
James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor, probably best known for his role as Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. He has been nominated for an Oscar, three Emmy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards during his career. Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Manhattan, New York. He was adopted by actress Kay Johnson and actor, director and producer John Cromwell, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College and Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he studied engineering. Like both his parents, he was drawn to the theater, doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He has long been an advocate of leftist causes. In an October 2008 interview, he strongly attacked the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration, saying their controversial foreign policy would "either destroy us or the entire planet." He became a vegetarian in 1974 after seeing a stockyard in Texas and experiencing the "smell, terror and anxiety." He became an ethical vegan while playing the character of Farmer Hoggett in the movie Babe in 1995. He frequently speaks out on issues regarding animal cruelty for PETA, largely the treatment of pigs. Cromwell was married to Anne Ulvestad from 1976 to 1986. They had three children. He married his second wife, Julie Cobb, on 29 May 1986.
Movie | Night Vet | Dr. Abel Evergood | 2026 |
Movie | Rebel Ridge | Judge | 2024-08-27 |
Series | Sugar | Jonathan Siegel | 2024-04-04 |
Movie | Merry Little Batman | Alfred Pennyworth (voice) | 2023-12-08 |
Movie | Prancer: A Christmas Tale | Bud | 2022-11-22 |
Movie | Emperor | John Brown | 2020-08-18 |
Series | Operation Buffalo | Cranky | 2020-05-31 |
Movie | Countdown to Year Zero | 2019-07-11 | |
Movie | That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars | Self | 2019-08-08 |
Series | The Family | Douglas Coe | 2019-08-09 |
Movie | The Laundromat | Joseph David Martin | 2019-09-27 |
Movie | The Immortal | Grandfather | 2019-11-30 |
Movie | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Benjamin Lockwood | 2018-06-06 |
Movie | Marshall | The Judge | 2017-10-13 |
Series | Counterpart | Yanek | 2017-12-10 |
Movie | The Perfect Crime: Leopold & Loeb | Self - Narrator (voice) | 2016-02-09 |
Series | The Detour | J.R. | 2016-04-11 |
Movie | 50 Years of Star Trek | Self | 2016-08-14 |
Series | The Young Pope | Cardinal Michael Spencer | 2016-10-21 |
Movie | The Promise | Henry Morgenthau Sr. | 2016-12-02 |
Movie | Big Hero 6 | Professor Robert Callaghan (voice) | 2014-10-24 |
Movie | The Trials of Cate McCall | Justice Sumpter | 2013-11-28 |
Movie | Cowgirls n' Angels | Terence Parker | 2012-05-25 |
Movie | Still Mine | Craig Morrison | 2012-09-10 |
Movie | La Classe américaine | Self | 2012-10-05 |
Movie | Soldiers of Fortune | Haussman | 2012-06-07 |
Movie | Farm to Fridge | Narrator | 2011-02-01 |
Movie | Memorial Day | Bud Vogel | 2011-06-06 |
Movie | Hide Away | The Ancient Mariner | 2011-10-30 |
Movie | The Artist | Clifton | 2011-10-12 |
Series | American Horror Story | Dr. Arthur Arden | 2011-10-05 |
Movie | Secretariat | Ogden Phipps | 2010-08-20 |
Movie | Pope Pius XII | Pope Pius XII | 2010-10-31 |
Series | Impact | Lloyd | 2009-02-14 |
Movie | A Lonely Place for Dying | Howard Simons | 2009-01-01 |
