Brion James

Acting

Brion James

Born February 20, 1945 · Redlands, California, USA

Died August 7, 1999 · aged 54

Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. 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, The Player and The Fifth Element. James' commanding screen presence and formidable physique …

Known For

Blade RunnerBlade Runner · 1982
Blade Runner
7.91982
MovieScience FictionDrama
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
The Fifth ElementThe Fifth Element · 1997
The Fifth Element
7.61997
MovieScience FictionAction
In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
48 Hrs.48 Hrs. · 1982
48 Hrs.
6.71982
MovieCrimeAction
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
Hard TimesHard Times · 1975
Hard Times
6.81975
MovieDramaAction
In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.
Tango & CashTango & Cash · 1989
Tango & Cash
6.51989
MovieActionCrime
Ray Tango and Gabriel Cash are two successful narcotics detectives who can't stand each other. Crime lord Yves Perret, furious at the loss of income they have caused him, plots an elaborate revenge against them.
The PlayerThe Player · 1992
The Player
7.21992
MovieMysteryDrama
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
Striking DistanceStriking Distance · 1993
Striking Distance
5.91993
MovieCrimeAction
Coming from a police family, Tom Hardy ends up fighting his uncle after the murder of his father. Tom believes the killer is another cop, and goes on the record with his allegations. Demoted to water-way duty Tom, along with new partner Jo Christman, navigate the three rivers looking for clues and discovering bodies. This time the victims are women Tom knows, he must find the killer to prove his innocence.
NemesisNemesis · 1992
Nemesis
5.41992
MovieScience FictionThriller
In the future, chaos is rampant as 'information terrorists' threaten to destroy order in society. Alex is a part-man, part-machine LAPD cop who is the best at what he does. When one of the terrorists calls him a machine, Alex questions his humanity and decides to leave the force. His final assignment is to apprehend an old colleague who has stolen some data. However, there is more than meets the eye and Alex must question his allegiance.

