Early life

Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Manhattan, New York. He is the son of actress Kay Johnson (1904-1975) and actor, director, and producer John Cromwell (1887-1979), who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He has English, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. He was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College, and the 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 tennis instructor. 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, appeared on M*A*S*H as Captain Leo Bardonaro, in the episode "Last Laugh" in Season 6 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 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 appearances in films for his supporting roles in the films Tank and Revenge of the Nerds (both 1984). He guest starred on the sitcom Night Court, playing a mental patient, along with Predator actor Kevin Peter Hall. He had 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). He also played Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot episode "Broken Bow" (the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" later reused some of the First Contact footage). He has also appeared in other Star Trek roles, on the 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". He also voiced The Colonel in Dreamworks' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Cromwell has had additional successes 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.

In 2015, Cromwell executive-produced Janek Ambros's feature documentary Imminent Threat about the War on Terror's impact on civil liberties.

Personal life

Family

Cromwell was married to Ann Ulvestad from 1976 to their divorce in 1986. They had three children.

Cromwell married his second wife, actress Julie Cobb, on May 29, 1986. That marriage ended in divorce in 2005.

On January 1, 2014, Cromwell married actress Anna Stuart at the home of Stuart's former Another World co-star Charles Keating.

Cromwell is known for his tall stature; at 6 ft 6.5 in (1.99 m), he is the tallest actor nominated for an Academy Award. His son John is even taller, standing at a height of 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m). In the 2012 film Memorial Day, John played the young Bud Vogel, while James played him as a grandfather, and both Cromwells appear as the same character at different ages in American Horror Story: Asylum (2012) and the first season of Betrayal (2013). Cromwell grew up to be taller than both of his parents: his father was 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and his mother was 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m).

Advocacy

In the late 1960s, Cromwell 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 13 were eventually released. In a 2004 interview with CNN, Cromwell praised the Panthers.

Cromwell has long been an advocate of progressive causes, particularly regarding animal rights. 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 1995 film Babe. He frequently speaks out on issues regarding animal cruelty for PETA, largely on 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.

Cromwell served as the narrator of the short film Farm to Fridge, a documentary produced by Mercy for Animals.

In an October 2008 interview, Cromwell strongly attacked the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration, saying that their foreign policy would "either destroy us or the entire planet".

Legal issues

In February 2013, Cromwell was arrested for interrupting a University of Wisconsin Board of Regents meeting while showing a graphic photo of a cat to protest alleged mistreatment of animals on campus. The well-publicized incident, which garnered nationwide notice, was resolved on March 25, 2013, when an attorney representing Cromwell entered no-contest pleas to the non-criminal offense and agreed to pay $100 forfeitures and court costs of $263.50. In December 2015, he was removed from an event in New York for heckling an energy company receiving an award.