Movie | The Last Days of Lehman Brothers | Hank Paulson | 2009-09-09 |
Movie | Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil | Self | 2009-07-26 |
Movie | Surrogates | Dr. Lionel Canter | 2009-09-24 |
Movie | Tortured | Jack | 2008-09-10 |
Movie | Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' | Self | 2008-09-23 |
Movie | W. | George H.W. Bush | 2008-10-17 |
Movie | Dante's Inferno | Virgil (voice) | 2007-01-18 |
Series | Masters of Science Fiction | Unknown | 2007-08-04 |
Movie | Becoming Jane | Mr. Austen | 2007-03-02 |
Movie | Spider-Man 3 | Captain Stacy | 2007-05-01 |
Movie | Avenger | Paul Devereaux | 2006-04-09 |
Movie | The Queen | Prince Philip | 2006-09-15 |
Movie | King Leopold's Ghost | 2006-05-28 | |
Series | Pope John Paul II | Cardinal Adam Sapieha | 2005-12-04 |
Movie | Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy | Narrator | 2005-10-04 |
Movie | The Longest Yard | Warden Hazen | 2005-05-27 |
Movie | I, Robot | Dr. Alfred Lanning | 2004-07-15 |
Series | Salem's Lot | Donald Callahan | 2004-06-20 |
Movie | Blackball | Ray Speight | 2003-05-18 |
Movie | The John Garfield Story | Self | 2003-02-03 |
Movie | The Snow Walker | Walter "Shep" Shepherd | 2003-09-11 |
Series | Angels in America | Henry | 2003-12-07 |
Movie | A Carol Christmas | Ghost of Christmas Future (uncredited) | 2003-12-07 |
Movie | The Magnificent Ambersons | Major Amberson | 2002-01-12 |
Movie | A Death in the Family | Joel Lynch | 2002-03-25 |
Movie | Project Viper | MP 1 | 2002-05-15 |
Movie | RFK | President Lyndon Baines Johnson | 2002-08-25 |
Movie | The Sum of All Fears | President Fowler | 2002-05-31 |
Movie | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | The Colonel (voice) | 2002-05-24 |
Series | Six Feet Under | George Sibley | 2001-06-03 |
Movie | Raptor | Benny | 2001-11-06 |
Series | Citizen Baines | 2001-09-29 | |
Series | 24 | Phillip Bauer | 2001-11-06 |
Movie | RKO 281 | William Randolph Hearst | 2000-04-07 |
Movie | Fail Safe | Gordon Knapp | 2000-04-09 |
Movie | Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile | Self / Warden Hal Moores | 2000-06-13 |
Movie | Space Cowboys | Bob Gerson | 2000-08-04 |
Movie | A Slight Case of Murder | John Edgarson | 1999-09-19 |
Series | The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn | Unknown | 1999-03-30 |
Movie | The General's Daughter | General Joseph Campbell | 1999-06-18 |
Movie | Snow Falling on Cedars | Judge Fielding | 1999-12-22 |
Series | The West Wing | President D. Wire Newman | 1999-09-22 |
Movie | The Green Mile | Warden Hal Moores | 1999-12-10 |
Movie | The Bachelor | Priest | 1999-11-05 |
Movie | Owd Bob | Adam MacAdam | 1998-01-01 |
Movie | Species II | Senator Ross | 1998-04-10 |
Movie | Babe: Pig in the City | Farmer Arthur Hoggett | 1998-11-25 |
Movie | Deep Impact | Alan Rittenhouse | 1998-05-08 |
Movie | L.A. Confidential | Dudley Smith | 1997-09-19 |
Movie | The Education of Little Tree | Nonno | 1997-12-25 |
Movie | Eraser | William Donohue | 1996-06-21 |
Movie | The People vs. Larry Flynt | Charles Keating | 1996-12-25 |
Movie | Star Trek: First Contact | Dr. Zefram Cochrane | 1996-11-22 |
Series | Partners | Unknown | 1995-09-11 |
Movie | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Judge Pounders | 1995-05-20 |
Movie | Babe | Farmer Hoggett | 1995-07-18 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds In Love | Mr. Skolnick | 1994-05-09 |
