View source for James Woods

{{Short description|American actor (born 1947)}}
{{Other people|James Woods}}
{{Pp-pc}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}<!--[[WP:STRONGNAT]]-->
{{Use American English|date=June 2014}}<!--[[WP:ENGVAR]]-->
{{Infobox actor
| name               = James Woods
| image              = James Woods 2015.jpg
| caption            = Woods in 2015
| birth_name         = James Howard Woods
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1947|4|18}}
| birth_place        = [[Vernal, Utah]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor}}
| years_active       = 1969–present
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Kathryn Morrison|1980|1983|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Sarah Owen|1989|1990|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Sara Miller-Woods|2021}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/realjameswoods/?hl=en |title=James Woods (@realjameswoods) • Instagram photos and videos |publisher=Instagram.com |access-date=2022-08-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/millerita/?hl=en |title=Sara Miller-Woods (@millerita) • Instagram photos and videos |publisher=Instagram.com |access-date=2022-08-13}}</ref>
}}}}

'''James Howard Woods''' (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. Known for fast-talking, intense roles [[James Woods on screen and stage|on screen and stage]], he has received [[List of awards and nominations received by James Woods|numerous accolades]], including three [[Emmy Awards]], and a [[Golden Globe Award]], as well as nominations for two [[Academy Awards]] and three [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]. He started his career in minor roles on and off-[[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] before making his Broadway debut in ''The Penny Wars'' (1969), followed by ''[[Borstal Boy (play)|Borstal Boy]]'' (1970), ''[[Catonsville Nine|The Trial of the Catonsville Nine]]'' (1971) and ''[[Moonchildren]]'' (1972).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/cast.php?showid=321692 |title= The Trial of Catonsville Nine – Broadway Original Cast |publisher= [[BroadwayWorld]]|access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> Woods' early film roles include ''[[The Visitors (1972 film)|The Visitors]]'' (1972), ''[[The Way We Were]]'' (1973) and ''[[Night Moves (1975 film)|Night Moves]]'' (1975). He starred in the [[NBC]] miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'' (1978) opposite [[Meryl Streep]].

He rose to prominence portraying [[Gregory Powell (murderer)|Gregory Powell]] in ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]'' (1979). He earned two [[Academy Awards]] nominations: one for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for his role as journalist [[Richard Boyle (journalist)|Richard Boyle]] in ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]'' (1986) and for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for playing [[white supremacist]] [[Byron De La Beckwith]] in ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (1996). Notable film roles include ''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983), ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984), ''[[The Hard Way (1991 film)|The Hard Way]]'' (1991), ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' (1992), ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995), ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995), ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997), ''[[Vampires (1998 film)|Vampires]]'' (1998), ''[[Another Day in Paradise (film)|Another Day in Paradise]]'' (1998), ''[[Any Given Sunday]]'' (1999), and ''[[The Virgin Suicides (film)|The Virgin Suicides]]'' (1999). He served as an executive producer on [[Christopher Nolan]]'s biographical drama film ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023).

For his television roles, he is the recipient of two [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]] for portraying as D.J. in the [[CBS]] movie ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]'' (1987) and [[Bill W.]] in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] film ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]'' (1989). He has also played [[Roy Cohn]] in ''[[Citizen Cohn]]'' (1992) and [[Dick Fuld]] in ''[[Too Big to Fail (film)|Too Big to Fail]]'' (2011).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8760180/James-Woods-on-Too-Big-to-Fail-interview.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8760180/James-Woods-on-Too-Big-to-Fail-interview.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title= James Woods on Too Big to Fail|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date= May 12, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He starred in the CBS legal series ''[[Shark (American TV series)|Shark]]'' (2006–2008), and had a recurring role in the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] crime series ''[[Ray Donovan]]'' (2013). He has voiced roles for ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1997), ''[[Recess: School's Out]]'' (2001), ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' (2002) and ''[[Surf's Up (film)|Surf's Up]]'' (2007), as well as voicing himself once in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' (1993), and several times in ''[[Family Guy]]'' (2005–2016).

== Early life and education ==
James Howard Woods was born on April 18, 1947, in [[Vernal, Utah]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sltrib.com/healthscience/ci_4063347|title=Utah Local News – Salt Lake City News, Sports, Archive – The Salt Lake Tribune|work=sltrib.com|access-date=January 18, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025115651/http://www.sltrib.com/healthscience/ci_4063347|archive-date=October 25, 2014}}</ref> and had a brother ten years younger.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-04-et-woods4-story.html|title=Very James Woods|last=Fernandez|first=Maria Elena|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 4, 2006|access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref> His father, Gail Peyton Woods, was a [[United States Army]] intelligence officer who died in 1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warwickonline.com/warwickonline/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28647&Itemid=30 |title=Warwick Online: Michael Woods remembered for a smile, and a laugh |access-date=June 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111210752/http://www.warwickonline.com/warwickonline/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28647&Itemid=30 |archive-date=November 11, 2007 }}</ref> after routine surgery. His mother, Martha A. ({{nee|Smith}}), ran a pre-school after her husband's death<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fxgcnvhgfwww.filmreference.com/film/14/James-Woods.html|title=James Woods Biography (1947–)|work=Film Reference|access-date=January 18, 2015|archive-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909184919/http://www.filmreference.com/film/14/James-Woods.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and later married Thomas E. Dixon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warwickonline.com/stories/Martha-A-Woods-Dixon,67251?town_id=1&sub_type=stories|title=Martha A. Woods Dixon – Warwick Beacon|work=Warwick Beacon|date=January 31, 2012 |access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> Woods grew up in [[Warwick, Rhode Island]], where he attended [[Pilgrim High School]], from which he graduated in 1965. He is of part Irish descent and was raised [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], briefly serving as an [[altar boy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/status/380720429855682560|title=James Woods on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/332541733 | work=The Herald | first=Kevin | last=McCardle | title=Face of the Day | date=September 17, 1999| id={{ProQuest|332541733}} }}</ref>

Woods was an undergraduate at [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT).<ref name=tca>{{cite news |last= Zad|first= Martie|date= April 30, 2000|title= James Woods Fled MIT for Acting|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/2000/04/30/james-woods-fled-mit-for-acting/e25fcdd7-d409-4b8f-9050-99c9fe38c8e1/|newspaper= [[The Washington Post]]|location= Washington, D.C.|access-date= July 4, 2018}}</ref> He stated on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'' that he originally intended to become an eye surgeon. He pledged the [[Theta Delta Chi]] fraternity and was a member of the student theatre group Dramashop, acting in and directing a number of plays. He dropped out of MIT in 1969, one semester before graduating, to pursue an acting career.<ref name="nograd">New York Times Service, published by the New York Times and Arno press, 1989, page 788</ref>

Woods has said that he owes his acting career to Tim Affleck, father of actors [[Ben Affleck|Ben]] and [[Casey Affleck]]. The senior Affleck was a stage manager at the Theatre Company of Boston, which Woods attended as a student.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Lidz|first1=Franz|title=FILM; Ben Affleck Shocker: I Bargained With Devil for Fame|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 10, 2000|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/10/movies/film-ben-affleck-shocker-i-bargained-with-devil-for-fame.html|access-date=March 4, 2012}}</ref>

