Peter Francis James facts for kids

Peter Francis James, born on September 16, 1956, is an American actor. He is also a voice-over artist, known for his deep, strong voice. He has appeared in many plays, movies, and TV shows.

Early Life and Beginnings

Peter Francis James was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 16, 1956. His parents are David and Mary James. He grew up with five brothers and sisters.

His acting career started in 1979. One of his first roles was in a play by William Shakespeare called Coriolanus. He acted alongside famous actors like Earle Hyman and Morgan Freeman.

Acting on Stage

Peter Francis James has won awards for his theater work. He received his first Obie award for playing Claire in the play The Maids. An Obie award celebrates off-Broadway theater, which means plays not shown on the biggest stages.

He won a second Obie award, a Drama Desk award, and a Lortel award for his role as Colin Powell in the play Stuff Happens. He also acted with Dame Maggie Smith in The Lady from Dubuque. Later, he played the same role in New York with Jane Alexander.

From 2022 to 2023, he starred as Florenz Ziegfeld in the Broadway show Funny Girl. He also teaches acting at HB Studio.

Roles in Movies and TV Shows

Peter Francis James has been in many popular movies and TV shows.

TV Series Roles

He played Raymond Parks, the husband of Rosa Parks, in the TV movie The Rosa Parks Story in 2002. He was also a judge named Kevin Beck on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. You might also know him as Jahfree Neema from the HBO series Oz.

He has appeared in other TV shows like Gossip Girl, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order, and Third Watch. From 2003 to 2009, he played Clayton Boudreau on the soap opera Guiding Light.

Film Appearances

His movie roles include Double Platinum and Long Day's Journey into Night. In 1990, he was in a TV movie version of Hamlet, directed by Kevin Kline. He played Thurgood Marshall in the TV show American Experience in 1993. He also played Isaac Coles in the miniseries The Wedding in 1998.

Voice Acting Work

Peter Francis James is also a talented voice actor. He voiced Dr. J.S. Steinman in the video game BioShock. He has also lent his voice to many audiobooks. For example, he read Richard Wright's book Native Son.

Personal Life

Peter Francis James taught about Shakespeare at the Yale School of Drama for 20 years, from 2000 to 2020. He was married to Jillian Nelson from 1995 to 2003.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles