Brion James Net Worth

Publish date: 2024-10-19

Brion Howard James net worth is
$100,000

Brion Howard James Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family

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 films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., Tango & Cash, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element. James' commanding screen presence and formidable physique at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall usually resulted in his casting as a heavy, appearing more frequently in lower budget horror and action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before he died of a heart attack aged 54.

Full Name	Brion Howard James
Net Worth	$100,000
Date Of Birth	February 20, 1945
Died	1999-08-07
Place Of Birth	Redlands, California, USA
Height	6' 3" (1.91 m)
Occupation	Actor
Profession	Actor, Producer
Spouse	Maxine James
Nicknames	Brion James, James, Brion
Star Sign	Pisces

#	Trademark
1	Tall frame
2	Played secondary characters, often villians and heavies, with a menacing streak.

#	Quote
1	[on studying acting with Stella Adler] I consider her probably the best acting teacher in the world. She gives you a technique that combines with your talent, and they grow together and eventually become the same thing. I never tire of the work. There's always a further place to go with it.
2	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.
3	[about Southern Comfort (1981)] It was the hardest movie I ever made as far as being physical. It was cold and freezing in that swamp. [Keith Carradine] and the other ones, they wore wet suits under the clothes, I never wore one. I was miserable, but it worked for the movie. I played a local Cajun trapper. It's the only accent I ever had to learn. I'm a parrot. I can pick up an accent and just do it. That one I had to study, and a real Cajun taught me how to do it. So, I did this Cajun patois, bastardized French. It was very different, it was like a southern black French.
4	My dad built a movie theater in Beaumont, California, and by the time I was two years old I was at the movies every night. I lived in books and movies. That's where I wanted to be, in that fantasy world. I started acting in school at a very early age, putting on talent shows, acting in high school plays, that kind of thing. I guess some people are just destined to do this.
5	[on his part in Another 48 Hrs. (1990) being heavily cut down] Total Recall (1990) came out a week before "Another 48 Hrs" that summer, it made 25 million. The studio panicked. My stuff was in there until one week before the film opened. They cut 25 minutes out of that movie, a week before it opened. It went from around 140 to down to around 95 minutes. They said cut all the behavior, action, comedy, done. I lost every major scene I had. That's the last time I ever cared about a movie because I went to the press screening and it was like getting kicked in the stomach, seeing what's not there. I'm the third lead and I looked like a dress extra. All the stuff that they had in the set-up, stuff in the trailer, all those scenes were gone.
6	[on what he remembers about making Crime Wave (1985)] Three months in Detroit, which was where we were. Murder City. I was really sick, I was doing a lot of drugs, but I told Sam Raimi, "Put me on, but don't say cut, let me go". He did and I went and basically I had the show. At that point, which came after Blade Runner (1982), they put me on a blacklist, because I wouldn't be in the union, and when I came up for that, they said, "You can't do the movie". They said, "We've got to have Brion James". They said, "No, he's not working for us." Finally they said, "Look, he's the only guy we want". They said, "Fine, you can have him, but we're not paying our part". So they paid their part, I worked like ten weeks for $2500. You know they say don't make waves, so I learned my lesson.
7	[about Red Heat (1988)] I told Walter Hill, "I'll do a walk-on for you, or a starring role, I don't care". He made me a film actor. He said, "Fine, now you're a film actor" in Southern Comfort (1981), and it was one of the best roles I ever had. I told Walter, "I'll do anything you want, just tell me". In "Red Heat" I had one good scene. I played this guy like a white Negro, "Snitch". So I processed the hair, wore those shoes, I made him like a real street guy. Walter Hill, he loves it.
8	[in August 1999, when asked to what he attributes his success] Hard work. You gotta study, man. It's like any profession. I did eight years in theater. I studied two years in school in New York with Stella Adler, the best teacher in the world. I studied under Nina Foch, I did theater, I learned my craft. You got to learn how to build a character, there's a way to do it. Everything I ever did was different. I did 125 films, and over 100 television shows, and you've never seen the same character twice. I think now, in my 50s, with [Robert Duvall], [Albert Finney] and [Gene Hackman], those guys are getting up there in their 60s, it's my time. And I'm making sure that I push myself into their slot. So, my best work's coming.

#	Fact
1	Appeared in five films directed by Philippe Mora including playing Hermann Goering in Snide and Prejudice.
2	Good friends with co-star Rutger Hauer. They made four movies together prior to James' death.
3	He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.
4	Acted in five films for director Walter Hill.
5	Acted in four films for director Albert Pyun.
6	Vietnam buddy with actor Tim Thomerson.

