James Cromwell
James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Zefram Cochrane in “Star Trek: First Contact,” as well as his roles in “Babe,” “L.A. Confidential,” and “Spider-Man 3.” He has been nominated for an Oscar, three Emmy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards during his career. Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Manhattan, New York. He was adopted by actress Kay Johnson and actor, director and producer John Cromwell, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College and Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he studied engineering. Like both his parents, he was drawn to the theater, doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He has long been an advocate of leftist causes. In an October 2008 interview, he strongly attacked the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration, saying their controversial foreign policy would "either destroy us or the entire planet." 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. Cromwell was married to Anne Ulvestad from 1976 to 1986. They had three children. He married his second wife, Julie Cobb, on May 29, 1986.
Known For
Credits
- 2025 · BAT-FAM as Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth (voice)
- 2024 · Murder in a Small Town as George Wilcox
- 2024 · Rebel Ridge as Judge
- 2024 · Sugar as Jonathan Siegel
- 2023 · Merry Little Batman as Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
- 2020 · Emperor as John Brown
- 2019 · The Laundromat as Joseph David Martin
- 2019 · The Family as Douglas Coe
- 2017 · Marshall as The Judge
- 2016 · 50 Years of Star Trek as Self
- 2012 · A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington as Self - Interviewee
- 2012 · La Classe américaine as Self
- 2012 · The Artist: The Making of an American Romance as Self
- 2012 · Soldiers of Fortune as Haussman
- 2011 · Admissions as The Clerk
- 2009 · Beyond All Boundaries as Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift / Fleet Admiral William Halsey
- 2009 · The Last Days of Lehman Brothers as Hank Paulson
- 2009 · Impact as Lloyd
- 2008 · My Own Worst Enemy as Alistair Trumbull
- 2007 · Dante's Inferno as Virgil (voice)
- 2007 · The Making of 'The Queen' as Self
- 2006 · The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird as Self
- 2005 · Pope John Paul II as Cardinal Adam Sapieha
- 2005 · Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy as Narrator
- 2004 · Salem's Lot as Donald Callahan
- 2003 · The Snow Walker as Walter "Shep" Shepherd
- 2002 · RFK as President Lyndon Baines Johnson
- 2002 · Project Viper as MP 1
- 2000 · Space Cowboys as Bob Gerson
- 1999 · The Bachelor as Priest
- 1999 · A Slight Case of Murder as John Edgarson
- 1999 · The General's Daughter as General Joseph Campbell
- 1998 · Babe: Pig in the City as Farmer Arthur Hoggett
- 1995 · The Client as Officer Joe Denton
- 1995 · Indictment: The McMartin Trial as Judge Pounders
- 1992 · Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation as Mr. Skolnick
- 1990 · Miracle Landing as B.J. Cocker
- 1989 · Christine Cromwell as
- 1989 · Pink Cadillac as Motel Desk Clerk
- 1984 · Spraggue as Lt. George Hurley
- 1984 · The House of God as Officer Quick
- 1982 · The Wall as Francisek
- 1978 · The Cheap Detective as Schnell
- Future · Get Lost as Frederick (Red King)
- 2022 · Prancer: A Christmas Tale as Bud
- 2021 · The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek as Self
- 2021 · Law & Order: Organized Crime as Miles Darman
- 2020 · Star Trek: Lower Decks as Dr. Zefram Cochrane (voice)
- 2020 · Operation Buffalo as Cranky
- 2020 · Never Too Late as Jack Bronson
- 2019 · The Immortal as Grandfather
- 2019 · That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars as Self
- 2019 · Countdown to Year Zero as
- 2018 · Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as Benjamin Lockwood
- 2018 · Succession as Ewan Roy
- 2017 · Counterpart as Yanek
- 2016 · The Promise as Henry Morgenthau Sr.
- 2016 · The Young Pope as Cardinal Michael Spencer
- 2016 · Berlin Station as Gilbert Dorn
- 2016 · The Detour as J.R.
