James Cromwell

James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Known for his extensive work as a character actor, he has received a Primetime Emmy Award as well a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Babe (1995). Other notable roles include in Star Trek: First Contact (1996), L.A. Confidential (1997), The Green Mile (1999), The Queen (2006), W. (2008), Secretariat (2010), The Artist (2011), Still Mine (2013), Marshall (2017), and Emperor (2020). He has also voiced roles in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), and Big Hero 6 (2014). Cromwell is also well known for his roles in television including Angels in America (2003), Six Feet Under (2003–2005), American Horror Story: Asylum (2012–2013), Boardwalk Empire (2012-2013), The Young Pope (2016), Succession (2018–2023), and Counterpart (2018–2019). He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in American Horror Story: Asylum. Early life and education Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of actress Kay Johnson (19041975) and actor and director John Cromwell (18861979), who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. His parents divorced in 1946. He has English, German, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. He graduated from The Hill School in 1958, and went on to Middlebury College, and Carnegie Mellon University, where he graduated with a B.F.A. in 1964. He received his acting training at HB Studio in New York City. Like his parents, he was drawn to the theater, performing in everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. Career Cromwell's first television performance was in a 1974 episode of The Rockford Files playing Terry, a tennis instructor. A few weeks later, he began a recurring role as Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family. In 1975, he took his first lead role on television as Bill Lewis in the short-lived Hot l Baltimore, and appeared on M*A*S*H as Captain Leo Bardonaro in the episode "Last Laugh". A year later, he made his film debut in Neil Simon's classic detective spoof Murder by Death. Cromwell portrayed four different characters in four episodes of Barney Miller (1977-1981). In 1977 he appeared in Three's Company episode- "Chrissy's Night Out" as Detective Lannigan.