Actor

Title	Year	Status	Character
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars	1989	TV Movie	Roy Grimes
Circles in a Forest	1989		Mr. Patterson
Mutator	1989		David Allen
The Horror Show	1989		Max Jenke
On My Honor	1988	Short	Commander
Miami Vice	1988	TV Series	Edward Reese
Red Scorpion	1988		Sgt. Krasnov
Webster	1988	TV Series
Death Street USA	1988		The Albino
Red Heat	1988		Streak
The Wrong Guys	1988		Glen Grunski
D.O.A.	1988		Detective Ulmer
Dead Man Walking	1988		Decker
Sledge Hammer!	1986-1988	TV Series	Don Merrill / Felix Ridel
Cherry 2000	1987		Stacy
Steel Dawn	1987		Tark
The Hitchhiker	1987	TV Series	Lionel
Love Among Thieves	1987	TV Movie	Andre
Matlock	1987	TV Series	Mr. Grock
Sidekicks	1986	TV Series	Marshall
Armed and Dangerous	1986		Anthony Lazarus
Annihilator	1986	TV Movie	Alien Leader
Dynasty	1986	TV Series	Hawkins
Enemy Mine	1985		Stubbs
Amazing Stories	1985	TV Series	Willie Joe
The A-Team	1983-1985	TV Series	David Plout / Ryder
The Fall Guy	1985	TV Series
Silverado	1985		Hobart (uncredited)
Flesh+Blood	1985		Karsthans
Crimewave	1985		Arthur Coddish
The Dukes of Hazzard	1982-1984	TV Series	Captain Slater / Jenkins
A Breed Apart	1984		Peyton
Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues	1983	TV Movie	Reece
The Renegades	1983	TV Series	Cochran
Cagney & Lacey	1983	TV Series	Dave
Lone Star	1983	TV Movie	Breyer
48 Hrs.	1982		Kehoe
Hear No Evil	1982	TV Movie	Billy Boy Burns
Quincy M.E.	1982	TV Series	Henry Muller
American Playhouse	1982	TV Series	Captain Rogers
Blade Runner	1982		Leon Kowalski
Little House on the Prairie	1982	TV Series	Amos
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez	1982		Captain Rogers
CHiPs	1979-1981	TV Series	Ackerman / Monk
Benson	1981	TV Series	Axe-Man
Killing at Hell's Gate	1981	TV Movie	Turkey
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.	1981		Defalice
Southern Comfort	1981		Trapper
The Postman Always Rings Twice	1981		Crapshooter
The Jazz Singer	1980		Man in Bar
When the Whistle Blows	1980	TV Series	Al Davis
Trouble in High Timber Country	1980	TV Movie	Eddie Rhodes
Wholly Moses!	1980		Guard at Banquet
The Jeffersons	1980	TV Series	Dirty Dog
Galactica 1980	1980	TV Series	Willy
B.J. and the Bear	1979	TV Series	Bomber / Patrol Officer
Big Shamus, Little Shamus	1979	TV Series	Denker
Mork & Mindy	1978	TV Series	George
The Incredible Hulk	1978	TV Series	Al
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park	1978	TV Movie	Guard
Flying High	1978	TV Series	Clyde Boyer
Corvette Summer	1978		Wayne's Car Wash Henchman
Goober & the Truckers' Paradise	1978	TV Movie	T-Bone
Chico and the Man	1978	TV Series	Hog
Blue Sunshine	1977		Tony
The Rockford Files	1977	TV Series	Clamshell
Roots	1977	TV Mini-Series	Slaver
Nickelodeon	1976		Bailiff
Bound for Glory	1976		Pick-Up Truck Driver at Border
Treasure of Matecumbe	1976		Roustabout
Harry and Walter Go to New York	1976		Hayseed
The Kansas City Massacre	1975	TV Movie	Homer Van Meter
Hard Times	1975	uncredited
Gunsmoke	1975	TV Series	Joe Barnes
The Waltons	1974	TV Series	Henry Ferris Jr.
Get Christie Love!	1974	TV Series	Hopper
Phoenix Point	2005		Spider Rico
The Thief & the Stripper	2000		Shoe
Farewell, My Love	2000		Renault
The King Is Alive	2000		Ashley
The Operator	2000		Vernon Woods
Dirt Merchant	1999		Detective Harry Ball
The Hunter's Moon	1999	Video	Sheriff Foulkes
Superman	1999	Video Game	Parasite (voice)
Spawn	1997-1999	TV Series	Additional Voices