- 2016 · The Perfect Crime: Leopold & Loeb as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2014 · Walking the Mile as Self
- 2014 · Big Hero 6 as Professor Robert Callaghan (voice)
- 2014 · In Between Songs as Narrator
- 2014 · Murder in the First as Warren Daniels
- 2014 · Halt and Catch Fire as Jacob Wheeler
- 2013 · The Trials of Cate McCall as Justice Sumpter
- 2012 · Still Mine as Craig Morrison
- 2012 · Hollywood as Character: The Locations of The Artist as Himself
- 2012 · Cowgirls n' Angels as Terence Parker
- 2011 · Hide Away as The Ancient Mariner
- 2011 · The Artist as Clifton
- 2011 · American Horror Story as Dr. Arthur Arden
- 2011 · Memorial Day as Bud Vogel
- 2011 · Farm to Fridge as Narrator
- 2010 · Sotto il cielo di Roma as Pope Pius XII
- 2010 · Pope Pius XII as Pope Pius XII
- 2010 · Boardwalk Empire as Andrew W. Mellon
- 2010 · Secretariat as Ogden Phipps
- 2009 · Surrogates as Dr. Lionel Canter
- 2009 · Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil as Self
- 2009 · A Lonely Place for Dying as Howard Simons
- 2008 · W. as George H.W. Bush
- 2008 · Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' as Self
- 2008 · Tortured as Jack
- 2007 · Masters of Science Fiction as
- 2007 · Spider-Man 3 as Captain Stacy
- 2007 · Becoming Jane as Mr. Austen
- 2007 · Looking For Else as Self
- 2006 · The Queen as Prince Philip
- 2006 · King Leopold's Ghost as
- 2006 · Avenger as Paul Devereaux
- 2005 · The Longest Yard as Warden Hazen
- 2004 · Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde as Self
- 2004 · I, Robot as Dr. Alfred Lanning
- 2003 · Angels in America as Roy's Doctor
- 2003 · A Carol Christmas as Ghost of Christmas Future (uncredited)
- 2003 · Blackball as Ray Speight
- 2003 · The John Garfield Story as Self
- 2002 · The Sum of All Fears as President Fowler
- 2002 · Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron as The Colonel (voice)
- 2002 · A Death in the Family as Joel Lynch
- 2002 · The Magnificent Ambersons as Major Amberson
- 2001 · 24 as Phillip Bauer
- 2001 · Citizen Baines as
- 2001 · Six Feet Under as George Sibley
- 2000 · Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile as Self / Warden Hal Moores
- 2000 · Fail Safe as Gordon Knapp
- 2000 · RKO 281 as William Randolph Hearst
- 1999 · Snow Falling on Cedars as Judge Fielding
- 1999 · The Green Mile as Warden Hal Moores
- 1999 · The West Wing as President D. Wire Newman
- 1999 · The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn as Self - Guest
- 1998 · Deep Impact as Alan Rittenhouse
- 1998 · Species II as Senator Ross
- 1998 · Owd Bob as Adam MacAdam
- 1997 · The Education of Little Tree as Nonno
- 1997 · L.A. Confidential as Dudley Smith
- 1996 · The People vs. Larry Flynt as Charles Keating
- 1996 · Star Trek: First Contact as Dr. Zefram Cochrane
- 1996 · Eraser as William Donohue
- 1995 · Partners as
- 1995 · Babe as Farmer Hoggett
- 1994 · The Shaggy Dog as Charlie Mulvihill
- 1994 · ER as Bishop Stewart
- 1994 · Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds In Love as Mr. Skolnick
- 1993 · Romeo Is Bleeding as Cage
- 1993 · Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Hanok
- 1992 · The Babe as Brother Mathias
- 1991 · Home Improvement as Fred
- 1990 · American Dreamer as
- 1989 · The Runnin' Kind as Uncle Phil
- 1988 · The Rescue as Adm. Rothman
- 1988 · China Beach as
- 1988 · China Beach: Pilot as Ambassador at Large Roland Weymouth
- 1987 · Star Trek: The Next Generation as Prime Minister Nayrok
- 1987 · Star Trek: The Next Generation as Jaglom Shrek
- 1987 · Jake and the Fatman as
- 1987 · Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise as Mr. Skolnick
- 1986 · Easy Street as
- 1986 · A Fine Mess as Detective Blist
- 1986 · Matlock as
- 1986 · The Last Precinct as Chief Bludhorn
- 1985 · Amazing Stories as Francis
- 1985 · The Twilight Zone as (segment "A Message From Charity")
- 1985 · Explorers as Mr. Müller
- 1985 · Wildside as
- 1984 · Oh, God! You Devil as Priest
- 1984 · Hunter as Seymour Robbins
- 1984 · Revenge of the Nerds as Mr. Skolnick
- 1984 · Tank as Deputy Euclid
- 1984 · Night Court as Alan
- 1983 · Scarecrow and Mrs. King as
- 1983 · The Man with Two Brains as Realtor
- 1982 · The Rainmaker as Noah Curry
- 1982 · Knight Rider as Curtis
- 1982 · Family Ties as John Hancock
- 1982 · Barefoot In the Park as Harry Pepper
- 1981 · Nobody's Perfekt as Dr. Carson
- 1981 · Foul Play as Bebet
- 1981 · Hill Street Blues as
- 1980 · A Christmas Without Snow as Reverend Lohman
- 1980 · Flo as
- 1978 · The White Shadow as Mr. Hamilton
- 1978 · The White Shadow as Art Commings
- 1978 · Diff'rent Strokes as
- 1978 · Dallas as Gerald Kane
- 1978 · Peeping Times as Bernard Mantee
- 1977 · Deadly Game as Deputy Malcom Rossiter Jr.
- 1977 · The Girl in the Empty Grave as Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.
- 1977 · Three's Company as Detective Lannigan
- 1977 · Eight Is Enough as
- 1976 · Once an Eagle as J.L. Cleghorne
- 1976 · The Nancy Walker Show as Glen
- 1976 · All's Fair as
- 1976 · Alice as
- 1976 · Murder by Death as Marcel Cassette
- 1975 · Barbary Coast as Roy
- 1975 · Hot l Baltimore as
- 1975 · Barney Miller as Sgt. Wilkinson
- 1975 · Barney Miller as Neil Spencer
- 1975 · Barney Miller as Dr. Edmund Danworth
- 1975 · Barney Miller as Jason Parrish
- 1974 · The Rockford Files as Terry
- 1974 · Little House on the Prairie as Harve Miller
- 1973 · Police Story as
- 1972 · M*A*S*H as
- 1971 · All in the Family as Stretch Cunningham
- 1955 · Daddy Long Legs as Extra (uncredited)
- 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Audience Member
- Future · Night Vet as Dr. Abel Evergood