On December 18, 2015, Cromwell and five other people were arrested while protesting the construction of a power station in Wawayanda, New York, near his home in Warwick, New York.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Murder by Death	Marcel
1978	Cheap Detective, TheThe Cheap Detective	Schnell
1981	Nobody's Perfekt	Dr. Carson
1982	Born to the Wind	Fish Belly
1983	Man with Two Brains, TheThe Man with Two Brains	Realtor
1984	House of God, TheThe House of God	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	Fine Mess, AA Fine Mess	Detective Blist
1986	Last Precinct, TheThe Last Precinct	Chief Bludhorn
1987	Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise	Mr. Skolnick
1988	Rescue, TheThe Rescue	Admiral Rothman
1989	Runnin' Kind, TheThe Runnin' Kind	Unknown
1989	Pink Cadillac	Motel Desk Clerk
1992	Babe, TheThe Babe	Brother Mathias
1993	Romeo Is Bleeding	Cage
1995	Babe	Farmer Arthur Hoggett
1996	Eraser	William Donohue
1996	People vs. Larry Flynt, TheThe People vs. Larry Flynt	Charles Keating
1996	Star Trek: First Contact	Dr. Zefram Cochrane
1997	L.A. Confidential	Captain Dudley Smith
1997	The Education of Little Tree	Granpa
1998	Owd Bob	Adam MacAdam
1998	Species II	Senator Judson Ross
1998	Deep Impact	Alan Rittenhouse
1998	Babe: Pig in the City	Farmer Arthur Hoggett
1999	General's Daughter, TheThe General's Daughter	Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell
1999	Bachelor, TheThe Bachelor	Priest
1999	Green Mile, TheThe Green Mile	Warden Hal Moores
1999	Snow Falling on Cedars	Judge Fielding
2000	Space Cowboys	Bob Gerson
2002	Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron	The Colonel
2002	Sum of All Fears, TheThe Sum of All Fears	President J. Robert Fowler
2002	Nazi, TheThe Nazi	Franz
2003	Blackball	Ray Speight
2003	Snow Walker, TheThe Snow Walker	Walter Shepherd
2004	I, Robot	Dr. Alfred Lanning
2005	Longest Yard, TheThe Longest Yard	Warden Rudolph Hazen
2006	Queen, TheThe Queen	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
2007	Dante's Inferno	Virgil
2007	Becoming Jane	Reverend Austen
2007	Spider-Man 3	Captain George Stacy
2008	Hit Factor	Orson Fierce
2008	Tortured	Jack
2008	W.	George H. W. Bush
2009	Lonely Place for Dying, AA Lonely Place for Dying	Howard Simons
2009	Surrogates	Dr. Lionel Canter
2010	Secretariat	Ogden Phipps
2011	Admissions	The Clerk
2011	Artist, TheThe Artist	Clifton
2012	Cowgirls n' Angels	Terence Parker
2012	Memorial Day	Bud Vogel
2012	Flying into Love	Lyndon B. Johnson
2012	Still Mine	Craig Morrison
2012	Soldiers of Fortune	Sam Haussmann
2013	The Trials of Cate McCall	Justice Sumpter
2014	Big Hero 6	Professor Callaghan / Yokai	Voice
2016	The Promise		Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Rockford Files, TheThe Rockford Files	Terry	Episode: "The Countess"
1974	All in the Family	Stretch Cunningham	3 episodes
1974	Maude	Alfie	Episode: "Last Tango in Tuckahoe"
1975	Hot l Baltimore	Bill Lewis	13 episodes
1975	Barbary Coast	Roy	Episode: "The Ballad of Redwing Jail"
1976	Stranded	Jerry Holmes	Television film
1976	Once an Eagle	J. L. Cleghorne	Television film
1976-1977	Nancy Walker Show, TheThe Nancy Walker Show	Glen	13 episodes
1977	Police Story	Lutz	Episode: "Ice Time"
1977	M*A*S*H	Captain Leo Bardonaro	Episode: "Last Laugh"
1977	Three's Company	Detective Lannigan	Episode: "Chrissy's Night Out"
1977	Barney Miller	Sgt. Wilkinson	Episode: "Group Home"
1977	Girl in the Empty Grave, TheThe Girl in the Empty Grave	Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.	Television film
1977	Deadly Game	Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.	Television film
1978	Peeping Times	Bernard Mantee	Comedy Special
1978	Maude	Dr. Farrington	Episode: "The Obscene Phone Call"
1978	Alice	Detective Ralph Hilton	Episode: "Who Ordered the Hot Turkey?"
1979	Barney Miller	Neil Spencer	Episode: "Strip Joint"
1979	Flatbush	Sonny	Episode: "Kar Kannibals"
1979	Eight Is Enough	Coach Pollard	Episode: "The Better Part of Valor"
1979	Diff'rent Strokes	Father O'Brien	Episode: "Arnold's Hero"
1979	White Shadow, TheThe White Shadow	Mr. Hamilton	Episode: "Mainstream"
1980	Flo	Leon	2 episodes
1980	White Shadow, TheThe White Shadow	Art Cummings	Episode: "The Death of Me Yet"
1980	Little House on the Prairie	Harve Miller	2 episodes
1980	A Christmas Without Snow	Reverend Lohman	Television film
1981	Barefoot in the Park	Harry Pepper	Television film
1981	Barney Miller	Jason Parrish	Episode: "Liquidation"
1982	Nurse	Paul Moore	Episode: "A Place to Die"
1982	Father Murphy	Farley Webster	2 episodes
1982	Rainmaker, TheThe Rainmaker	Noah Curry	Television film
1982	Wall, TheThe Wall	Francisek	Television film
1984	Buffalo Bill	Staunton McMoller	Episode: "Jerry Lewis Week"