==Career==
===1969–1976: Broadway debut and early work ===
Woods appeared in 36 plays before making his Broadway debut in the 1969 play ''The Penny Wars''.<ref>{{cite web|title=James Woods|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/james-woods-vault-0000061835|website=[[Playbill]]|publisher=TotalTheater|access-date=March 15, 2024}}</ref> The following year he acted in the first American production of [[Frank McMahon (author)|Frank McMahon]]'s adaptation of [[Brendan Behan]]'s ''[[Borstal Boy (play)|Borstal Boy]]'' (1970) at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]]. He got the part by pretending he was British. He returned to Broadway the following year to portray David Darst in [[Daniel Berrigan]]'s ''[[Catonsville Nine|The Trial of the Catonsville Nine]]'' also at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE TRIAL OF THE CATONSVILLE NINE – CURRENT CAST |url=https://www.playbill.com/personlistpage/person-list?production=00000150-aea4-d936-a7fd-eef4b8540000&type=cp#cc |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=Playbill}}</ref> In 1971, he played Bob Rettie in the American premiere of [[Michael Weller]]'s ''[[Moonchildren]]'' at the [[Arena Stage]] in Washington, D.C. The following year the production moved to Broadway at the [[Royale Theatre]] where Woods starred alongside [[Edward Herrmann]] and [[Christopher Guest]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Clive|title=Theater: ''Moonchildren''|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/02/22/archives/theater-moonchildren-bitterly-funny-funnily-bitter-play-at-royale.html|access-date=March 15, 2024|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 22, 1972}}</ref> In 1972, Woods won a [[Theatre World Award]] for his performance. He returned to Broadway in 1973 to portray Steven Cooper in the original production of [[Jean Kerr]]'s ''Finishing Touches'' at the [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-woods-94147|title=James Woods – Broadway Cast & Staff – IBDB|website=IBDB}}</ref>

Woods has garnered a reputation as a prominent [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] character actor, having appeared in over 130 films and television series. By the early 1970s, he was getting small movie roles including his feature film debut in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[The Visitors (1972 film)|The Visitors]]'' which debuted at the [[1972 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2343/year/1972.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Visitors |access-date=April 16, 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> That same year he acted in the neo-noir crime film ''[[Hickey & Boggs]]'' (1972) starring [[Robert Culp]] and [[Bill Cosby]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hickey_and_boggs|title= Hickey & Boggs (1972)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> The following year he had a supporting turn as [[Barbra Streisand]]'s college boyfriend before she meets [[Robert Redford]] in the [[Sydney Pollack]] directed romance drama ''[[The Way We Were]]'' (1973).<ref name="latimes.com"/> He continued to act in films such as the crime drama ''[[The Gambler (1974 film)|The Gambler]]'' (1974) starring [[James Caan]], the neo-noir ''[[Night Moves (1975 film)|Night Moves]]'' (1975) with [[Gene Hackman]] and the comedy ''[[Alex & the Gypsy]]'' (1976) with [[Jack Lemmon]]. He acted in the [[Robert Aldrich]] directed comedy-drama ''[[The Choirboys (film)|The Choirboys]]'' (1977) alongside [[Charles Durning]], [[Louis Gossett Jr.]], [[Randy Quaid]] and [[Burt Young]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/choirboys|title= The Choirboys (1977)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

=== 1978–1989: Breakthrough and acclaim ===
Woods rose to prominence playing the husband of [[Meryl Streep]] in the critically acclaimed four episode miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'' (1978) which aired on [[NBC]]. The series focuses on the story of a Jewish family's struggle to survive [[Nazi Germany]]'s [[The Holocaust|campaign of genocide against the Jewish people]]. The series also starred [[Michael Moriarty]] and [[Rosemary Harris]]. ''Holocaust'' won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series|Outstanding Limited Series]] as well as seven other [[Primetime Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1978?page=3|title=30th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners|work=Emmys|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> The following year Woods took a leading role starring in ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]'' (1979) playing murderer [[Gregory Powell (murderer)|Gregory Powell]]. Critic [[Gene Siskel]] of ''[[The Chicago Tribune]]'' praised Woods' performance writing, "At the center of ''The Onion Field'' is a bunch of superior performances. James Woods (the persecuted artist in "The Holocaust") is a standout as Greg Powell, the ringleader of the crooks, a horrible creature with a scarred face and a quicksilver personality that ranges from murderous to fatherly to murderous in a matter of seconds." He also opined that "Woods deserves an Academy Award nomination for this role."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-gene-siskel-movie-review/43536729/|title= Gene Siskel Movie Review—THE ONION FIELD (09–28–79)|work= Chicago Tribune|date= September 28, 1979|page= 25|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> Woods received nominations for Best Actor from the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe Awards]], the [[National Society of Film Critics]], and the [[New York Film Critics Circle|New York Film Critics Circle Association]], but notably not from the [[Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://goldenglobes.com/person/james-woods/|title= Awards Profile: James Woods|website= [[Golden Globe Awards]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:JamesWoods-3.jpg|thumb|Woods at the [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]]
At the start of the 1980s, Woods played an eccentric and unpredictable janitor in the [[Peter Yates]] directed thriller ''[[Eyewitness (1981 film)|Eyewitness]]'' (1981) co-starring [[Sigourney Weaver]], [[William Hurt]], [[Morgan Freeman]] and [[Christopher Plummer]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1006917-eyewitness|title= Eyewitness (1981)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> 
He acted in the prison drama ''[[Fast-Walking]]'' (1982) with ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' giving the film a mixed review but praising him as "always interesting to watch".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/fast-walking-1200425216/|title= Fast-Walking|website= Variety|date= January 1982|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> That same year he acted in the psychological drama ''[[Split Image (film)|Split Image]]'' (1982).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/split-image/|title= Split Image|website= Metacritic|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

Woods took the starring role in the [[David Cronenberg]] written and directed [[Science fiction film|science-fiction]] [[body horror]] film ''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983). Critic [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the film and the leading performance writing, "By far Mr. Cronenberg's most inspired touch is the casting of Mr. Woods, who brings an almost backhanded heroism to the horror genre. In villainous or sinister roles...Mr. Woods has been startling, but that kind of casting is almost a redundancy. Here, his offhand wisecracking gives the performance a sharply authentic edge. And his jittery, insinuating manner even begins to look like a kind of innocence, in comparison with the calm, soothing attitudes of the video-crazed megalomaniacs he's up against."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/04/movies/videodrome-lurid-fantasies-of-the-tube.html#:~:text=Cronenberg%2C%20while%20easily%20fulfilling%20the,cleverness%20for%20a%20long%20while.|title= 'VIDEODROME,' LURID FANTASIES OF THE TUBE|work= The New York Times|date= February 4, 1983|access-date= March 15, 2024|last1= Maslin|first1= Janet}}</ref>

He then took on the role of Maximillian "Max" Bercovicz, a Jewish gangster, in [[Sergio Leone]]'s epic ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984) alongside [[Robert De Niro]], [[Tuesday Weld]], and [[Joe Pesci]]. Woods considers his role in the film as one of his favorites.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090906092454/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=209195 Turner Classic Movies biography], James Woods, accessed January 2, 2011</ref>
The film premiered at the [[1984 Cannes Film Festival]] and received a 15-minute standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[GQ]]|title=Have Film Festivals Reached Peak Standing Ovation?|author=Gogarty, Joshiah|date=September 4, 2024|url=https://www.gq.com/story/standing-ovation-inflation}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an 86% approval rating with 51 reviews, the consensus reading, "Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold, and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_america|title=Once Upon a Time in America (1984)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref> That same year, he also starred in ''[[Against All Odds (1984 film)|Against All Odds]]'' as a nightclub owner who hires an aging football star, played by [[Jeff Bridges]], to find his missing girlfriend.

