James Woods

Born in Utah, James Howard Woods grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from high school, being among the toppers of his class. He earned himself a scholarship to ‘Massachusetts Institute of Technology’, only to quit in the sophomore year and pursue his passion for acting. Theatre was his place at first, before he broke off into films, and soon the silver screen became his arena for showcasing his talent. His first film was ‘All the Way Home’, after which he got some scanty roles as a supporting actor. However, it was his performance of a ruthless cop-killer in the film ‘The Onion Field’ which shot him to fame. Soon he went on to become the toast of movie goers, as a string of offers for portraying intense characters followed. His talent was not restricted to playing negative roles alone. He also accomplished impressive voice-overs for animation series as well as played a few memorable roles as the good guy. No wonder, top directors like Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood and Rob Reiner went back to him with more projects. With an Oscar nomination, and several awards including the ‘Emmy’ and the ‘Golden Globe’, Woods has firmly carved a niche for himself in the annals of cinema with his outstanding talent.