Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. Known for playing the character of Leon Kowalski in the movie Blade Runner, James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known American films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hours, Tango & Cash, Silverado, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element. James' commanding screen presence and formidable physique at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall usually resulted in his casting as a heavy, appearing more frequently in lower budget horror and action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before he died of a heart attack aged 54. Description above from the Wikipedia article Brion James, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- February 20, 1945
- August 7, 1999 (aged 54)
- Redlands, California, USA
- Actor, also producer
- 95 on MovieCove · 148 credits in all
What are Brion James' films like?
Across their 53 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 9 · Wry 6 · Earnest 35
A split, not a type: Light 26 · Serious 16 · Dark 11
A split, not a type: Grounded 26 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 7
Gentle 9 · Charged 29 · Intense 15
Steady 14 · Shifting 31 · Whiplash 8
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 15
Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 29 · Relentless 7
Casual 31 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 34 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 6
Resolved 41 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 12 of 17 analyzed roles.
Show the 17 rolesHide the roles
- Shadowas Turkey in Killing at Hell's Gate (1981)
- Shadowas Stubbs in Enemy Mine (1985)
- Shadowas Stacy in Cherry 2000 (1987)
- Tricksteras Tark in Steel Dawn (1987)
- Shadowas The Albino in Nightmare at Noon (1988)
- Heraldas Glen Grunski in The Wrong Guys (1988)
- Shadowas Max Jenke in House III: The Horror Show (1989)
- Tricksteras Nestor Duvalier in Mom (1990)
- Shadowas Jake Walker in Rio Diablo (1993)
- Shadowas Neila in Time Runner (1993)
- Shadowas Cyrus in Savage Land (1994)
- Shadowas Jared in Knight Rider 2010 (1994)
- Shadowas General J.W. Quantrell in Steel Frontier (1995)
- Shadowas Salvador Dali in Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1996)
- Allyas Sam Horton in Precious Find (1996)
- Mentoras Captain Hilton in The Underground (1997)
- Shadowas Haywood Cathcart in Brown's Requiem (1998)
Moods and endings
- Happy26
- Bittersweet14
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous11
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Brion James' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 56 of their 95 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (38).
- The Fifth Element (1997) · actor · free
- Sledge Hammer! (1986) · actor · free
- Tales from the Crypt (1989) · actor · free
- Hard Times (1975) · actor · free
- Silverado (1985) · actor · free
- Southern Comfort (1981) · actor · free
- Miami Vice (1984) · actor · free
- The A-Team (1983) · actor · free
- Flesh+Blood (1985) · actor · free
- Highlander (1992) · actor · free
- The Incredible Hulk (1977) · actor · free
- The Nature of the Beast (1995) · actor · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Sledge Hammer! (1986) · actor
- Southern Comfort (1981) · actor
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) · actor
- The Waltons (1972) · actor
- The Magnificent Seven (1998) · actor
- Highlander (1992) · actor
- Matlock (1986) · actor
- Mork & Mindy (1978) · actor
- The Nature of the Beast (1995) · actor
- Hunter (1984) · actor
- Nemesis (1992) · actor
- Cherry 2000 (1987) · actor
- +10 more
- The Rockford Files (1974) · actor · free
- Sledge Hammer! (1986) · actor · free
- Southern Comfort (1981) · actor · free
- Little House on the Prairie (1974) · actor · free
- Flesh+Blood (1985) · actor · free
- The Magnificent Seven (1998) · actor · free
- Highlander (1992) · actor · free
- The Nature of the Beast (1995) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Nemesis (1992) · actor · free
- Joseph's Gift (1999) · actor · free
- American Strays (1996) · actor · free
- +7 more
- Sledge Hammer! (1986) · actor · free
- 48 Hrs. (1982) · actor · free
- The Magnificent Seven (1998) · actor · free
- Matlock (1986) · actor · free
- Mork & Mindy (1978) · actor · free
- Hunter (1984) · actor · free
- Cherry 2000 (1987) · actor · free
- Another 48 Hrs. (1990) · actor · free
- Sketch Artist II: Hands That See (1995) · actor · free
- Crimewave (1985) · actor · free
- The Wrong Guys (1988) · actor · free
- Red Scorpion (1988) · actor · free
- +3 more
- Howdy, show their 8 titles on Howdy
- Shout! TV, show their 4 titles on Shout! TV
- Midnight Pulp, show their 2 titles on Midnight Pulp
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- Cineverse, show their title on Cineverse
- Full Moon, show their title on Full Moon
- IndiePix Unlimited, show their title on IndiePix Unlimited
- Lionsgate+, show their title on Lionsgate+
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- Screambox, show their title on Screambox
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
Subscription and free streaming for Brion James' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
148 credits, 95 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Swimming with Dolphins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Phoenix Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