In [[Oliver Stone]]'s drama ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]'' (1986), Woods portrayed real-life journalist [[Richard Boyle (journalist)|Richard Boyle]] as he chronicles events in [[El Salvador]]. Despite his criticism that ""Salvador" is long and disjointed and tries to tell too many stories," [[Roger Ebert]] wrote in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', "This is the sort of role Woods was born to play".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/salvador-1986|title=Salvador Movie Review & Film Summary (1986) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com}}</ref> He won the [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor]]. He also received his first [[Academy Award]] nomination for his performance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/690e10e5469503a7ba7af6d5f8d619d6|title= 'Platoon,' 'Room with a View' Lead Oscar Nominees with 8 Apiece |work=Associated Press News |access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1987, Woods won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]] for his role as a disabled man in the made-for-television film ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]'' (1986). The film also starred [[James Garner]] and [[Piper Laurie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/promise/2030118600/|title= Promise|website= TV Guide|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> In 1989, Woods won his second [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award]], for his role as the founder of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]], [[Bill W.]] in the made-for-television drama film, ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]'' starring [[James Garner]] and [[Gary Sinise]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097939/|title= My Name is Bill W.|website= [[IMDb]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

In 1988, Woods portrayed a man struggling with [[cocaine]] addiction in ''[[The Boost]]''. While the film received mixed reviews Woods' was praised for his performance with Critic [[Roger Ebert]] declaring that it was "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen". He also added, "Woods is one of the most intense, unpredictable actors in the movies today. You watch his characters because they seem capable of exploding – not out of anger, but out of hurt, shame and low self-esteem. They're wounded, but they fight back by being smarter than anyone else and using jokes and sarcasm to keep people at arm's length."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-boost-1988|title= The Boost|website= Rogerebert.com|access-date= February 5, 2023}}</ref> On October 28, 1989, Woods hosted ''[[Saturday Night Live (season 15)|Saturday Night Live]]'' with [[Don Henley]] as the musical guest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/cast/james-woods-60206|title= James Woods on Saturday Night Live|website= nbc.com|access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1989, Woods acted in the courtroom drama ''[[True Believer (1989 film)|True Believer]]'' with [[Robert Downey Jr.]] and [[Yuji Okumoto]] and family drama ''[[Immediate Family (film)|Immediate Family]]'' acting alongside [[Glenn Close]], [[Mary Stuart Masterson]] and [[Kevin Dillon]]. Of the latter, critic [[Roger Ebert]] noted of his performance "Woods is toned down from his other recent performances. He is the best actor in Hollywood at playing manics, crazies, hyperactive schemers and intelligent con men, but here he simply plays a more or less normal husband with ordinary desires and passions. He and Close make a convincing couple."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/immediate-family-1989|title= Immediate Family review|website= Rogerebert.com|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

===1990–1999: Established actor ===
Woods was offered a leading role in [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s directorial debut, the [[low-budget film]] ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'' (1992), but his agent rejected the script without showing it to the actor. When Woods learned of this some time later, he fired his agents ([[Creative Artists Agency|CAA]]), replacing them with [[ICM Partners|ICM]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0j_AORLLiBUC&pg=PA157 Hollywood's new radicalism: war, globalisation and the movies from Reagan to George W. Bush], by Ben Dickenson, 2006, page 157</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TIj12IGUmkYC&pg=PA244 Film voices: Interviews From Post Script], by Gerald Duchovnay, 2004, pages 244–245</ref> That year, he did portray [[Roy Cohn]] in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Citizen Cohn]]'' (1992) directed by [[Frank Pierson]] and featuring performances by [[Lee Grant]], [[Frederic Forrest]] and [[Pat Hingle]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103973/|title= Citizen Cohn (TV film)|website= [[IMDb]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> Tony Scott of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised the film and Woods writing, "It's Cohn's show and James Woods, in imaginative casting, is unnerving, ranging from the confused hospital-ridden patient to the smartly paced, homophobic gay prosecutor who knows every vicious trick to nail opponents. Woods's interp, chock-full of nuances, is masterful."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1992/tv/reviews/hbo-pictures-citizen-cohn-1200430494/|title= Hbo Pictures Citizen Cohn|website= Variety|date= August 21, 1992|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>
For his performance he received nominations for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1993/outstanding-lead-actor-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie|title= 1993 – 45th Emmy Awards|website= Emmy Awards|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> He also took a supporting role as attorney [[Joseph Scott (attorney)|Joseph Scott]] in the [[Richard Attenborough]] directed biographical epic film ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' (1992) starring [[Robert Downey Jr.]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/chaplin/cast/2000124416/|title= Chaplin Cast and Crew|website= TV Guide|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

Woods played a supporting role of a hustler, Lester Diamond, in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995), alongside [[Robert De Niro]], [[Sharon Stone]] and [[Joe Pesci]]. When Woods had heard that Scorsese was interested in working with him, he called Scorsese's office and left the following message: "Any time, any place, any part, any fee."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-casino/88894|title=15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Casino|date=July 22, 2014|website=ShortList|access-date=March 19, 2019|archive-date=July 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708162114/https://www.shortlist.com/news/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-casino|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was well received by critics, earning a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "Impressive ambition and bravura performances from an outstanding cast help ''Casino'' pay off in spite of a familiar narrative that may strike some viewers as a safe bet for director Martin Scorsese."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1067987_casino|title=Casino (1995)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref> Also in 1995, he starred as [[H. R. Haldeman]] in Oliver Stone's ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'', opposite [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Richard Nixon]]. Woods received a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nomination along with the rest of the cast for its [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|ensemble]] work. That same year he acted in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Indictment: The McMartin Trial]]'' acting opposite [[Mercedes Ruehl]] earning nominations for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1995/outstanding-lead-actor-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie|title= 1995 – 47th Emmy Awards|website= Emmy Awards|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:James Woods (210411648).jpg|thumb|right|Woods at an [[AIDS Project Los Angeles]] benefit in September 1990]]
In [[Rob Reiner]]'s film ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (1996), Woods appeared alongside [[Alec Baldwin]] and [[Whoopi Goldberg]]. He portrayed [[Byron De La Beckwith]], a [[white supremacist]] who assassinated civil rights leader [[Medgar Evers]] in 1963. The film was not a box-office success and received mixed reviews, earning a critics' review of 43% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. However, some critics praised Woods' performance. [[Janet Maslin]], in her ''[[New York Times]]'' review, states, "Woods's performance as the hateful old reprobate Beckwith is the film's chief sign of life".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/20/movies/for-a-true-story-dipping-into-the-classics.html|title=For a True Story, Dipping Into the Classics|first=Janet|last=Maslin|newspaper=The New York Times |author-link=Janet Maslin|date=December 20, 1996}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' published an article titled "James Woods is So Good at Being Bad". In the articles it describes Woods having aggressively lobbied director Rob Reiner for the role, which Reiner originally intended for an actor in his 70s, like [[Paul Newman]].<ref name="latimes.com">{{cite news|first=Matthew|last=Gilbert|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-01-ca-14352-story.html|title=James Woods Is So Good at Being Bad|date=January 1, 1997|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
"Beckwith's Mississippi accent, which Woods perfected by watching tapes and working with an accent coach, helped him distance himself from the character. 'I imagined I was speaking a foreign language'."<ref name="latimes.com"/> Woods earned a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe nomination]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} as well as his second Oscar nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997|title= The 69th academy awards – 1997|date= October 5, 2014|publisher= oscars.org |access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref>

Woods would later voice [[Hades (Disney)|Hades]] in the [[Disney animated feature|Disney Animated film]], ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1997), where he received critical praise.<ref>New York Magazine, July 7, 1997, page 54</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] described Woods' performance as full of "diabolical glee" and compared his performance of "verbal inventiveness" to that of [[Robin Williams]] in ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hercules-1997|title=Hercules Movie Review & Film Summary (1997) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com}}</ref> Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' also praised Woods' performance remarking "Woods shows off the full verve of an edgy Scarfe villain".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/13/movies/oh-heavens-what-a-hero.html|title=Oh, Heavens! What a Hero!|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=June 13, 1997|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He reprised the role of Hades again in the [[Hercules (1998 TV series)|television series of the same name]] (where he won a [[Daytime Emmy Award]] in 2000 for his work in season 2), as well as in ''[[House of Mouse]]'' (2001–2003), the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' video game series, ''[[Disney Speedstorm]]'' (2023), and ''[[Once Upon a Studio]]'' (2023). Woods appeared in [[Sofia Coppola]]'s directorial debut ''[[The Virgin Suicides (film)|The Virgin Suicides]]'' (1999) alongside [[Kirsten Dunst]], [[Josh Hartnett]] and [[Kathleen Turner]]. The film premiered at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]] to a largely positive critical reception.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/virgin_suicides|title=The Virgin Suicides (2000)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref>

