James Cromwell
Biography
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

24

American Horror Story

ER

The West Wing

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Knight Rider

Dallas
All Movies (117)
- Living With A Visionary2026 · as Narrator (voice)
- Rebel Ridge2024 · as Judge
- Merry Little Batman2023 · as Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
- Prancer: A Christmas Tale2022 · as Bud
- Emperor2020 · as John Brown
- Never Too Late2020 · as Jack Bronson
- The Immortal2019 · as Grandfather
- The Laundromat2019 · as Joseph David Martin
- That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars2019 · as Self
- Countdown to Year Zero2019
- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom2018 · as Benjamin Lockwood
- Marshall2017 · as The Judge
- The Promise2016 · as Henry Morgenthau Sr.
- 50 Years of Star Trek2016 · as Self
- The Perfect Crime: Leopold & Loeb2016 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Walking the Mile2014 · as Self
- Big Hero 62014 · as Professor Robert Callaghan (voice)
- In Between Songs2014 · as Narrator
- The Trials of Cate McCall2013 · as Justice Sumpter
- A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington2012 · as Self - Interviewee
- La Classe américaine2012 · as Self
- Still Mine2012 · as Craig Morrison
- The Artist: The Making of an American Romance2012 · as Self
- Hollywood as Character: The Locations of The Artist2012 · as Himself
- Soldiers of Fortune2012 · as Haussman
- Cowgirls n' Angels2012 · as Terence Parker
- Hide Away2011 · as The Ancient Mariner
- Admissions2011 · as The Clerk
- The Artist2011 · as Clifton
- Memorial Day2011 · as Bud Vogel
- Farm to Fridge2011 · as Narrator
- Pope Pius XII2010 · as Pope Pius XII
- Secretariat2010 · as Ogden Phipps
- Beyond All Boundaries2009 · as Major General Alexander A. Vandegrift / Fleet Admiral William Halsey
- Surrogates2009 · as Dr. Lionel Canter
- The Last Days of Lehman Brothers2009 · as Hank Paulson
- Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil2009 · as Self
- A Lonely Place for Dying2009 · as Howard Simons
- W.2008 · as George H.W. Bush
- Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential'2008 · as Self
- Tortured2008 · as Jack
- Spider-Man 32007 · as Captain Stacy
- Becoming Jane2007 · as Mr. Austen
- Dante's Inferno2007 · as Virgil (voice)
- The Making of 'The Queen'2007 · as Self
- Looking For Else2007 · as Self
- The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird2006 · as Self
- The Queen2006 · as Prince Philip
- King Leopold's Ghost2006
- Avenger2006 · as Paul Devereaux
- Pope John Paul II2005
- Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy2005 · as Narrator
- The Longest Yard2005 · as Warden Hazen
- Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde2004 · as Self
- I, Robot2004 · as Dr. Alfred Lanning
- A Carol Christmas2003 · as Ghost of Christmas Future (uncredited)
- The Snow Walker2003 · as Walter "Shep" Shepherd
- Blackball2003 · as Ray Speight
- The John Garfield Story2003 · as Self
- RFK2002 · as President Lyndon Baines Johnson
- The Sum of All Fears2002 · as President Fowler
- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron2002 · as The Colonel (voice)
- Project Viper2002 · as MP 1
- A Death in the Family2002 · as Joel Lynch
- The Magnificent Ambersons2002 · as Major Amberson
- Space Cowboys2000 · as Bob Gerson
- Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile2000 · as Self / Warden Hal Moores
- Fail Safe2000 · as Gordon Knapp
- Snow Falling on Cedars1999 · as Judge Fielding
- The Green Mile1999 · as Warden Hal Moores
- RKO 2811999 · as William Randolph Hearst
- The Bachelor1999 · as Priest
- A Slight Case of Murder1999 · as John Edgarson
- The General's Daughter1999 · as General Joseph Campbell
- Babe: Pig in the City1998 · as Farmer Arthur Hoggett
- Deep Impact1998 · as Alan Rittenhouse
- Species II1998 · as Senator Ross
- Owd Bob1998 · as Adam MacAdam
- The Education of Little Tree1997 · as Nonno
- L.A. Confidential1997 · as Dudley Smith
- The People vs. Larry Flynt1996 · as Charles Keating
- Star Trek: First Contact1996 · as Dr. Zefram Cochrane
- Eraser1996 · as William Donohue
- Babe1995 · as Farmer Hoggett
- Indictment: The McMartin Trial1995 · as Judge Pounders
- The Shaggy Dog1994 · as Charlie Mulvihill
- Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love1994 · as Mr. Skolnick