Movies

Blade RunnerBlade Runner · 1982
Blade Runner
7.91982
MovieScience FictionDrama
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
The Fifth ElementThe Fifth Element · 1997
The Fifth Element
7.61997
MovieScience FictionAction
In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.
48 Hrs.48 Hrs. · 1982
48 Hrs.
6.71982
MovieCrimeAction
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
Hard TimesHard Times · 1975
Hard Times
6.81975
MovieDramaAction
In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.
Tango & CashTango & Cash · 1989
Tango & Cash
6.51989
MovieActionCrime
Ray Tango and Gabriel Cash are two successful narcotics detectives who can't stand each other. Crime lord Yves Perret, furious at the loss of income they have caused him, plots an elaborate revenge against them.
The PlayerThe Player · 1992
The Player
7.21992
MovieMysteryDrama
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
Striking DistanceStriking Distance · 1993
Striking Distance
5.91993
MovieCrimeAction
Coming from a police family, Tom Hardy ends up fighting his uncle after the murder of his father. Tom believes the killer is another cop, and goes on the record with his allegations. Demoted to water-way duty Tom, along with new partner Jo Christman, navigate the three rivers looking for clues and discovering bodies. This time the victims are women Tom knows, he must find the killer to prove his innocence.
NemesisNemesis · 1992
Nemesis
5.41992
MovieScience FictionThriller
In the future, chaos is rampant as 'information terrorists' threaten to destroy order in society. Alex is a part-man, part-machine LAPD cop who is the best at what he does. When one of the terrorists calls him a machine, Alex questions his humanity and decides to leave the force. His final assignment is to apprehend an old colleague who has stolen some data. However, there is more than meets the eye and Alex must question his allegiance.
Red HeatRed Heat · 1988
Red Heat
6.21988
MovieActionCrime
A tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.
Dirt MerchantDirt Merchant · 1999
Dirt Merchant
3.21999
MovieComedyThriller
A slacker turns P.I. to solve a rock star's murder.
Armed and DangerousArmed and Dangerous · 1986
Armed and Dangerous
5.71986
MovieActionComedy
After policeman Frank Dooley is framed for theft and loses his job on the force, he joins a security guard agency and teams up with inept former defense lawyer Norman Kane. When the two botch a job guarding a local warehouse, they begin to uncover corruption within the company and their union.
Enemy MineEnemy Mine · 1985
Enemy Mine
7.01985
MovieDramaScience Fiction
A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting; they band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.
Evil ObsessionEvil Obsession · 1996
Evil Obsession
5.01996
MovieThrillerHorror
As models show up on calendars and magazine covers, someone is making bodies show up at the morgue. Is it the obsessed fan?
Knight Rider 2010Knight Rider 2010 · 1994
Knight Rider 2010
4.71994
MovieTV MovieScience Fiction
Loosely based on the popular television series of the 80's, this movie brings the story into an apocalyptic time and a new "KITT".
The Postman Always Rings TwiceThe Postman Always Rings Twice · 1981
The Postman Always Rings Twice
6.51981
MovieCrimeRomance
The sensuous wife of a lunch wagon proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordidly steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.
SilveradoSilverado · 1985
Silverado
6.91985
MovieWesternAction
Four unwitting heroes cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff and a murderous posse. It's up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.
Bound for GloryBound for Glory · 1976
Bound for Glory
6.91976
MovieMusicDrama
A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.
Southern ComfortSouthern Comfort · 1981
Southern Comfort
6.91981
MovieThrillerWar
A squad of National Guards on an isolated weekend exercise in the Louisiana swamp must fight for their lives when they anger local Cajuns by stealing their canoes. Without live ammunition and in a strange country, their experience begins to mirror the Vietnam experience.
Blue SunshineBlue Sunshine · 1977
Blue Sunshine
5.71977
MovieScience FictionHorror
At a party, someone goes insane and murders three women. Falsely accused of the brutal killings, Jerry is on the run. More bizarre homicides continue with alarming frequency all over town. Trying to clear his name, Jerry discovers the shocking truth...people are losing their hair and turning into violent psychopaths and the connection may be some LSD all the murderers took a decade before.
Another 48 Hrs.Another 48 Hrs. · 1990
Another 48 Hrs.
6.01990
MovieActionComedy
For the past four years, San Francisco cop Jack Cates has been after an unidentified drug kingpin who calls himself the Ice Man. Jack finds a picture that proves that the Ice Man has put a price on the head of Reggie Hammond, who is scheduled to be released from prison on the next day.
CrimewaveCrimewave · 1985
Crimewave
5.51985
MovieComedyCrime
A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair.
Flesh + BloodFlesh + Blood · 1985
Flesh + Blood
6.61985
MovieAdventureDrama
A band of medieval mercenaries take revenge on a noble Lord who cheated them by kidnapping his son's fiancée. As the plague and warfare cut a swathe of destruction throughout the land, the mercenaries hole up in a castle and await their fate.
Red ScorpionRed Scorpion · 1988
Red Scorpion
6.01988
MovieAdventureAction
A Soviet commando is sent to eliminate a rebel leader in Africa. Soon he finds himself doubting his mission.
NickelodeonNickelodeon · 1976
Nickelodeon
6.21976
MovieComedy
In the silent film era, attorney Leo Harrigan and gunslinger Buck Greenway are hired to stop an illegal film production. However, they soon team up with the filmmakers and become important players in the show business industry. Leo learns he has a talent for directing, and Buck's cowboy persona quickly earns him leading-man status — but both men fall for beautiful starlet Kathleen Cooke, leading to a heated personal rivalry.

