James Cromwell

James Cromwell

b. 1940 (age 86) Los Angeles, California, USA
Actor Soundtrack

James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor, probably best known for his role as Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. 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 29 May 1986.

Known For

Filmography

🎬
🎞️
★ 8.1
Living with a Visionary
2026 Actor
🎬
🎞️
Alicia in Wonderland
2026 Actor
Red King
🎬
🎞️
Voices of Hope ~ Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass
2026 Actor
Narrator
Bat-Fam
📺
★ 6.0
Bat-Fam
2025 Actor
Alfred
🎬
🎞️
★ 4.9
Voices of Hope ~ Words of Wisdom by Marlon Brando
2025 Actor
Narrator
Sugar
📺
★ 7.4
Sugar
2024 Actor
Jonathan Siegel
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.7
Voices of Hope ~ Words of Wisdom by Dr. Jane Goodall
2024 Actor
Narrator
🎬
📺
The Thread
2024 Self
Merry Little Batman
🎞️
★ 6.4
Merry Little Batman
2023 Actor
Alfred Pennyworth
🎬
🎞️
The Hope PSA
2023 Self
Prancer: A Christmas Tale
🎞️
★ 6.1
Prancer: A Christmas Tale
2022 Actor
Bud
🎬
🎞️
The Mercy for Animals Gala
2022 Self
🎬
🎞️
James Cromwell: The Hope Award
2022 Self
Emperor
🎞️
★ 6.0
Emperor
2020 Actor
John Brown
Never Too Late
🎞️
★ 6.0
Never Too Late
2020 Actor
Jack Bronson
Operation Buffalo
📺
★ 6.8
Operation Buffalo
2020 Actor
Cranky
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.0
The Immortal
2020 Actor
Grandfather
The Laundromat
🎞️
★ 6.3
The Laundromat
2019 Actor
Joe Martin
The Family
📺
★ 6.4
The Family
2019 Actor
Fellowship Member
Great Bear Rainforest
🎞️
★ 7.9
Great Bear Rainforest
2019 Self
The Young Pope: A Tale of Filmmaking
🎞️
★ 8.0
The Young Pope: A Tale of Filmmaking
2019 Self
Countdown to Year Zero
🎞️
★ 6.2
Countdown to Year Zero
2019 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 3.8
Dear McDonalds...
2019 Self
🎬
🎞️
Happy 20th Anniversary Mercy for Animals
2019 Self
🎬
🎞️
That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars
2019 Self
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
🎞️
★ 6.1
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
2018 Actor
Benjamin Lockwood
🎬
🎞️
The 4th Annual Carney Awards
2018 Self
🎬
🎞️
Blowout: Who's Next?
2018 Actor
Narrator
Marshall
🎞️
★ 7.3
Marshall
2017 Actor
Judge Foster
A Crack in Everything
🎞️
★ 6.5
A Crack in Everything
2017 Actor
🎬
🎞️
Up to Us
2017 Self
The Young Pope
📺
★ 8.3
The Young Pope
2016 Actor
Cardinal Michael Spencer
Big Hero 6
🎞️
★ 7.8
Big Hero 6
2014 Actor
Robert Callaghan
Night Vet
🎞️
★ 6.5
Night Vet
2014 Actor
Dr. Abel Evergood
In Between Songs
🎞️
★ 7.9
In Between Songs
2014 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 2.8
Chabad Telethon
2014 Self
🎬
📺
Hollywood in & About
2014 Self
The Trials of Cate McCall
🎞️
★ 6.3
The Trials of Cate McCall
2013 Actor
Justice Sumpter
Betrayal
📺
★ 6.9
Betrayal
2013 Actor
Thatcher Karsten
Soldiers of Fortune
🎞️
★ 4.3
Soldiers of Fortune
2012 Actor
Haussman
Still Mine
🎞️
★ 7.4
Still Mine
2012 Actor
Craig Morrison
Memorial Day
🎞️
★ 6.1
Memorial Day
2012 Actor
Bud Vogel
Cowgirls 'n Angels
🎞️
★ 6.1
Cowgirls 'n Angels
2012 Actor
Terence
🎬
🎞️
The 11th AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
2012 Self
The Artist
🎞️
★ 7.8
The Artist
2011 Actor
Clifton
Hide Away
🎞️
★ 5.7
Hide Away
2011 Actor
The Ancient Mariner
Admissions
🎞️
★ 7.2
Admissions
2011 Actor
The Clerk
🎬
🎞️
★ 2.8
25th Annual Genesis Awards
2011 Self
Secretariat
🎞️
★ 7.2
Secretariat
2010 Actor
Ogden Phipps
🎬
🎞️
★ 8.5
Skin Trade
