James Woods Bio, Net Worth, Girlfriend or Wife and Acting Career

Quick Facts

American actor James Woods made a name for himself in the movie industry by taking on villainous and antagonistic roles beyond which he is also a voice actor and a producer. Like most of his counterparts, Woods started out with theatrical productions before he made his way to the big screen. He is popularly known for his roles in movies like Videodrome (1983), Once Upon a time in America (1984), Casino (1995), and many others.

Woods’ outstanding talent has earned him lots of recognition and accolades including three Emmy Awards and two Academy nominations. James is not only a villainous actor; It would be quite interesting to dwell on the life and career of the popular actor. Here is everything you need to know about him.

James Woods’ Bio, Age

He was born on April 18, 1947, in Vernal, Utah to parents; Gail Peyton Woods his father and Martha Woods his mother. Woods’ father, an army intelligence officer died after a surgery in 1960 when the actor was still a teenager. Years after his father’s death, his mother remarried to Thomas .E. Dixon.

James attended Pilgrim High School after which he proceeded to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and studied political science. Woods was a member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity at MIT. He also joined MIT’s theatre group and gradually started to develop an interest in the art. As time went by, Woods became so inclined to acting that he resorted to dropping school to pursue a career in acting.

Acting Career

Woods soon came in contact with Tim Affleck, a stage manager at the Theatre Company of Boston from where he started out with plays before making his debut on Broadway in 1970. The actor made an appearance in 30 plays before heading to the bigger platform. He started his Broadway stint with the American production of ‘Borstal Boy’ in Lyceum Theatre, Manhattan, New York. He also appeared in The Trial of the Catonsville Nine by Daniel Berrigan.

Woods made his TV debut in 1971 with the production All the Way Home, his film debut followed with The Visitors in 1972. He continued to get small film roles until in 1979 when he received critical acclaim for his role as a sadistic killer in The Onion Field  subsequently appearing in a host of other movies. Woods was also notable for his role as an unstable cable owner in the science fiction horror film, Videodrome but it was his remarkable performance in Salvador, that earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1986.

The 90s came with even more promising opportunities for the talented actor. James’ role as a serial killer Carl Panzram in 1994’s Killer: A Journal of Murder was widely recognized. The following year James Woods starred alongside in Casino and earned lots of recognition. He made another outstanding appearance in the 1999 crime film The General’s Daughter. Woods made one of his most prominent TV appearances in the CBS legal drama Shark which started airing in 2006 and ended in 2008.

He was not just good at on-screen acting, Woods also put his voice to good use by lending it to animated characters. He voiced Hades in the 1997 Disney movie Hercules and received critical acclaim for it. He has also lent his voice in series like The Simpsons, Hooves on Fire, and Family Guy.

His Net Worth

James Woods is not a name to be overlooked in the competitive movie industry and as such, does not frown at his paycheque. The talented actor sits on an estimated net worth of $20 million. Woods has his on-screen stints as well as his voice stints to thank for his financial status.

Does he Have a Girlfriend or Wife

James Woods has a very interesting personal life that never escapes the gaze of the inquisitive media. It is not clear what transpired between the two but the actor and his first wife, Kathryn Morrison-Pahoa got divorced in 1983 after three years of marriage. The couple got married in 1980 but promptly got separated after which the inevitable divorce came to be.

Woods got married again six years after his divorce from his first wife. He married actress Sarah Owens in 1989, however, four months after their wedding, Woods, and Owens who was 26 at the time split on some vague grounds. The actor has no children from both marriages.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.