The Thief & the Stripper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

The King Is Alive(2000)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Operator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Farewell, My Love(2000)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Diplomatic Siege(1999)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Hunter's Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Dirt Merchant(1999)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Arthurs Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Malevolence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Joseph's Gift(1999)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Brown's Requiem(1998)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Deadly Ransom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Men in White(1998)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
A Place Called Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

In God's Hands(1998)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Jekyll Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Magnificent Seven(1998)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Amazing Stories: The Movie III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Black Sea 213 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Underground(1997)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Bombshell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

Back in Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

The Killing Jar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

Snide and Prejudice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

The Fifth Element(1997)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Millennium (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Assault on Dome 4(1996)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Evil Obsession(1996)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
American Strays(1996)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Precious Find(1996)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
The Sentinel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Billy Lone Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Indecent Behavior III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

The Nature of the Beast(1995)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Cyberjack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Dominion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Steel Frontier(1995)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
The Marshal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Spitfire(1995)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Hong Kong 97 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

The Soft Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Radioland Murders(1994)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Companion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Art Deco Detective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Savage Land(1994)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Scanner Cop(1994)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
F.T.W.(1994)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Knight Rider 2010(1994)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Future Shock(1994)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Cabin Boy(1994)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Precious Victims (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Striking Distance(1993)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Showdown(1993)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Walker, Texas Ranger(1993)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all shows
Time Runner(1993)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
Rio Diablo(1993)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Nemesis(1992)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Frogtown II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Highlander(1992)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
Black Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Renegade(1992)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows
Wishman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
The Player(1992)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Ultimate Desires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

Mom(1990)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Another 48 Hrs.(1990)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Street Asylum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Enid Is Sleeping(1990)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Tango & Cash(1989)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Circles in a Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Tales from the Crypt(1989)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Mutator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Red Scorpion(1988)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Dead Man Walking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Nightmare at Noon(1988)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Red Heat(1988)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Wrong Guys(1988)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
D.O.A.(1988)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Cherry 2000(1987)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Steel Dawn(1987)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Love Among Thieves(1987)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Sidekicks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

Sledge Hammer!(1986)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Armed and Dangerous(1986)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Amazing Stories(1986)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Annihilator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

Matlock(1986)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Enemy Mine(1985)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Amazing Stories(1985)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Flesh+Blood(1985)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Silverado(1985)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Crimewave(1985)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Hunter(1984)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
Miami Vice(1984)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
A Breed Apart(1984)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

The Hitchhiker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

The A-Team(1983)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
48 Hrs.(1982)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Hear No Evil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Blade Runner(1982)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Killing at Hell's Gate(1981)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.(1981)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Southern Comfort(1981)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Conquest of the Earth(1980)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Jazz Singer(1980)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Wholly Moses!(1980)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
When the Whistle Blows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

Galactica 1980(1980)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows
Big Shamus, Little Shamus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Mork & Mindy(1978)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Corvette Summer(1978)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Blue Sunshine(1977)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Incredible Hulk(1977)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
CHiPs(1977)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows
Roots(1977)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Nickelodeon(1976)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Bound for Glory(1976)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Quincy, M.E. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Treasure of Matecumbe(1976)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Kansas City Massacre(1975)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Hard Times(1975)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
The Rockford Files(1974)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
The Waltons(1972)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 148 titles from 1955 to 2005; peak year 1989.

Biggest box office
The Fifth Element (1997)

Highest rated
Blade Runner (1982)

Most popular right now
The Fifth Element (1997)
Film career
Peak 1989 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1976Screen debut· Harry and Walter Go to New York
- 1985Career best· Enemy Mine
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Brion James' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 30th percentile, the median of all 74; across their 53 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 29th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up19
- 50th to 74th12
- 25th to 49th35
- Below 25th29
Shape of the crowd
41 of their 95 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved6
- Universally Panned4
- Loved with Detractors1
- Divisive2
- Cult Classic8
- Crowd Pleaser24
- Broadly Agreed9
- Mixed41
Reviewers score the acting 57/100 in their films, across 52 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Brion James' work okay for kids?
Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Brion James work with?
People who share at least 2 of Brion James' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Philippe Mora shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Philippe MoraShared titles: Joseph's Gift (1999), Precious Find (1996), Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1996), A Breed Apart (1984)See all 4 shared titles with Philippe Mora

- Walter HillShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), 48 Hrs. (1982), Southern Comfort (1981)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Hill

Writers
- Eric ParkinsonShared titles: Future Shock (1994), Savage Land (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Parkinson

- Larry GrossShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), 48 Hrs. (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Larry Gross

- Roger SpottiswoodeShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), 48 Hrs. (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Roger Spottiswoode

- