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'Brion James' (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999), was an American character actor. Best known for playing the character of ''Leon Kowalski'' in the movie ''Blade Runner'', James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known American films such as ''48 Hrs.'', ''Another 48 Hours'', ''Tango & Cash'', ''Silverado'', ''Red Heat'' and ''The Player''. James' commanding screen presence and formidable physique usually resulted in his casting as a heavy, appearing more frequently in lower budget horror and action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before his career was tragically cut short by a fatal heart attack.

Contents

Biography

See also

External links

Biography

James was born in Redlands, California, and spent his early years in Beaumont, California, where his father owned and operated a movie theater. After graduating from high school in 1962, James attended San Diego State University as a Theater Arts major. Migrating to New York, James immersed himself in the theater scene, taking on bit roles here and there. At this time he began what would become a life-long friendship with Tim Thomerson. The two would end up serving in the Armed Forces together as cooks.
In 1975, James landed a small role in the made for TV movie, ''The Kansas City Massacre'', playing John Dillinger gang member Homer Van Meter. Higher profile roles followed in 1976, with his casting in ''Nickelodeon'' and ''Harry and Walter Go to New York''. James also appeared in the acclaimed television miniseries ''Roots'' and popular 1970s shows such as ''Gunsmoke'', ''The Incredible Hulk'', ''Mork and Mindy'', ''Chico and the Man'', and ''CHiPs''.
James' career began to take a sharp upturn in the early 1980s with several sharply defined character roles in films such as ''Southern Comfort'' and ''48 Hrs.'', but it was his performance as Leon Kowalski in the 1982 film ''Blade Runner'' that gave him his greatest, most lasting fame. James' role consisted of only two extended scenes (the latter of which included the classic line, "Wake up! Time to die!"), but both are regarded as some of the most memorable in the Sci-Fi film genre. Even though his memorable performance threatened to typecast the intense yet versatile actor as a movie villain for the remainder of the decade, James continued to pile up a prolific acting resume, playing significant roles in ''Enemy Mine'', ''Flesh + Blood'', ''A Breed Apart'', ''Armed and Dangerous'', ''Red Heat'', ''Steel Dawn'', ''Red Scorpion'', and ''Tango & Cash''. James continued his strong work on the small screen as well, with guest spots in ''The A-Team'', ''Little House on the Prairie'', ''The Dukes of Hazzard'', ''Matlock'', ''Miami Vice'', ''Sledge Hammer!'', and ''Dynasty''. In the 90s he appeared in '' as the evil Immortal named Armand Thorne/John Durgan in the season 3 episode "The Cross of St. Antione", and Sheriff Bowman in the ''Millennium'' season 2 episode "Luminary". He lent his voice to the character of Parasite in .
In 1994, he played a grouchy sponsor who became a victim of the gruesome goings-on during a 1939 radio show in the film ''Radioland Murders''. Another of his most memorable roles as came near the end of his career; the amiable General Munro in ''The Fifth Element'' (1997)
James died in 1999 from a heart attack in Malibu, California. He appeared in five feature films which were released following his death. The last of these was ''Phoenix Point'' (2003).

See also

★ Brian James

External links

★

★ Brion James at Find-A-Grave