Movie | The Shaggy Dog | Charlie Mulvihill | 1994-11-12 |
Series | ER | Unknown | 1994-09-19 |
Movie | Romeo Is Bleeding | Cage | 1993-09-13 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation | Mr. Skolnick | 1992-07-13 |
Movie | The Babe | Brother Mathias | 1992-04-17 |
Series | Home Improvement | Unknown | 1991-09-17 |
Series | American Dreamer | Unknown | 1990-09-20 |
Movie | Miracle Landing | B.J. Cocker | 1990-02-11 |
Movie | The Runnin' Kind | Uncle Phil | 1989-09-08 |
Movie | Pink Cadillac | Motel Desk Clerk | 1989-05-26 |
Series | China Beach | Unknown | 1988-04-26 |
Movie | The Rescue | Adm. Rothman | 1988-08-05 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise | Mr. Skolnick | 1987-07-10 |
Series | Jake and the Fatman | Unknown | 1987-09-26 |
Series | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Prime Minister Nayrok | 1987-09-28 |
Series | Matlock | Unknown | 1986-03-03 |
Movie | A Fine Mess | Detective Blist | 1986-08-08 |
Series | Easy Street | 1986-09-13 | |
Series | Wildside | Unknown | 1985-03-21 |
Series | The Twilight Zone | Unknown | 1985-09-27 |
Movie | Explorers | Mr. Müller | 1985-07-12 |
Movie | The House of God | Officer Quick | 1984-01-01 |
Series | Night Court | Unknown | 1984-01-04 |
Series | Hunter | Unknown | 1984-09-18 |
Movie | Tank | Deputy Euclid | 1984-03-16 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds | Mr. Skolnick | 1984-07-20 |
Movie | Oh, God! You Devil | Priest | 1984-11-07 |
Series | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Unknown | 1983-10-03 |
Movie | The Man with Two Brains | Realtor | 1983-06-10 |
Movie | Barefoot In the Park | Harry Pepper | 1982-03-20 |
Movie | The Rainmaker | Noah Curry | 1982-10-23 |
Series | Family Ties | Unknown | 1982-09-22 |
Series | Knight Rider | Curtis | 1982-09-26 |
Series | Hill Street Blues | Unknown | 1981-01-15 |
Series | Foul Play | Unknown | 1981-01-26 |
Movie | Nobody's Perfekt | Dr. Carson | 1981-08-07 |
Movie | A Christmas Without Snow | Reverend Lohman | 1980-12-09 |
Series | Flo | Unknown | 1980-03-21 |
Movie | Peeping Times | Bernard Mantee | 1978-01-25 |
Series | Diff'rent Strokes | Unknown | 1978-11-03 |
Movie | The Cheap Detective | Schnell | 1978-06-23 |
Series | The White Shadow | Unknown | 1978-11-27 |
Series | Eight Is Enough | Unknown | 1977-03-15 |
Movie | The Girl in the Empty Grave | Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr. | 1977-09-20 |
Series | Three's Company | Unknown | 1977-03-15 |
Movie | Deadly Game | Deputy Malcom Rossiter Jr. | 1977-12-01 |
Series | Alice | Unknown | 1976-08-31 |
Movie | Murder by Death | Marcel Cassette | 1976-06-23 |
Series | All's Fair | Unknown | 1976-09-20 |
Series | Once an Eagle | J.L. Cleghorne | 1976-12-02 |
Series | The Nancy Walker Show | Glen | 1976-09-30 |
Series | Barney Miller | Unknown | 1975-01-23 |
Series | Hot l Baltimore | 1975-01-24 | |
Series | Barbary Coast | Unknown | 1975-09-08 |
Series | Little House on the Prairie | Unknown | 1974-09-11 |
Series | The Rockford Files | Terry | 1974-09-13 |
Series | Police Story | Unknown | 1973-03-20 |
Series | M*A*S*H | Unknown | 1972-09-17 |
Series | All in the Family | Unknown | 1971-01-12 |
Series | The Fugitive | Unknown | 1963-09-17 |
Movie | Daddy Long Legs | Extra (uncredited) | 1955-05-05 |