Brion James

Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. He portrayed Leon Kowalski in Blade Runner and appeared in Southern Comfort (1981), 48 Hrs. (1982), Silverado (1985), Red Heat (1988), Tango & Cash (1989), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), The Player (1992), and The Fifth Element (1997). James was frequently cast as an antagonist, appearing more frequently in lower-budget horror and action films and TV shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before his death in 1999 at the age of 54.

Early life and education James was born in Redlands, California. He spent his early years in Beaumont, California, where his parents owned and operated a theater; James said, "My story is like Cinema Paradiso. Every night in my life since I was two years old... I ran movies". After graduating from high school in 1964, James attended San Diego State University as a Theater Arts major. Migrating to New York, James immersed himself in the theatre scene, taking on bit roles here and there.

Career In 1975, James landed a small role in the made-for-television film, 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 television miniseries Roots and popular 1970s shows such as Gunsmoke, The Incredible Hulk, Mork and Mindy, Chico and the Man, CHiPs, and The Rockford Files.

James's career took a sudden upturn in the early 1980s with roles in Southern Comfort and 48 Hrs. (which were both directed by Walter Hill), but it was his performance as Leon Kowalski in the 1982 film Blade Runner that gave him his greatest, most lasting fame. James followed this up with roles in Enemy Mine, Flesh + Blood, A Breed Apart, Silverado, Armed and Dangerous, Red Heat, Steel Dawn, Red Scorpion, Tango & Cash, and Showdown. James had guest spots in the television shows Benson, Quincy, M.E., The A-Team, Little House on the Prairie, The Dukes of Hazzard, Matlock, Miami Vice, Hunter, along with the Hunter take off Sledge Hammer!, and Dynasty. In the 1990s, he appeared in Highlander: The Series, and as Sheriff Bowman in the Millennium season 2 episode "Luminary". He lent his voice to the character of Parasite in Superman: The Animated Series. In 1982, he was in the television film Hear No Evil as Billy Boy Burns.

James starred in the low-budget 1989 supernatural horror film The Horror Show (aka House III), where he played serial killer "Meat Cleaver Max" Jenke. 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. Near the end of his career, he appeared as the amiable General Munro in The Fifth Element (1997), a rare non-villainous role. Two months before his death, James reprised his role as Parasite in Superman 64, a video game based on Superman: The Animated Series.

Concerning his talent for playing villains in films, he stated in an interview in Fangoria magazine, "I consider myself a classical character actor like Lon Chaney, Wallace Beery, Charles Laughton. I always like to play bad guys. I'm real good at psychotic behavior."

Death James died in 1999 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Malibu, California. He appeared in eight feature films that were released posthumously. The last of these was Phoenix Point (2005). The motion picture The King Is Alive (2000) was dedicated to him.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1975 Hard Times Uncredited 1976 Harry and Walter Go to New York "Hayseed" Treasure of Matecumbe Roustabout Bound for Glory Pick-Up Truck Driver At Border Nickelodeon Bailiff 1977 Blue Sunshine Tony 1978 Corvette Summer Jeff, Wayne's Carwash Henchman 1979 KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park Guard 1980 Wholly Moses! Guard At Banquet The Jazz Singer Man In Bar 1981 The Postman Always Rings Twice Crapshooter Southern Comfort Cajun Trapper Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. Defalice 1982 Blade Runner Leon Kowalski 48 Hrs. Inspector Ben Kehoe The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez Captain Rogers 1984 A Breed Apart Peyton 1985 Crimewave Arthur Coddish Flesh & Blood Karsthans Silverado Hobart Uncredited Enemy Mine Stubbs 1986 Armed and Dangerous Tony Lazarus 1987 Steel Dawn Tark 1988 Cherry 2000 Stacy Dead Man Walking Decker D.O.A. Detective Ulmer The Wrong Guys Glen Grunski Red Heat "Streak" Nightmare at Noon (aka: Death Street USA) The Albino Red Scorpion Sergeant Miroslav Krasnov 1989 The Horror Show Max Jenke Mutator David Allen Circles in a Forest Mr. Patterson Tango & Cash Requin 1990 Enid Is Sleeping Trucker Street Asylum Reverend Mony Another 48 Hrs. Inspector Ben Kehoe / "The Iceman" 1991 Mom Nestor Duvalier Ultimate Desires Wolfgang Friedman 1992 The Player Joel Levison Wishman Jack "Staten Jack" Rose Nemesis Maritz Return to Frogtown Professor Tanzer 1993 Time Runner US Senator John Neila Brainsmasher... A Love Story Detective Brown Video Striking Distance Detective Eddie Eiler Showdown Vice Principal Kowalski The Dark Paul Buckner 1994 Cabin Boy Teddy "Big Teddy" Future Shock Jack Porter F.T.W. Sheriff Rudy Morgan Savage Land Cyrus Art Deco Detective Jim Wexler Radioland Murders Bernie King The Soft Kill Ben McCarthy Hong Kong '97 Simon Alexander 1995 Spitfire Tough Guy Uncredited The Nature of the Beast Sheriff Gordon Steel Frontier General Julius "J.W." Quantrell Dominion Lynwood Cyberjack (aka: Virtual Assassin) Nassim The Marshal Chief Marshal Ollie Mathers Indecent Behavior III Mr. Cowed Uncredited 1996 The Lazarus Man Tom Halloran Precious Find Sam Horton American Strays Oris Evil Obsession Stavinski Billy Lone Bear Walsh 1997 The Killing Jar Dr. Vincent Garret Back in Business Emery Ryker The Fifth Element General Munro Snide and Prejudice Hermann Goering The Setting Son Junior Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills Salvador Dalí, Sam The Underground Captain Hilton Bombshell Donald 1998 Jekyll Island Lawton Goodyear Deadly Ransom Bobby Rico In God's Hands Captain Border to Border Card Shark Heist "Caz" Brown's Requiem Cathcart Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller Mönch Joseph's Gift Frank Childress Black Sea 213 Captain Killick A Place Called Truth Hank 1999 Malevolence Warden Walker Foolish Ruben Reyes, Talent Scout Uncredited Diplomatic Siege General Stubbs Posthumous release Dirt Merchant Detective Harry Ball Arthur's Quest Trent 2000 Farewell, My Love Renault The Operator Vernon Woods The King Is Alive Ashley The Thief & the Stripper "Shoe"2005Phoenix Point"Spider" RicoPosthumous release Final film role