2010 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.6
A .45 at 50th
2010 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 9.0
MindFlux
2010 Self
🎬
🎞️
Making Burros Fly
2010 Self
Surrogates
🎞️
★ 6.3
Surrogates
2009 Actor
Older Canter
Impact
📺
★ 5.6
Impact
2009 Actor
Lloyd
The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
🎞️
★ 6.1
The Last Days of Lehman Brothers
2009 Actor
Henry 'Hank' Paulson
Beyond All Boundaries
🎞️
★ 7.7
Beyond All Boundaries
2009 Actor
Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift
A Lonely Place for Dying
🎞️
★ 5.8
A Lonely Place for Dying
2009 Actor
Howard Simons
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.4
Starz Inside: Unforgettably Evil
2009 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.6
Strikeout
2009 Actor
Director
🎬
🎞️
The 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards
2009 Self
My Own Worst Enemy
📺
★ 7.3
My Own Worst Enemy
2008 Actor
Alistair Trumbull
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.4
Hit Factor
2008 Actor
Orson Fierce
🎬
🎞️
★ 6.5
Chabad: To Life Telethon
2008 Self
🎬
🎞️
The 22nd Annual Genesis Awards
2008 Self
🎬
🎞️
2008 Britannia Awards
2008 Self
🎬
🎞️
Full Court Press... Kucinich Campaign Update
2008 Self
🎬
🎞️
The 17th Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards
2008 Self
Spider-Man 3
🎞️
★ 6.3
Spider-Man 3
2007 Actor
Captain Stacy
Becoming Jane
🎞️
★ 7.0
Becoming Jane
2007 Actor
Reverend Austen
Dante's Inferno
🎞️
★ 6.6
Dante's Inferno
2007 Actor
Virgil
🎬
🎞️
★ 6.2
The Making of 'The Queen'
2007 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.2
The 21st Annual Genesis Awards
2007 Self
🎬
🎞️
Looking for Else
2007 Actor
The Queen
🎞️
★ 7.3
The Queen
2006 Actor
Prince Philip
Avenger
🎞️
★ 5.7
Avenger
2006 Actor
Paul Devereaux
King Leopold's Ghost
🎞️
★ 7.5
King Leopold's Ghost
2006 Actor
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies
🎞️
★ 7.5
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies
2006 Self
Life and Loss: The Impact of 'Six Feet Under'
🎞️
★ 8.8
Life and Loss: The Impact of 'Six Feet Under'
2006 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 8.4
Sustainable Table: What's on Your Plate?
2006 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.0
Animal People: The Humane Movement in America
2006 Self
🎬
🎞️
The Test of a Civilization
2006 Actor
Narrator
🎬
🎞️
The 20th Annual Genesis Awards
2006 Self
🎬
🎞️
Animal Warfare
2006 Self
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam
🎞️
★ 8.7
Six Feet Under: In Memoriam
2005 Self
🎬
🎞️
The 19th Annual Genesis Awards
2005 Self
I, Robot
🎞️
★ 7.1
I, Robot
2004 Actor
Dr. Alfred Lanning
Salem's Lot
📺
★ 6.2
Salem's Lot
2004 Actor
Father Donald Callahan
🎬
🎞️
★ 8.8
Make the Movie Live the Movie
2004 Self
🎬
🎞️
56th Annual Writers Guild Awards
2004 Self
🎬
🎞️
The 18th Annual Genesis Awards
2004 Self
Angels in America
📺
★ 8.1
Angels in America
2003 Actor
Roy's Doctor
The Snow Walker
🎞️
★ 7.3
The Snow Walker
2003 Actor
Walter Shepherd
Blackball
🎞️
★ 5.6
Blackball
2003 Actor
Ray
The John Garfield Story
🎞️
★ 7.5
The John Garfield Story
2003 Self
🎬
🎞️
The 17th Annual Genesis Awards
2003 Self
🎬
🎞️
The AFI Awards Salutes Film and Television Creative Teams
2003 Self
The Sum of All Fears
🎞️
★ 6.5
The Sum of All Fears
2002 Actor
President Fowler
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
🎞️
★ 7.2
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
2002 Actor
The Colonel
RFK
🎞️
★ 6.3
RFK
2002 Actor
President Lyndon Baines Johnson