===2000–present===
During the 2000s, Woods lent his voice to various films, video games, and television shows including another ''[[Disney]]'' film, ''[[Recess: School's Out]]'' (2001) as Dr. Phillium Benedict, the twisted former headmaster who attempts to abolish summer vacation. Woods would also voice Falcon in ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' (2002). He appeared in the [[Denzel Washington]] thriller ''[[John Q.]]'' (2002) and had a cameo in ''[[Be Cool]]'' (2005), featuring an all-star cast. In 2007, Woods voiced the role of Reggie Belafonte, a short-tempered sea otter, in the Sony Pictures Animation film, ''[[Surf's Up (film)|Surf's Up]]''. The character is a [[Don King]]-like promoter for the main character's rival. The film went on to receive an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]] losing to [[Pixar]]'s ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]''. From 2005 to 2016, Woods has played a recurring role as himself in [[Seth MacFarlane]]'s ''[[Family Guy]]''. He has continued to voice [[Hades]] in the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' video games. Since 2016, he has also voiced the role of [[Lex Luthor]] in the animated series ''[[Justice League Action]]''. From 2006 to 2008, Woods starred in the [[CBS]] legal drama series ''[[Shark (American TV series)|Shark]]''. He played an infamous [[defense lawyer]] who, after growing disillusioned when his client commits a murder, becomes a successful prosecutor with the [[Los Angeles County District Attorney]]'s office.

In 2011, Woods starred in the [[HBO]] television drama film ''[[Too Big to Fail (film)|Too Big to Fail]]'' based on the [[Too Big to Fail (book)|2009 book of the same name]] by [[Andrew Ross Sorkin]]. He acted alongside [[Paul Giamatti]], [[William Hurt]], [[Cynthia Nixon]], [[Tony Shalhoub]] and [[Bill Pullman]]. Woods played [[Richard S. Fuld, Jr.]], chairman and CEO of [[Lehman Brothers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/movies/too-big-to-fail/cast-and-crew/richard-fuld|title=Too Big to Fail – Richard Fuld|website=HBO |date=2011 }}</ref> Ken Tucker of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' praised Woods' writing that he "embodyed the role with macho aggression with snake-oil smoothness".<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/article/2011/05/18/too-big-fail/|title= Too Big to Fail|magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref>
For his performance Woods earned nominations for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]] and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/18th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards?field_taxonomy_vocabulary_2_target_id=5|title= 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= SAG Awards|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/shows/too-big-fail|title= Too Big to Fail|website= Emmy Awards|access-date= March 15, 2024}}</ref> In 2012, Woods appeared in the limited series ''[[Coma (American miniseries)|Coma]]'' alongside [[Geena Davis]], [[Richard Dreyfuss]], and [[Ellen Burstyn]]. The series was produced by [[Ridley Scott]], and [[Tony Scott]] and premiered on [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/coma-lauren-ambrose-a-e-tony-scott-ridley-scott-lauren-ambrose-367502|title= A&E's 'Coma': What the Critics Are Saying|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= September 2, 2012|access-date= May 24, 2020}}</ref> In 2013, Woods joined [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]'s critically acclaimed series ''[[Ray Donovan]]'' in a recurring role as Patrick "Sully" Sullivan also starring [[Liev Schreiber]], and [[Jon Voight]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/james-woods-joins-showtimes-ray-429789|title= James Woods Joins Showtime's 'Ray Donovan'|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= March 19, 2013|access-date= May 24, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:RobertDeNiroJenniferConnellyJamesWoodsCannes.jpg|thumb|left|[[Jennifer Connelly]], Woods, and [[Robert De Niro]] at a screening of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in 2012]]
He also appeared as a fictional version of himself in the episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' entitled "[[Homer and Apu]]" and in eight episodes of ''[[Family Guy]]'', which is set in Woods' home state of [[Rhode Island]]. He is also the namesake for James Woods Regional High School in ''Family Guy''. The high school's name was later changed to Adam West High School to reflect the death of [[Adam West]], who was a character in the show. Woods has lent his voice to video games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]''. In 2012, Woods attended an anniversary screening of a restored cut of ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984) at the [[65th Cannes Film Festival]]. The screening was made possible by [[Martin Scorsese]] and his [[The Film Foundation|Film Foundation]] which digitally restored the film as well as included 40 additional minutes of footage.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2012/04/restored-cut-of-sergio-leones-once-upon-a-time-in-america-with-40-more-minutes-to-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival-111564/ |title= Restored Cut Of Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon A Time In America' With 40 More Minutes To Premiere At Cannes Film Festival |website= [[IndieWire]] |date= 18 April 2012 |access-date= 12 May 2020 |archive-date= August 18, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200818014201/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/04/restored-cut-of-sergio-leones-once-upon-a-time-in-america-with-40-more-minutes-to-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival-111564/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> Woods, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Connelly, and [[Elizabeth McGovern]] attended the premiere and introduced the film.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thewrap.com/40-actress-over-40/once-upon-a-time-premiere-65th-annual-cannes-film-festival/ |title= Once Upon A Time Premiere – 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival |website= [[TheWrap]] |access-date= 12 May 2020 |archive-date= July 8, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230708162112/https://www.thewrap.com/40-actress-in-their-40s-amy-adams-kerry-washington/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

In 2014, Woods joined Robert De Niro for an anniversary screening of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984) at the 52nd [[New York Film Festival]] at [[Film at Lincoln Center|Film Society at Lincoln Center]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2014/blog/new-york-film-festival-mankiewicz-retrospective-film-society-2014.html |title= Mankiewicz retrospective and 3 revivals unveiled for 52nd new york film festival |website= filminc.org |access-date= 12 May 2020 |archive-date= August 2, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200802031051/https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2014/blog/new-york-film-festival-mankiewicz-retrospective-film-society-2014.html |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/2014-new-york-film-festival/13/ |title= 2014 New York Film Festival |website= [[CBS News]] |date= September 28, 2014 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> In 2017, Woods made a rare public appearance at the [[Writers Guild of America Awards]] to honor his friend [[Oliver Stone]], with whom he had collaborated three times (''Salvador'', ''Nixon'', and ''Any Given Sunday''), who was receiving the lifetime achievement award.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Anne |last1=Thompson |first2=Kate |last2=Erland |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/02/2017-writers-guild-awards-donald-trump-politics-1201785181/ |title= Trump, Triumph and Speaking Truth to Power: Politics Take a Bow at 2017 Writers Guild Awards |website= [[IndieWire]] |date=20 February 2017 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> During the ceremony, Woods bantered with host [[Patton Oswalt]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Emma |last=Barrie |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/james-woods-stole-patton-oswalts-shoe-at-the-wga-awards.html |title= James Woods Stole Patton Oswalt's Shoe at the WGA Awards, Quite a Feat|website= [[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]]|publisher=[[New York Media]]  |location=New York City |date=19 February 2017|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> Woods served as an executive producer on [[Christopher Nolan]]'s biographical thriller ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amsden |first=David |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Oppenheimer's Big Screen Odyssey: The Man, the Book and the Film's 50-Year Journey |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-07-18/epic-backstory-of-oppenheimer-the-film-and-american-prometheus-the-book |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/oppenheimer-charles-roven-christopher-nolan-1235560144/|title= Producer Charles Roven Talks 'Oppenheimer' Origin, John Woo's 'The Killer' Remake and Gal Gadot's 'Cleopatra'|website= The Hollywood Reporter|date= August 9, 2023|access-date= November 25, 2023}}</ref> Woods and J. David Wargo were thanked when the film won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]] by producer [[Charles Roven]] who credited them for giving him the book ''[[American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer]]'' which was the basis for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.unionprogress.com/2024/03/11/oppenheimer-producer-recognizes-clairton-native-for-his-role-with-the-award-winning-film/#:~:text=%E2%80%9COppenheimer%E2%80%9D%20won%20seven%20awards%2C,the%20ceremony%20concluded%20Sunday%20night.|title= 'Oppenheimer' producer recognizes Clairton native for his role with the award-winning film|website= Pittsburgh Union Progress|date= March 11, 2024|access-date= March 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-07-18/epic-backstory-of-oppenheimer-the-film-and-american-prometheus-the-book|title= Oppenheimer's big-screen odyssey: The man, the book and the film's 50-year journey|website= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|date= July 18, 2023|access-date= March 17, 2024}}</ref>

