheel Trouble"
1985	Wildside	Fake Buffalo Bill	Episode 1.5: "Buffalo Who?"
1985	Hill Street Blues	Lowenhandler	Episode 5.23: "Grin and Bear It"
1985	Hunter	Seymour Robbins	Episode 1.19: "Sniper"
1985	Template:Sortname	Obediah Payne	Episode 1.6: "Examination Day/A Message from Charity"
1985–86	Scarecrow and Mrs. King	Gregory	Episodes 3.4: "Tail of the Dancing Weasel" and 3.18: "Wrong Number"
1986	Amazing Stories	Francis	Episode 1.15: "One for the Road"
1986	Magnum, P.I.	French Policeman	Episode 6.21: "Photo Play"; uncredited
1986	Template:Sortname	Chief Bludhorn
1986	Dream West	Major General David Hunter	Miniseries
1987	Easy Street	Quentin Standard	Episode 1.13: "Frames and Dames"
1987	Alison's Demise	Humboldt Hobson	Television film
1988	China Beach	Ambassador at Large Roland Weymouth	Pilot
1988	Mr. Belvedere	Roy Gallagher	Episode 5.1: "Fat Cats"
1988	Mama's Boy	Unknown
1989	Christine Cromwell	Arthur	Episode 1.1: "Things That Go Bump in the Night"
1990	Life Goes On	Bill Henderson	Episode 1.13: "Thacher and Henderson"
1990	Miracle Landing	B.J. Cocker	Television film
1990	Matlock	Judge Raymond Price	Episode 5.2: "Nowhere to Turn"
1990, 1993	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Prime Minister Nayrok Jaglom Shrek	Episode 3.11: "The Hunted" Episodes 6.16: "Birthright: Part 1" and 6.17: "Birthright: Part 2"
1991	Template:Sortname	Jacob	Episode 2.14: "The Peacemakers"
1991	Jake and the Fatman	Havilland	Episode 4.19: "It Never Entered My Mind"
1991	In a Child's Name	Unknown	Television film
1992	Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation	Mr. Skolnick	Television film; credited as "Jamie Cromwell"
1994	Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love	Mr. Skolnick	Television film; credited as "Jamie Cromwell"
1994	Template:Sortname	Charlie 'the Robber' Mulvihill	Television film
1994	Home Improvement	Fred	Episode 4.9: "My Dinner with Wilson"
1995	Renegade	Jeremy Sullivan	Episode 3.15: "Stalker's Moon"
1995	Picket Fences	The Bishop	Episode 3.20: "Saint Zach"
1995	Indictment: The McMartin Trial	Judge Pounders	Television film
1995	Hawkeye	Unknown	Episode 1.17: "The Visit"
1995	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Hanok	Episode 4.7: "Starship Down"
1995–96	Partners	Mr. Saxonhouse	Episodes 1.11: "Do We Have to Write You a Check?" and 1.18: "Can We Keep Her, Dad?"
1996	Strange Luck	Minister	Episode 1.13: "Healing Hands"
1996	Template:Sortname	Officer Joe Denton	Episode 1.17: "The High Ground"
1999	Template:Sortname	John Edgerson	Television film
1999	RKO 281	William Randolph Hearst	Television film Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor – Miniseries or a Movie
2000	Fail Safe	Gordon Knapp	Television play
2001	ER	Bishop Stewart	Appeared in four episodes Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Drama Series
2001	Star Trek: Enterprise	Dr. Zefram Cochrane	Episode 1.1: "Broken Bow: Part 1" Cromwell also appeared in archive footage in Episode 4.18: "In a Mirror, Darkly"
2001	Citizen Baines	Senator Elliot Baines	Appeared in all seven episodes
2002	Template:Sortname	Joel Lynch	Television film
2002	Template:Sortname	Major Amberson	Television film
2002	RFK	President Lyndon B. Johnson
2003	Angels in America	Henry	Miniseries; chapters 1 and 4
2003–05	Six Feet Under	George Sibley	Appeared in 27 episodes Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – Drama Series Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2005–06)
2004	Template:Sortname	President D. Wire Newman	Episode 5.10: "The Stormy Present"
2004	'Salem's Lot	Father Donald Callahan	Miniseries
2005	Pope John Paul II	Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha
2006	Avenger	Paul Devereaux	Television film
2007	24	Phillip Bauer	Appeared in eight episodes
2007	Masters of Science Fiction	Randolph Ludwin	Episode 1.6: "Watchbird"
2008	Hit Factor	Orson Fierce	Also producer
2008	My Own Worst Enemy	Alistar Trumble	Appeared in six episodes
2009	Strikeout	Director	Television film
2009	Impact	Lloyd	Miniseries
2009	Template:Sortname	Hank Paulson	Docu-drama
2010	Sotto il Cielo di Roma(Under the Roman Sky)	Pope Pius XII	Two Episodes
2012	American Horror Story	Dr. Arden

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Long Day's Journey into Night	James Tyrone, Sr.	Druid Theatre
2012	Waiting for Godot	Pozzo	Center Theatre Group

Further reading

• "Cover Biography for August 2005: James Cromwell", Current Biography, August 2005

External links

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