Biography
Who is James Woods?
Early life and education
James Woods was born on April 18, 1947, in Vernal, United States. He grew up as the elder of two brothers with parents Gail Peyton Woods and Martha A. Smith. His father served as a United States Army intelligence officer and passed away after a routine surgery in 1960. Following this loss, his mother operated a pre-school and later remarried Thomas E. Dixon.
During his youth, James lived in Rhode Island and attended Pilgrim High School, graduating in 1965. He later enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he studied as an undergraduate. While at MIT, he joined the student theatre group Dramashop, participating in both acting and directing before ultimately leaving his studies in 1969 to pursue acting full-time.
Career highlights and breakthrough
James made his Broadway debut in the 1969 play The Penny Wars. He built a strong reputation as a character actor by appearing in numerous stage productions before transitioning into film and television projects. Early movie credits featured smaller parts in features like The Visitors and The Way We Were throughout the early 1970s.
His major breakthrough arrived when he portrayed a character in the television miniseries Holocaust. Soon after, James gained significant critical praise for his portrayal of Gregory Powell in the crime film The Onion Field. He subsequently earned Academy Award nominations for his performances in Salvador and Ghosts of Mississippi.
Television success and voice work
In addition to his film career, James established a successful presence on television. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for portraying a man with schizophrenia in the television movie Promise and secured a second Emmy for playing Bill W. In My Name Is Bill W. He also starred in the legal drama series Shark and acted in the crime series Ray Donovan.
His distinctive voice led to numerous animated roles and voice acting appearances. James voiced Hades in the animated feature film Hercules, and lent his talents to projects like Stuart Little 2 and Surf's Up. He also made memorable animated appearances voicing himself on popular shows including The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Birthday and age
James Woods was born on April 18, 1947, which makes James 79 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. James shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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