In 2024 he released the album “Hear The Thunder Crack”, where he wrote all the lyrics and words, while [[Shooter Jennings]] created and performed the music.<ref>[https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/10/21/legendary-actor-james-woods-teams-up-with-shooter-jennings-for-autobiographical-new-album-hear-the-thunder-crack/ Legendary Actor James Woods Teams Up With Shooter Jennings For Autobiographical New Album “Hear The Thunder Crack”]</ref>

== Personal life ==
=== Marriages and relationships ===
In 1980, Woods married costume designer Kathryn Morrison-Pahoa. They divorced in 1983.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://people.com/archive/romance-on-a-razors-edge-vol-36-no-22/|title=Romance on a Razor's Edge – Vol. 36 No. 22|date=December 9, 1991|work=People|access-date=September 14, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1989, he married 26-year-old [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] and ''[[boutique]]'' owner Sarah Owen, but they divorced four months later.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://people.com/archive/brooding-actor-james-woodss-immediate-family-breaks-up-after-four-months-of-marriage-vol-32-no-25/|title=Brooding Actor James Woods's Immediate Family Breaks Up After Four Months of Marriage – Vol. 32 No. 25|date=December 18, 1989|work=People|access-date=September 14, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1992, Woods dated [[Heather Graham]], his co-star in the film ''[[Diggstown]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribute.ca/magazines/tribute/1001/cover_story.htm|title=Heather Graham: Rebel with a cause|work=Tribute}}</ref>

Woods was raised as [[Roman Catholic]] and considers himself a practicing follower of the religion.<ref>{{cite tweet |author= James Woods |user= RealJamesWoods |number= 646787195043377152 |date= September 23, 2015 |title= For the record I am a practicing Roman Catholic. I share that to clarify my personal interest in my previous tweet. |access-date= February 4, 2017}}</ref>

On December 14, 2015, while he was driving alone westbound through an ice storm on [[Interstate 70]] in [[Glenwood Canyon]], [[Colorado]], a speeding driver lost control and crashed into five other cars. Woods swerved his [[Jeep Grand Cherokee]] to avoid the accident and collided with a retaining wall, but slid backwards into a guard rail {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above the Colorado River. He suffered a minor concussion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/actor-james-wood-walks-colo-wreck-concussion-article-1.2466191|title=James Woods walks away from Colorado wreck with 'little concussion,' says 'old tank' Jeep saved his life|last=Hensley|first=Nicole|work=New York Daily News|date=December 15, 2015|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kdvr.com/2015/12/16/actor-james-woods-survives-multivehicle-wreck-in-glenwood-canyon/|title=Actor James Woods survives multivehicle wreck in Glenwood Canyon|last=Hickey|first=Chuck|work=FOX 31 Denver|date=December 16, 2015|access-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref>

=== Interests ===
[[File:Poker Royale 2005.jpg|thumb|right|Woods playing [[poker]] at the [[Pechanga Resort Casino]] in [[Temecula, California]], 2005]]
During a press interview for ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'' (2005), Woods said that he was an avid video game player.<ref>{{YouTube|lHZK4tUrkdQ|title=Kingdom Hearts 2 Interview: James Woods}}</ref> He is a dealer of antiques in [[Rhode Island]].<ref>[http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/pawt-ri-antiques-woods PAWT RI ANTIQUES WOODS] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120911014516/http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/content/pawt-ri-antiques-woods |date=September 11, 2012 }} The Times</ref> Woods is an avid poker player,<ref>{{cite web |title=Actor James Woods on Poker's Impact on His Life |url=https://www.cardschat.com/news/actor-james-woods-on-pokers-impact-on-his-life-cardschat-exclusive-interview-45901 |website=CardsChat.com |date=June 9, 2017 |access-date=31 January 2020}}</ref> playing in cash games and many tournaments. He played in the [[World Poker Tour]]'s ''Hollywood Home Game'' series in 2004 for the [[American Stroke Association]] charity. {{As of|2018}}, he has over 80 tournament successes to his credit,<ref name=mob>{{cite web|url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=25086|title=James Woods' profile on The Hendon Mob|website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database}}</ref> including seventh place at the [[2015 World Series of Poker]] in the [[2015 World Series of Poker results#Event|$3000 No Limit Shootout event]] and fifth place in the [[2018 World Series of Poker results#Event 12|$1,500 Dealers Choice]] event at the [[2018 World Series of Poker]], as well as a $12,000 poker win in 2022 at [[Horseshoe Las Vegas|Bally's Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Garcia|first=Tony|title=Actor James Woods wins $12K on video poker at Bally's|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/celebrity/actor-james-woods-wins-12k-on-video-poker-at-ballys-2607010/|work=Las Vegas Review Journal|date=13 July 2022}}</ref><ref name=mob/>

===Legal issues===
In 1988, Woods sued actress [[Sean Young]] for $2 million, accusing her of stalking him after they appeared together in the film ''[[The Boost]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/55941890.html?dids=55941890:55941890&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+23,+1989&author=Anne+Trebbe&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Woods+suit+may+be+settled&pqatl=google|title=Woods Suit May be Settled|first=Anne|last=Trebbe|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=August 23, 1989|access-date=July 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107230410/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/55941890.html?dids=55941890:55941890&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+23,+1989&author=Anne+Trebbe&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Woods+suit+may+be+settled&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref> Young later countered that Woods had overreacted when she had spurned his on-set advances.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 17, 2007 |title=Young Revisits 20-Year-Old James Woods Harassment Controversy |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/young-revisits-20-year-old-james-woods-harassment-controversy_1043804 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007122904/http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/young-revisits-20-year-old-james-woods-harassment-controversy_1043804 |archive-date=2010-10-07 |website=ContactMusic.com}}</ref> The suit was settled out of court in August 1989,<ref name="OS 19890825">{{cite web|title=Time Out|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1989/08/25/time-out-29/|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|access-date=December 3, 2013|date=August 25, 1989}}</ref><ref name="LAT 19890824">{{cite news|last1=Puig|first1=Claudia|first2=Daniel|last2=Cerone|title=Legal File|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-24-ca-1240-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=December 3, 2013|date=August 24, 1989}}</ref> including a payment of $227,000 to Young to cover her legal costs.<ref>{{cite news|first=Danny|last=Leigh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/26/blade-runner-sean-young-interview |title=Blade Runner's Sean Young: 'If I were a man I'd have been treated better'|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 26, 2015|access-date=February 6, 2016}}</ref>

