James Cromwell

Birthday: 27 January 1940, Los Angeles, California, USA

Birth Name: James Oliver Cromwell

Height: 199 cm

Born in Los Angeles but raised in Manhattan and educated at Middlebury College and Carnegie-Mellon University, James Cromwell, the son of famous film director John Cromwell, studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon. He went into the theater (like both his parents) doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He started doing television in 1974, gaining some notice in a recurring role as Archie Bunker's friend Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family (1971), made his film debut in 1976, and goes back to the stage periodically. Some of his more noted film roles have been in Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the surprise classic about a charming pig, Babe (1995). He garnered some of the best reviews of his career (many of which said he should have received an Oscar) for his role as a corrupt, conniving police captain in L.A. Confidential (1997). Show less «

[on the Black Panthers movement of the 1960s] The goal of the government was to get all the leaders ...Show more »

[on the Black Panthers movement of the 1960s] The goal of the government was to get all the leaders of the Black Panther Party in jail so that they could be killed systematically through prison violence, and that way they could stop what was a very powerful and evolving movement. I don't think we would have the kind of prison population now and what happens in this country with the gangs if the Panthers had been allowed to continue what they decided to do, which was basically empower black communities to take back their self-control and reestablish the dignity of being a black person in this country. Show less «

[on the story of The Promise (2016)] The love story is a way of getting people to begin the process,...Show more »

[on the story of The Promise (2016)] The love story is a way of getting people to begin the process, to feel for the characters, and then understand... can we not have compassion for people who are suffering around the world today? If we can have compassion for them, we can have compassion for the Armenians. If we can have compassion for the Armenians, then we have compassion for the Native Americans, and it goes on... it's to open the heart. [2017] Show less «

[on his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Babe (1995)] Andy Warhol sa...Show more »

[on his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Babe (1995)] Andy Warhol said everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame. And if this is mine, I couldn't imagine a better 15 minutes. Show less «

I was embarrassed by the director, Blake Edwards, who looked at me and said, "What am I supposed to ...Show more »

I was embarrassed by the director, Blake Edwards, who looked at me and said, "What am I supposed to do with THAT?". I was a little hurt to be referred to as an inanimate object at an audition. I was told by my agent that a number of big stars won't work with anyone two inches taller than them and most of them are under six feet, so you have to be prepared to have trouble. Show less «

Making the movie Babe (1995) opened my eyes to the intelligence and the inquisitive personalities of...Show more »

Making the movie Babe (1995) opened my eyes to the intelligence and the inquisitive personalities of pigs. These highly social animals possess an amazing capacity for love, joy and sorrow that makes them remarkably similar to our beloved canine and feline friends. Show less «