James Sloyan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Sloyan
Sloyan in Westside Medical (1977)
Other names	Jim Sloyan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Deirdre Lenihan ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	2, including Samantha Sloyan

James Sloyan is an American actor. He has appeared in many TV shows and movies. You might also know his voice from commercials! He is famous for his roles in the Star Trek series and the movie The Sting.

Early Life

James Sloyan was born in the United States. When he was young, he lived in several countries. These included places like Rome, Capri, and Milan in Italy, as well as Switzerland and Ireland.

His acting career began in 1957. He received a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1962, his acting was put on hold. He joined the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Acting Career

Television Roles

Sloyan has acted in many TV shows. He had short roles in daytime dramas like The Young and the Restless and General Hospital. He also made guest appearances in popular prime-time shows. These include Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman, Baywatch, and The X-Files. He also appeared in TV movies such as Blind Ambition.

He is well-known for his roles in science fiction TV series. In Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, he played Barnard "Barney" Smith. He also had several different roles in the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation, he played Alidar Jarok. This was a Romulan admiral who left his people. He also played an older Alexander Rozhenko, who is Worf's son. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, he was Doctor Mora Pol. This character was a Bajoran scientist and Odo's guardian. Sloyan also played the main character in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Jetrel".

Movie Roles

Sloyan appeared in the movie The Sting. He played a character named Mottola. This role helped show how a trick called a "pigeon drop" scam works.

He also had parts in other movies. These include The Traveling Executioner (1970), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), and Xanadu (1980).

Voice Work and Commercials

For 20 years, James Sloyan was the voice of Lexus commercials. The first Lexus commercial, "Balance," aired in 1989. It won many awards. Sloyan was the only voice actor for Lexus until 2009. After that, he narrated ads for Mitsubishi.

He also did voice work for Sprint Nextel phone services. You might have heard his voice in movie trailers too. He narrated trailers for films like Jumper and The Shadow.

Personal Life

James Sloyan married actress Deirdre Lenihan in 1973. They have two children, Daniel Sloyan and Samantha Sloyan, who are also actors.

Partial Filmography