In 2006, Woods' younger brother Michael Jeffrey Woods died from cardiac arrest at the age of 49. Woods sued [[Kent Hospital]] in [[Warwick, Rhode Island]], alleging negligence. The lawsuit was settled in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/shark-halted-after-woods-brother-dies_1003859 |title=James Woods – Shark Halted After Woods' Brother Dies |publisher=ContactMusic.com|date=July 28, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/34227743/site/todayshow/ns/today-entertainment|title=James Woods settles suit over brother's death|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|date=December 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301115620/http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/34227743/site/todayshow/ns/today-entertainment|archive-date=March 1, 2011}}</ref>

In July 2015, Woods sued an anonymous Twitter user known as Abe List, and ten other Twitter users, for $10 million over an allegedly libelous tweet accusing him of being a "cocaine addict".<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Gardner |first1=Eriq |title=James Woods Sues Twitter User for $10 Million Over 'Cocaine Addict' Accusation |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/james-woods-sues-twitter-user-812107 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=May 11, 2020 |date=July 30, 2015}}</ref> Woods unsuccessfully sought to obtain the name of the Twitter user; the [[Los Angeles County Superior Court]] denied his motion for [[Discovery (law)|discovery]] in October 2015, holding that he could not "use legal process to pierce the anonymity of internet speakers unless [he] can make a ''[[prima facie]]'' case." However, in an unexpected later ruling, the user's Anti-[[Strategic lawsuit against public participation|SLAPP]] motion was denied and Woods was permitted to pursue his lawsuit against List, with the ten other defendants being dropped from the lawsuit.<ref name="Kenneally">{{cite web |date= October 30, 2015 |url = https://www.thewrap.com/james-woods-loses-legal-bid-to-learn-twitter-foes-name-in-cocaine-addict-lawsuit/ |title = James Woods Loses Legal Bid to Learn Twitter Foe's Name in 'Cocaine Addict' Lawsuit|website = [[TheWrap]]| access-date = January 29, 2016 | last=Kenneally | first= Tim }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2016/02/11/james-woods-vs-twitter/|title=James Woods gets permission to sue his Twitter abuser|website=[[Engadget]]|date=February 11, 2016}}</ref> In October 2016, the defendant's appeal was dismissed; attorney [[Lisa Bloom]], who represented the anonymous Twitter user, revealed that the user had died.<ref>{{cite news|title=Actor James Woods Gloats Over Death Of Random Twitter Troll He Sued To Unmask [Updated] |url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161020/23574335850/actor-james-woods-gloats-over-death-random-twitter-troll-he-sued-to-unmask-updated.shtml |work=Techdirt |date=October 21, 2016}}</ref> The case was [[settled out of court]] soon afterwards, with Woods receiving a letter from Bloom saying that her client "regretted making the tweet and further regrets any harm caused to Mr. Woods' reputation by the tweet."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gardner |first1=Eriq |title=James Woods Drops Lawsuit Over 'Cocaine Addict' Tweet After Getting Trophy Letter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/james-woods-drops-lawsuit-cocaine-addict-tweet-getting-trophy-letter-1022660 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=May 11, 2020 |date=July 19, 2015}}</ref>

In 2017, shortly before the Abe List litigation was resolved, Portia Boulger sued Woods for misidentifying her as a [[Nazi]] in an allegedly libelous tweet.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Cullins |first1=Ashley |title=James Woods Sued for $3 Million by Woman Falsely Identified as Nazi Trump Supporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/james-woods-sued-3-million-by-woman-falsely-identified-as-nazi-trump-supporter-986580 |access-date=29 April 2020 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=15 March 2017}}</ref> The tweet included a photo of a different woman giving a [[Nazi salute]] while wearing a [[Donald Trump]] t-shirt at a [[Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign|campaign event]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca6/18-3170/18-3170-2019-02-27.html |title=Boulger v. Woods, No. 18-3170 (6th Cir. 2019) |website=Justia |access-date=29 April 2020}}</ref> Boulger sought $3 million in damages.<ref name=":1" /> The court ruled in favor of Woods under the innocent construction rule. Boulger appealed, but the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit]] upheld the ruling.<ref name=":1" />

===Political views and Twitter use===
Woods has stated that he was a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] until the [[impeachment of Bill Clinton]] in 1999, commenting that "every single Democrat without exception stood behind a convicted perjurer. That was the end."<ref>{{cite tweet |author= James Woods |user= RealJamesWoods |number= 899803876689412096 |date= August 21, 2017 |title= I was for years, until #Clinton was impeached. Every single #Democrat without exception stood behind a convicted perjurer. That was the end. |access-date= August 21, 2017}}</ref> Woods was a registered [[Independent voter|Independent]] during the presidencies of [[George W. Bush]] and [[Barack Obama]];<ref>{{cite tweet |author= James Woods |user= RealJamesWoods |number= 709238037855645696 |date= March 14, 2016 |title= I endorse no candidate. I am a registered Independent. I'm suggesting that people can behave as they wish, if prepared for the consequences |access-date= February 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |author= James Woods |user= RealJamesWoods |number= 1011334378218139648 |date= June 25, 2018 |title= I was a registered Democrat for the greater portion of my voting life. The #Clintons cinched it for me. I was an #Independent through the Bush years. Obama was an eight year blank. The hatred and violence the @Democrats now promote convince me I was right to #WalkAway... |access-date= February 13, 2019}}</ref> he has since aligned himself with the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]].<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Adam |title=The angriest Republican in Hollywood: how James Woods became a MAGA martyr |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/angriest-republican-hollywood-has-james-woods-picked-one-twitter/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/angriest-republican-hollywood-has-james-woods-picked-one-twitter/ |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date= July 6, 2018 |access-date=February 2, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When [[Carly Fiorina]] pulled out of the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential race]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hod|first1=Itay|title=Carly Fiorina Scores James Woods Endorsement|url=https://www.thewrap.com/carly-fiorina-scores-james-woods-endorsement/|website=TheWrap.com|publisher=[[The Wrap]]|access-date=September 22, 2015|date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> he shifted his endorsement to [[Ted Cruz]] in November 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Giaritelli|first1=Anna|title=Fiorina loses Hollywood endorsement to Cruz|url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fiorina-loses-hollywood-endorsement-to-cruz/article/2577028|access-date=March 3, 2017|work=[[The Washington Examiner]]|date=November 23, 2015}}</ref> Woods has defended U.S. President [[Donald Trump]] in the media, and has been described as a "staunch Trump supporter".<ref>{{cite web|first=Aris|last=Folley|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/james-woods-defends-trump-he-loves-america-more-than-any-president-in-my-lifetime/ar-BB14dOHE|title=James Woods defends Trump: He 'loves America more than any president in my lifetime'|website=[[MSN]]|date=May 18, 2020|access-date=August 11, 2020}}</ref><ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/>

Woods' name was in an advertisement in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (August 17, 2006) that condemned [[Hamas]] and [[Hezbollah]] and supported Israel in the [[2006 Lebanon War]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20130228111826/http://www.hollywoodgrind.com/nicole-kidman-and-84-others-stand-united-against-terrorism/ Nicole Kidman and 84 Others Stand United Against Terrorism]" ''Hollywood Grind''. August 18, 2006.</ref> On July 4, 2018, [[The Gersh Agency]], Woods' long-time talent agency, notified him by email that they would no longer represent him. Woods stated that the agency dropped him due to his political views.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Rebecca |title=James Woods Says He Was Dropped By 'Liberal' Talent Agent |url=https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/james-wood-dropped-by-agent-ken-kaplan-1202865614/ |access-date=July 5, 2018 |work=Variety |date=July 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gaynor |first1=Gerren Keith |title=James Woods is dropped by 'liberal' talent agent: 'It's the 4th of July and I'm feeling patriotic' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/james-woods-is-dropped-by-liberal-talent-agent-its-the-4th-of-july-and-im-feeling-patriotic/ |access-date=July 5, 2018 |work=Fox News |date=July 5, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=John |title=Conservative actor James Woods says he was dumped by his agent because of his political views |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/james-woods-said-dropped-by-political-liberal-agent-on-july-4-2018-7 |date=July 4, 2018|access-date=July 5, 2018 |work=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> He has said that there were many [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] actors who did not share their thoughts because "the blacklist against conservatives in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] is very real."<ref>{{cite web |title=James Woods retires from acting after saying he's blacklisted because he's conservative |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/james-woods-retires-from-acting-after-saying-hes-blacklisted-because-hes-conservative |website=Fox News |access-date=May 6, 2020 |date=October 7, 2017}}</ref>