Diplomatic Siege	1999		Gen. Stubbs
Foolish	1999		Ruben Reyes, Talent Scout (uncredited)
Arthur's Quest	1999	TV Movie	Trent
Malevolence	1999		Warden Walker
The Magnificent Seven	1998-1999	TV Series	Stuart James
A Place Called Truth	1998		Hank
Black Sea 213	1998		Captain Killick
Joseph's Gift	1998		Frank Childress
Men in Black: The Series	1998	TV Series
Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller	1998		Mönch
Brown's Requiem	1998		Cathcart
Vengeance Unlimited	1998	TV Series	Franklin Dekker
Deadly Ransom	1998		Bobby Rico
Men in White	1998	TV Movie	General
Heist	1998		Caz
Border to Border	1998		Card Shark
In God's Hands	1998		Captain
The Sentinel	1998	TV Series	Warren Chapel
Jekyll Island	1998		Lawton Goodyear
Millennium	1998	TV Series	Sheriff Bowman
Bombshell	1997		Donald
Blade Runner	1997	Video Game	Leon (voice)
The Underground	1997		Captain Hilton
Walker, Texas Ranger	1997	TV Series	Rafer Cobb
Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills	1997		Salvador Dali / Sam
Superman	1996-1997	TV Series	The Parasite Rudy Jones Parasite
The Setting Son	1997		Junior
Snide and Prejudice	1997		Hermann Goering
The Fifth Element	1997		General Munro
Back in Business	1997		Emery Ryker
The Killing Jar	1997		Dr. Vincent Garret
Billy Lone Bear	1996		Walsh
Assault on Dome 4	1996	TV Movie	Chairman
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters	1996	TV Series	Big Orderly / Chimera
American Strays	1996		Oris
Precious Find	1996		Sam Horton
The Lazarus Man	1996	TV Series
Evil Obsession	1996		Stavinski
Marco Polo: Haperek Ha'aharon	1996
Indecent Behavior III	1995		Mr. Cowed (uncredited)
The Marshal	1995	TV Series	Chief Marshal Ollie Mathers
Cyberjack	1995		Nassim
Dominion	1995		Lynwood
Steel Frontier	1995	Video	General J.W. Quantrell
The Nature of the Beast	1995		Sheriff Gordon
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See	1995	TV Movie	Larry Walker
Spitfire	1995		Tough guy (uncredited)
Hong Kong 97	1994		Simon Alexander
The Soft Kill	1994		Ben McCarthy
Radioland Murders	1994		Bernie King
Highlander	1994	TV Series	Armand Thorne
The Companion	1994	TV Movie	Ron Cocheran
Art Deco Detective	1994		Jim Wexler
Savage Land	1994		Cyrus
M.A.N.T.I.S.	1994	TV Series	Solomon Box
F.T.W.	1994		Sheriff Rudy Morgan
Scanner Cop	1994	Video	Dr. Hampton
Knight Rider 2010	1994	TV Movie	Jared
Future Shock	1994		Jack Porter
Silk Stalkings	1994	TV Series	Rupert Tarlow
Cabin Boy	1994		Big Teddy
The Dark	1993		Paul Buckner
Precious Victims	1993	TV Movie	Agent Jimmy Bivens
Showdown	1993/I		Vice Principal Kowalski
Striking Distance	1993		Det. Eddie Eiler
Johnny Bago	1993	TV Series	Tommy 'The Trunk' Testarone
Brain Smasher... A Love Story	1993	Video	Brown
Renegade	1993	TV Series	Eli Starke
Time Runner	1993		Neila
Rio Diablo	1993	TV Movie	Jake Walker
Batman: The Animated Series	1992-1993	TV Series	Additional Voices / Irving
Frogtown II	1992		Prof. Tanzer
Nemesis	1992		Maritz
Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story	1992	TV Movie	Bruce Munster
Wishman	1992		Staten Jack Rose
The Player	1992		Joel Levison
Black Magic	1992	TV Movie	Tom McKay
Tales from the Crypt	1991	TV Series	Steve Dixon
Ultimate Desires	1991		Wolfgang Friedman
Mom	1991		Nestor Duvalier
Hunter	1988-1991	TV Series	Thomas Duffy / Lt. Jeff Wadsworth
Another 48 Hrs.	1990		Ben Kehoe
Street Asylum	1990		Reverend Mony
Enid Is Sleeping	1990		Trucker
The Young Riders	1990	TV Series	Jonas Simpkins
Tango & Cash	1989		Requin