Television Year Title RoleNotes 1974 Get Christie Love! Trenton Television film The Waltons Henry Ferris Jr. Episode: "The Birthday" 1975 Gunsmoke Joe Barnes Episode: "Manolo" 1977 Roots Slaver Miniseries The Rockford Files "Clamshell" Episode: "The Battle of Canoga Park" 1978 Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Second-In-Command Park Security Guard Television film The Incredible Hulk Al Episode: "Alice in Disco Land" Mork & Mindy George Episode: "Mork's Greatest Hit" Chico and the Man "Hog" Episode: "Waiting for Chongo" 1979 B. J. and the Bear Bomber, Patrol Officer 2 episodes 1979–1981 CHiPs Ackerman, Monk 3 episodes 1980 Galactica 1980 Willy Episode: "Galactica Discovers Earth: Part 1" The Jeffersons "Dirty Dog" Episode: "The Arrival: Part 2" 1981 Benson Axe-Man Episode: "The Grass Ain't Greener" 1982 Little House on the Prairie Amos Episode: "A Faraway Cry" Quincy, M.E. Henry Muller Episode: "Sleeping Dogs" Hear No Evil Billy "Billy Boy" Burns Television film 1982–1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Captain Slater, Jenkins 2 episodes 1983 The Gambler: The Adventure Continues Reece Television film 1983–1985 The A-Team David Plout, Ryder 2 episodes 1985 The Fall Guy Unknown Episode: "The King of the Stuntmen" Amazing Stories Willie Joe Episode: "Mummy Daddy" 1986 Dynasty Hawkins 2 episodes Annihilator Alien Leader Television film 1986–1988 Sledge Hammer! Don Merrill, Felix Ridel 2 episodes 1987 Matlock Mr. Grock Episode: "The Author" The Hitchhiker Lionel Episode: "Best Shot" 1988 Miami Vice Edward Reese Episode: " Borrasca" 1988–1991 Hunter Lieutenant Jeff Wadsworth, Thomas Duffy 2 episodes 1991 Tales from the Crypt Steve Dixon Episode: "Split Second" 1992 Batman: The Animated Series Irving Voice, episode: "Joker's Wild" 1993 Renegade Eli Starke Episode: "Moody River" Rio Diablo Jake Walker Television film 1994 Silk Stalkings Rupert Tarlow Episode: "T.K.O." Knight Rider 2010 Jared Television film Highlander: The Series John Durgan / Armand Thorne Episode: "The Cross of St. Antoine" M.A.N.T.I.S. Solomon Box Episode: "First Steps" 1996 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Big Orderly, Chimera Voice, 2 episodes Assault on Dome 4 Chairman Television 1996–1997 Superman: The Animated Series Rudy Jones / Parasite Voice, 3 episodes 1997 Walker, Texas Ranger Rafer Cobb 2 episodes 1997–1999 Todd McFarlane's Spawn Unknown Voice, 6 episodes 1998 Millennium Sheriff Bowman Episode: "Luminary" The Sentinel Warren Chapel Episode: "Mirror Image" Men in White General Television film Men in Black: The Series Drekk Voice, 2 episodes 1998–1999 The Magnificent Seven Stuart James 2 episodes

Video games Year Title Role Notes 1997 Blade Runner Leon Kowalski 1999 Superman 64 Rudy Jones / Parasite