Woods frequently expressed his conservative political views on Twitter and was locked out of his account multiple times for violations of the platform's terms of service.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/24/conservative-actor-james-woods-tweeted-a-hoax-meme-in-july-twitter-just-locked-him-out-of-his-account/ |title=Conservative actor James Woods tweeted a hoax meme in July. Twitter just locked him out of his account. |date=24 September 2018 |work=The Mercury News|access-date=26 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Forliti |first=Amy |date=2018-09-23 |title=Actor locked out of Twitter over tweet that violated rules|agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Actor-locked-out-of-Twitter-over-tweet-that-violated-rules-494078661.html |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=WHSV |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Martha |last=Ross |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/10/24/ivanka-trump-james-woods-and-varied-pro-trump-reactions-to-obama-clinton-bomb-threats/ |title=Ivanka Trump, James Woods and varied pro-Trump reactions to Obama, Clinton bomb threats |newspaper=[[Mercury News]] |publisher=[[Bay Area News Group]] |location=San Francisco, California |date=24 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Forgey |first=Quint |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/04/trump-twitter-facebook-1301638 |title=Trump ramps up attacks on Facebook, Twitter |work=[[Politico]] |date=4 May 2019 |access-date=May 5, 2019}}</ref> In 2017, a Twitter debate between Woods and [[Amber Tamblyn]] escalated after Tamblyn accused Woods of inviting her to Las Vegas when she was underage, which Woods dismissed as a lie.<ref>{{cite news |first=Melissa |last=Chan |url=https://www.time.com/4941261/amber-tamblyn-james-woods/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914154734/http://time.com/4941261/amber-tamblyn-james-woods/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 September 2017 |title=Amber Tamblyn Is Calling Out James Woods as a 'Predator.' Here's What to Know'. |newspaper=[[Time Magazine]] |date=September 14, 2017 |access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref>

In July 2017, Woods responded to a Twitter post of an [[Orange County]] family attending an [[LGBT pride]] event with their 10-year-old son by stating, "Wait until this poor kid grows up, realizes what you've done, and stuffs both of you dismembered into a freezer in the garage." [[Neil Patrick Harris]], a friend of the family, condemned Woods’ comments as "utterly ignorant and classless."<ref>{{cite web |url= https://abc7ny.com/post/neil-patrick-harris-james-woods-in-twitter-feud/2216947/ |title= Neil Patrick Harris, James Woods in Twitter feud over gay pride photo |date=14 July 2017 |website=abc7.com}}</ref>

In 2018, Woods turned his Twitter feed into a [[bulletin board]] for missing evacuees of the [[California wildfires]], and was credited with saving lives and helping to reunite missing loved ones and pets with their families.<ref>{{cite web |last=Warren |first=Steve |date=2018-11-12 |title=Actor James Woods Uses Twitter to Help Fire Victims Find Missing Loved Ones |url=https://cbn.com/news/us/actor-james-woods-uses-twitter-help-fire-victims-find-missing-loved-ones |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=CBN}}</ref> He provided aid to actresses [[Holly Marie Combs]] and [[Alyssa Milano]], with the latter thanking him for his help saving her horses.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kenneally |first=Tim |title=James Woods Helps Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs With Horse Rescues During Southern California Fires |url=https://www.thewrap.com/james-woods-helps-alyssa-milano-holly-marie-combs-with-horse-rescues-during-southern-california-fires/ |work=The Wrap |date=9 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dillin |first=Rachel |title=Alyssa Milano Calls Out People Who Shamed James Woods For Helping Evacuate Her Horses In California Wildfire |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/5156258/alyssa-milano-james-woods-california-wildfire-horses-evacuation |work=Inquisitor |date=9 November 2018}}</ref>

In 2022, analysis conducted by researchers with the [[University of Washington]]'s Center for an Informed Public and the [[Chris Krebs|Krebs]] [[Alex Stamos|Stamos]] Group found Woods was the top purveyor of [[False claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election|election misinformation]] on Twitter during the late months of 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hendrix |first1=Justin |title=Researchers Release Comprehensive Twitter Dataset of False Claims About The 2020 Election |url=https://www.justsecurity.org/81913/researchers-release-comprehensive-twitter-dataset-of-false-claims-about-the-2020-election/ |work=[[Just Security]] |date=June 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Folley |first1=Aris |title=James Woods defends Trump: He 'loves America more than any president in my lifetime' |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/498247-james-woods-says-trump-loves-america-more-than-any-president-in/ |work=The Hill |date=May 17, 2020}}</ref> That same year, Woods announced his intentions to sue the [[Democratic National Committee]] following [[Elon Musk]]'s release of the [[Twitter Files]]. Journalist [[Matt Taibbi]] reported that the Democratic National Committee requested a tweet made by Woods, related to [[Hunter Biden]], be removed from Twitter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hume |first1=Ashley |last2=Creitz |first2=Charles |title=James Woods fires back at Twitter, vows to sue over censorship on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/james-woods-fires-back-twitter-vows-sue-censorship-tucker-carlson-tonight |work=Fox News |date=2 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Downey |first=Caroline |title=Scandalous Hunter Biden Info Days before 2020 Election |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-campaign-requested-twitter-scrub-scandalous-hunter-biden-content-days-before-2020-election/ |work=National Review |date=2 December 2022}}</ref> Critics of Woods defended Twitter's decision by pointing out that he posted images of Hunter Biden's genitals to his account.<ref>{{cite news |last=Svetkey |first=Benjamin |title=Elon Musk's 'Twitter Files' Are Turning Hunter Biden's Penis Into a Constitutional Crisis. No Joke. |url=https://www.thewrap.com/elon-musk-is-turning-hunter-biden-photo-into-a-constitutional-crisis-no-joke/ |work=The Wrap |date=December 5, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Tim |title=No, You Do Not Have a Constitutional Right to Post Hunter Biden's Dick Pic on Twitter |url=https://www.thebulwark.com/no-you-do-not-have-a-constitutional-right-to-post-hunter-bidens-dick-pic-on-twitter/ |work=The Bulwark |date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>

In the wake of the [[October 7 attacks]], Woods has strongly criticized [[Hamas]] for "savage terrorism".<ref>[https://x.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1843692568586137630 Status] X. 9 October 2023</ref> He criticized [[Joe Biden]] on X for failing to do more to secure the release of the twelve American hostages abducted to the [[Gaza Strip]] by Hamas amid the [[Gaza war hostage crisis]].<ref>[https://x.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1713018364359282835 Status] X. 14 October 2023</ref><ref>[https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-7-2024/ Department Press Briefing – October 7, 2024] U.S. Department of State. 7 October 2024</ref> In November 2023, he advocated against a ceasefire in the [[Gaza war]], further calling for the killing of all Palestinian activists with the hashtag "#KillThemAll".<ref>[https://x.com/realjameswoods/status/1726029033895551217 Status] X. 19 November 2023</ref> In February 2024, he criticized [[Rashida Tlaib]] for her lone "present" vote as the [[United States House of Representatives]] voted unanimously to condemn [[Sexual and gender-based violence in the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel|rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel]].<ref>[https://x.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1758154649734119646 Status] X. 16 February 2024</ref><ref>[https://www.jns.org/tlaib-present-as-house-votes-unanimously-to-condemn-hamas-for-rape/ Tlaib ‘present,’ as House votes unanimously to condemn Hamas for rape] ''Jewish News Syndicate''. 14 February 2024</ref> He has condemned [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses]], claiming that they foment [[anti-semitism]] and show support for Hamas.<ref>[https://x.com/RealJamesWoods/status/1786056258036150376 Status] X. 3 May 2024</ref>