- Romeo Is Bleeding1993 · as Cage
- Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation1992 · as Mr. Skolnick
- The Babe1992 · as Brother Mathias
- Miracle Landing1990 · as B.J. Cocker
- The Runnin' Kind1989 · as Uncle Phil
- Pink Cadillac1989 · as Motel Desk Clerk
- The Rescue1988 · as Adm. Rothman
- China Beach: Pilot1988 · as Ambassador at Large Roland Weymouth
- Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise1987 · as Mr. Skolnick
- A Fine Mess1986 · as Detective Blist
- The Last Precinct1986 · as Chief Bludhorn
- Explorers1985 · as Mr. Müller
- Oh, God! You Devil1984 · as Priest
- Revenge of the Nerds1984 · as Mr. Skolnick
- Spraggue1984 · as Lt. George Hurley
- Tank1984 · as Deputy Euclid
- The House of God1984 · as Officer Quick
- The Man with Two Brains1983 · as Realtor
- The Rainmaker1982 · as Noah Curry
- Barefoot In the Park1982 · as Harry Pepper
- The Wall1982 · as Francisek
- Nobody's Perfekt1981 · as Dr. Carson
- A Christmas Without Snow1980 · as Reverend Lohman
- The Cheap Detective1978 · as Schnell
- Peeping Times1978 · as Bernard Mantee
- Deadly Game1977 · as Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.
- The Girl in the Empty Grave1977 · as Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr.
- Murder by Death1976 · as Marcel Cassette
- Get Lost— · as Frederick (Red King)
- Night Vet— · as Dr. Abel Evergood
All TV Shows (77)
- BAT-FAM2025 · as Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth (voice)
- Murder in a Small Town2024 · as George Wilcox
- Sugar2024 · as Jonathan Siegel
- Law & Order: Organized Crime2021 · as Miles Darman
- Star Trek: Lower Decks2020 · as Dr. Zefram Cochrane (voice)
- Operation Buffalo2020 · as Cranky
- The Family2019 · as Douglas Coe
- Succession2018 · as Ewan Roy
- Counterpart2017 · as Yanek
- The Young Pope2016 · as Cardinal Michael Spencer
- Berlin Station2016 · as Gilbert Dorn
- The Detour2016 · as J.R.
- Murder in the First2014 · as Warren Daniels
- Halt and Catch Fire2014 · as Jacob Wheeler
- American Horror Story2011 · as Dr. Arthur Arden
- Sotto il cielo di Roma2010 · as Pope Pius XII
- Boardwalk Empire2010 · as Andrew W. Mellon
- Impact2009 · as Lloyd
- My Own Worst Enemy2008 · as Alistair Trumbull
- Masters of Science Fiction2007
- Pope John Paul II2005 · as Cardinal Adam Sapieha
- Salem's Lot2004 · as Donald Callahan
- Angels in America2003 · as Roy's Doctor
- 242001 · as Phillip Bauer
- Citizen Baines2001 · as Elliott Baines
- Star Trek: Enterprise2001 · as Dr. Zefram Cochran (uncredited)
- Six Feet Under2001 · as George Sibley
- The West Wing1999 · as President D. Wire Newman
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn1999 · as Self - Guest
- The Client1995 · as Officer Joe Denton
- Partners1995
- ER1994 · as Bishop Stewart
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine1993 · as Hanok
- Picket Fences1992 · as The Bishop
- Home Improvement1991 · as Fred
- American Dreamer1990
- Christine Cromwell1989
- China Beach1988
- Star Trek: The Next Generation1987 · as Prime Minister Nayrok
- Star Trek: The Next Generation1987 · as Jaglom Shrek
- Jake and the Fatman1987
- Easy Street1986
- Matlock1986 · as Judge Raymond Price
- Amazing Stories1985 · as Francis
- The Twilight Zone1985 · as (segment "A Message From Charity")
- Wildside1985
- Hunter1984 · as Seymour Robbins
- Night Court1984 · as Alan
- Scarecrow and Mrs. King1983
- Knight Rider1982 · as Curtis
- Family Ties1982 · as John Hancock
- Foul Play1981 · as Bebet
- Hill Street Blues1981
- Flo1980
- The White Shadow1978 · as Mr. Hamilton
- The White Shadow1978 · as Art Commings
- Diff'rent Strokes1978
- Dallas1978 · as Gerald Kane
- Three's Company1977 · as Detective Lannigan
- Eight Is Enough1977
- Once an Eagle1976 · as J.L. Cleghorne
- The Nancy Walker Show1976 · as Glen
- All's Fair1976
- Alice1976
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman1976 · as Reverend Buryfield
- Barbary Coast1975 · as Roy
- Hot l Baltimore1975
- Barney Miller1975 · as Sgt. Wilkinson
- Barney Miller1975 · as Neil Spencer
- Barney Miller1975 · as Dr. Edmund Danworth
- Barney Miller1975 · as Jason Parrish
- The Rockford Files1974 · as Terry
- Little House on the Prairie1974 · as Harve Miller
- Police Story1973
- M*A*S*H1972
- All in the Family1971 · as Stretch Cunningham
- Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Audience Member