TV Shows

Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie · 1974
Little House on the Prairie
7.91974
SeriesWesternDrama
When the big woods of Wisconsin becomes a difficult spot for hunting, Charles Ingalls reluctantly decides to move his family, pioneering west. Their life on the farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s is full of adventure, tragedy, and triumph. Based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
The A-TeamThe A-Team · 1983
The A-Team
7.51983
SeriesComedy
A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."
Miami ViceMiami Vice · 1984
Miami Vice
7.41984
SeriesCrimeDrama
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.
The WaltonsThe Waltons · 1972
The Waltons
7.21972
SeriesDrama
The Waltons live their life in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II.
Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series · 1992
Batman: The Animated Series
8.61992
SeriesAnimation
Vowing to avenge the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne devotes his life to wiping out crime in Gotham City as the masked vigilante "Batman".
HunterHunter · 1984
Hunter
7.11984
SeriesDrama
Hunter is an American police drama television series created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. In the seventh season, Hunter partnered with two different women officers. The titular character, Sgt. Rick Hunter, was a wily, physically imposing, and often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show's main characters, Hunter and McCall, resolve many of their cases by shooting dead the perpetrators. The show's executive producer during the first season was Stephen J. Cannell, whose company produced the series.
MatlockMatlock · 1986
Matlock
7.11986
SeriesDramaCrime
Thrifty, folksy and cantankerous, Matlock charges a premium for his services but is worth every penny: This renowned attorney, always clothed in his trademark light-gray suit and driving his signature Ford Crown Victoria, has an uncanny knack for finding overlooked clues and exposing murderers in dramatic courtroom scenes.
Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E. · 1976
Quincy, M.E.
7.51976
SeriesCrimeDrama
Los Angeles County medical examiner Quincy routinely engages in police investigations.
The Rockford FilesThe Rockford Files · 1974
The Rockford Files
7.61974
SeriesCrimeDrama
Cranky but likable L.A. PI Jim Rockford pulls no punches (but takes plenty of them). An ex-con sent to the slammer for a crime he didn't commit, Rockford takes on cases others don't want, aided by his tough old man, his lawyer girlfriend and some shady associates from his past.
Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger · 1993
Walker, Texas Ranger
7.01993
SeriesDramaWestern
Modern-day Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker's independent crime-solving methods have their roots in the rugged traditions of the Old West. Walker's closest friend is former Ranger, C.D. Parker, who retired after a knee injury, and now owns "C.D.'s," a Country/Western saloon/restaurant. Rookie Ranger, James "Jimmy" Trivette is an ex-football player who bases his crime-solving methods on reason and uses computers and cellular phones. Alex Cahill is the Assistant DA who shares a mutual attraction with Walker, but often disagrees with his unorthodox approach to law enforcement.
Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series · 1992
Highlander: The Series
7.41992
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Duncan MacLeod cannot die -- he is a 400-year-old immortal, who has seen his share of humanity's history. Still, he risks his life in battle against other immortals and tries to save people from harm.
Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series · 1996
Superman: The Animated Series
7.71996
SeriesAnimation
Superman, an incredibly powerful alien from the planet Krypton, defends Metropolis from supercriminals. Superman hides his identity behind the glasses of Clark Kent; a mild-mannered reporter for the newspaper the Daily Planet. At the Daily Planet Superman works with fellow reporter Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen.
MillenniumMillennium · 1996
Millennium
7.71996
SeriesCrimeDrama
A retired FBI serial-profiler joins the mysterious Millennium Group, a team of underground ex-law enforcement experts dedicated to fighting against the ever-growing forces of evil and darkness in the world.
RenegadeRenegade · 1992
Renegade
6.71992
SeriesDrama
Framed for murder, Detective Reno Raines becomes a fugitive bounty hunter who fights crime while trying to clear his name. His troubles began after he testified about police corruption, leading Lt. Donald Dixon to set him up.
GunsmokeGunsmoke · 1955
Gunsmoke
6.71955
SeriesWestern
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West. The central character is lawman Marshal Matt Dillon, played by William Conrad on radio and James Arness on television.
The F.B.I.The F.B.I. · 1965
The F.B.I.
5.61965
SeriesCrimeDrama
The F.B.I. is an American television series that was broadcast on ABC from 1965 to 1974. It was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, and the characters almost always drove Ford vehicles in the series. Alcoa was co-sponsor of Season One only.
The Incredible HulkThe Incredible Hulk · 1977
The Incredible Hulk
7.21977
SeriesSci-Fi & Fantasy
During an experiment gone bad, radiation turns a scientist into a raging green behemoth whenever he becomes agitated. Unable to control his transformations, David Banner searches for a cure as he crosses the country, fugitive-style, with a dogged tabloid reporter on his trail.
Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt · 1989
Tales from the Crypt
8.01989
SeriesComedyMystery
Cadaverous scream legend the Crypt Keeper is your macabre host for these forays of fright and fun based on the classic E.C. Comics tales from back in the day. So shamble up to the bar and pick your poison. Will it be an insane Santa on a personal slay ride? Honeymooners out to fulfill the "til death do we part" vow ASAP?
American PlayhouseAmerican Playhouse · 1982
American Playhouse
6.61982
SeriesDramaComedy
American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.
Amazing StoriesAmazing Stories · 1985
Amazing Stories
7.51985
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyComedy
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.
The HitchhikerThe Hitchhiker · 1983
The Hitchhiker
6.31983
SeriesDramaCrime
A young hitchhiker introduces characters who are about to experience a frightening and sometimes supernatural incident of some kind in this moody anthology series.
The SentinelThe Sentinel · 1996
The Sentinel
7.21996
SeriesDramaCrime
The Sentinel is a Canadian-produced television series. In the jungles of peru, the fight for survival heightened his senses. Now, Detective Jim Ellison is a sentinel in the fight for justice. Anthropologist Blair Sandburg works side by side with Jim, helping him develop these senses.
Mork & MindyMork & Mindy · 1978
Mork & Mindy
7.11978
SeriesComedyFamily
A wacky alien comes to Earth to study its residents and the life of the human woman he boards with is never the same.
Sledge Hammer!Sledge Hammer! · 1986
Sledge Hammer!
8.01986
SeriesComedyCrime
Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character. Al Jean and Mike Reiss, best known for their work on The Simpsons, wrote for the show and worked as story editors.