People

James Cromwell

Acting · follow into films and chains

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.

Notable films

Where to start

Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.

The Green Mile

As Warden Hal Moores

Big Hero 6

As Professor Robert Callaghan (voice)

Spider-Man 3

As Captain Stacy

The Artist

Appears in a KinoChain journey

The Queen

Appears in a KinoChain journey

Murder by Death

Appears in a KinoChain journey

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

As Benjamin Lockwood

I, Robot

As Dr. Alfred Lanning

Chains

KinoChain journeys

Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.

Browse all chains

Silent Cinema's Lost Voices

A journey through the overlooked pioneers and rediscovered treasures of the silent era, from Hollywood's golden age to the avant-garde edges of early cinema.

8 films

It was Miss Scarlet, in the cinema...

Celebrating Lesley Ann Warren's 80th birthday with a journey through board game adaptations, from the witty whodunit of Clue to the explosive naval warfare of B...

8 films

The Weight of Command: Eight Faces of Authority

From courtroom to battlefield, from boardroom to the Oval Office, these eight performances explore the many masks of power and the human cost of wearing them.

8 films

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