1984	Gimme a Break!	Russell Cosgrove	Episode: "Class of '84"
1984	Spraggue	Lieutenant Hurley	Television film
1984	Earthlings	Simon Games	Television film
1984-1985	Dallas	Gerald Kane	3 episodes
1985	Night Court	Alan	Episode: "Nuts About Hurry"
1985	Family Ties	John Hancock	Episode: "Philadelphia Story"
1985	Riptide	Joey Dietz	Episode: "Girls Night Out"
1985	Hardcastle and McCormick	Jake Fellows	Episode: "Undercover McCormick"
1985	Knight Rider	Curtis	Episode: "Ten Wheel Trouble"
1985	Wildside	Fake Buffalo Bill	Episode: "Buffalo Who?"
1985	Hill Street Blues	Lowenhandler	Episode: "Grin and Bear It"
1985	Hunter	Seymour Robbins	Episode: "Sniper"
1985	Twilight Zone, TheThe Twilight Zone	Obediah Payne	Episode: "A Message From Charity"
1985-1986	Scarecrow and Mrs. King	Gregory	2 episodes
1986	Amazing Stories	Francis	Episode: "One for the Road"
1986	Magnum, P.I.	French Policeman	Episode: "Photo Play"
1986	Dream West	Major General David Hunter	Television film
1986-1987	Easy Street	Quentin Standard	22 episodes
1987	Alison's Demise	Humboldt Hobson	Television film
1988	China Beach	Ambassador	Episode: "Pilot"
1988	Mr. Belvedere	Roy Gallagher	Episode: "Fat Cats"
1988	Mama's Boy	Lucky	3 episodes
1989	Christine Cromwell	Arthur	Episode: "Things That Go Bump in the Night"
1990	Life Goes On	Bill Henderson	Episode: "Thacher and Henderson"
1990	Matlock	Judge Raymond Price	Episode: "Nowhere to Turn"
1990	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Prime Minister Nayrok	Episode: "The Hunted"
1990	Miracle Landing	B.J. Cocker	Television film
1991	In a Child's Name	Unknown	Television film
1991	Young Riders, TheThe Young Riders	Jacob	Episode: "Peacemakers"
1991	Jake and the Fatman	Havilland	Episode: "It Never Entered My Mind"
1992	Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation	Mr. Skolnick	Television film
1993	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Jaglom Shrek	2 episodes
1994	Home Improvement	Fred	Episode: "My Dinner with Wilson"
1994	Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love	Mr. Skolnick	Television film
1994	The Shaggy Dog	Charlie "The Robber" Mulvihill	Television film
1995	Indictment: The McMartin Trial	Judge Pounders	Television film
1995	Picket Fences	The Bishop	Episode: "Saint Zach"
1995	Hawkeye	Unknown	Episode: "The Visit"
1995	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Hanok	Episode: "Starship Down"
1995-1996	Partners	Mr. Saxonhouse	2 episodes
1996	Strange Luck	Minister	Episode: "Healing Hands"
1996	The Client	Officer Joe Denton	Episode: "The High Ground"
1999	Slight Case of Murder, AA Slight Case of Murder	John Edgerson	Television film
1999	RKO 281	William Randolph Hearst	Television film
2000	Fail Safe	Gordon Knapp	Live broadcast
2001	ER	Bishop Stewart	4 episodes
2001	Star Trek: Enterprise	Dr. Zefram Cochrane	2 episodes
2001	Citizen Baines	Senator Elliot Baines	7 episodes
2002	Death in the Family, AA Death in the Family	Joel Lynch	Television film
2002	The Magnificent Ambersons	Major Amberson	Television film
2002	RFK	President Lyndon B. Johnson	Television film
2003	Angels in America	Henry	2 episodes
2003-2005	Six Feet Under	George Sibley	27 episodes
2004	West Wing, TheThe West Wing	President D. Wire Newman	Episode: "The Stormy Present"
2004	Salem's Lot	Father Donald Callahan	Miniseries
2005	Pope John Paul II	Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha	Miniseries
2006	Avenger	Paul Devereaux	Television film
2007	24	Phillip Bauer	8 episodes
2007	Masters of Science Fiction	Randolph Ludwin	Episode: "Watchbird"
2008	My Own Worst Enemy	Alistar Trumble	6 episodes
2009	Impact	Lloyd	2 episodes
2009	Strikeout	Director	Television film
2009	Last Days of Lehman Brothers, TheThe Last Days of Lehman Brothers	Hank Paulson	Television film
2010	Sotto il Cielo di Roma	Pope Pius XII	2 episodes
2012-2013	Boardwalk Empire	Andrew W. Mellon	4 episodes
2012-2013	American Horror Story: Asylum	Dr. Arthur Arden	10 episodes
2013	Do No Harm	Dr. Phillip Carmelo	3 episodes
2013-2014	Betrayal	Thatcher Karsten	13 episodes
2014-2015	Murder in the First	Warren Daniels	10 episodes
2015	Halt and Catch Fire	Jacob Wheeler	8 episodes
2016	The Young Pope	Cardinal Michael Spencer	Upcoming series

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1970	Othello	Montano	Broadway revival
1992	Hamlet	Polonius	Broadway revival
2007	Long Day's Journey into Night	James Tyrone, Sr.	Druid Theatre
2012	Waiting for Godot	Pozzo	Center Theatre Group
2014	Rupert	Rupert Murdoch	Sydney Theatre Company

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by James Cromwell Charities

James Cromwell supports the following charitable causes: Environment, Animals.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]