===9/11 experience ===
On August 1, 2001, Woods alleged noticing four men near him acting suspiciously on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles. Woods reported his suspicions to the co-pilot in flight, and he claimed that those concerns were passed on to the [[Federal Aviation Administration]]. On the evening of September 11, Woods called the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) and repeated his concerns; they interviewed him at his home the next morning. Woods believed that he had encountered four of the [[Hijackers in the September 11 attacks|19 terrorists/hijackers]] responsible for the [[September 11 attacks]], who were on the flight to study it in preparation for the attacks.<ref>{{cite web|last=Woods|first=James|title=Interview with Bill O'Reilly|date=July 21, 2007 |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0lzZvCNkJw|publisher=YouTube|access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/packages/underattack/news/planes_reconstruction.htm Newspaper article, Probe reconstructs horror, calculated attacks on planes], by Glen Johnson, Boston Globe Staff, November 23, 2001</ref> Woods was interviewed by FBI agents regarding this incident. He has stated that he looked at pictures of the hijackers and identified two terrorists as being among the men that he had seen on his flight.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=102411&page=1 James Woods Reported Suspicious Passengers to FBI], ABC News.com, September 19, 2001</ref>

==Acting credits==
{{main|James Woods on screen and stage}}
Woods' career spans five decades and includes collaborations with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers of his time, such as [[John Carpenter]], [[Elia Kazan]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[David Cronenberg]], [[Sergio Leone]], [[Clint Eastwood]], [[Sydney Pollack]], [[Arthur Penn]], [[Oliver Stone]], [[Rob Reiner]], [[Robert Zemeckis]], [[Richard Attenborough]], and [[Sofia Coppola]].

'''Selected credits:'''
{{div col | colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[The Visitors (1972 film)|The Visitors]]'' (1972)
* ''[[The Way We Were]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Night Moves (1975 film)|Night Moves]]'' (1975)
* ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]'' (1979)
* ''[[The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel]]'' (1979)
* ''[[The Black Marble]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Eyewitness (1981 film)|Eyewitness]]'' (1981)
* ''[[Fast-Walking]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Against All Odds (1984 film)|Against All Odds]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Cat's Eye (1985 film)|Cat's Eye]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Best Seller]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Boost]] '' (1988)
* ''[[Cop (film)|Cop]]'' (1988)
* ''[[True Believer (1989 film)|True Believer]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Immediate Family (film)|Immediate Family]]'' (1989) 
* ''[[The Hard Way (1991 film)|The Hard Way]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Straight Talk]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Diggstown]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' (1992)
* ''[[The Getaway (1994 film)|The Getaway]]'' (1994)
* ''[[The Specialist]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1997) (Voice)
* ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Vampires (1998 film)|Vampires]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Another Day in Paradise (film)|Another Day in Paradise]]'' (1998)
* ''[[True Crime (1999 film)|True Crime]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Any Given Sunday]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Virgin Suicides (film)|The Virgin Suicides]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Recess: School's Out]]'' (2001) (Voice)
* ''[[Scary Movie 2]]'' (2001)
* ''[[John Q.]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' (2002) (Voice)
* ''[[Be Cool]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Surf's Up (film)|Surf's Up]]'' (2007) (Voice)
* ''[[White House Down]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Jobs (film)|Jobs]]'' (2013)
{{div col end}}

==Awards and nominations==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by James Woods}}
For his work in film, Woods has received two [[Academy Award]] nominations for his performances in [[Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]'' (1987), and [[Rob Reiner]]'s ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (1996). Woods has also received many award nominations for his performances in television such as [[Primetime Emmy Award]], and a [[Golden Globe Award]] for his performance in the made-for-television film ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]'' (1986), and won his second [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for his performance in ''[[My Name is Bill W.]]'' (1989). He also received three [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nominations and three [[Independent Spirit Award]] nominations winning for ''Salvador''.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!| Award
!| Year
!| Category
!| Nominated work
!| Result
|-
| rowspan=2|[[Academy Awards]]
| [[59th Academy Awards|1986]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[69th Academy Awards|1996]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Daytime Emmy Awards]]
| [[27th Daytime Emmy Awards|2000]]
| [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program|Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program]]
| ''[[Hercules: The Animated Series]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=8|[[Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[37th Golden Globe Awards|1979]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]]
| ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[44th Golden Globe Awards|1986]]
| rowspan=5|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film]]
| ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[45th Golden Globe Awards|1987]]
| ''[[In Love and War (1987 film)|In Love and War]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[47th Golden Globe Awards|1989]]
| ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[50th Golden Globe Awards|1992]]
| ''[[Citizen Cohn]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[53rd Golden Globe Awards|1995]]
| ''[[Indictment: The McMartin Trial]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[54th Golden Globe Awards|1996]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
| ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[38th Golden Globe Awards|2000]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film]]
| ''[[Dirty Pictures]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Independent Spirit Award]]
| [[2nd Independent Spirit Awards|1987]]
| rowspan=3|[[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Best Male Lead]]
| ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[3rd Independent Spirit Awards|1988]]
| ''Best Seller''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[4th Independent Spirit Awards|1989]]
| ''[[The Boost]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=7|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]
| [[39th Primetime Emmy Awards|1987]] 
| rowspan=5|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
| ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|1989]]
| ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards|1993]]
| ''[[Citizen Cohn]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[47th Primetime Emmy Awards|1995]]
| ''[[Indictment: The McMartin Trial]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[55th Primetime Emmy Awards|2003]]
| ''[[Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[58th Primetime Emmy Awards|2006]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series]]
| ''[[ER (TV series)|ER]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[63rd Primetime Emmy Awards|2011]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie]]
| ''[[Too Big to Fail (film)|Too Big to Fail]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan=3|[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| [[2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards|1995]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Cast in a Motion Picture]]
| ''[[Nixon (1995 film)|Nixon]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[7th Screen Actors Guild Awards|2000]]
| rowspan=2|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie|Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]]
| ''[[Dirty Pictures]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[18th Screen Actors Guild Awards|2011]]
| ''[[Too Big to Fail (film)|Too Big to Fail]]''
| {{nom}}
|}

* On October 15, 1998, Woods was inducted into the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] with a star at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.<ref name="HWoF-123RF">{{cite web |title=James Woods |url=http://www.walkoffame.com/james-woods |publisher=www.walkoffame.com |access-date=23 June 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|James Woods}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{AFI person | 178601-James-Woods }}
* {{Twitter}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{tcmdb name}}
* {{Emmys person|james-woods}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100826095108/http://jameswoods.info/ James Woods Biography]

{{navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by James Woods|Awards for James Woods]]
|list =
{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActor 1976-2000}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVMiniseriesFilm}}
{{IndependentSpiritBestMaleLead 1985–1999}}
{{Magnolia Award for Best Actor}}
{{Mary Pickford Award}}
{{Satellite Award Best Actor Television Miniseries or Film}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Actor}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, James}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:American conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:American critics of Islam]]
[[Category:American Christian Zionists]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male video game actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of British descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American poker players]]
[[Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Catholics from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Catholics from Utah]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Male Lead Independent Spirit Award winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Male actors from Utah]]
[[Category:MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences alumni]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Vernal, Utah]]
[[Category:People from Warwick, Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Rhode Island Republicans]]
[[Category:Members of the Sons of the American Revolution]]
[[Category:Theatre World Award winners]]
[[Category:Utah Republicans]]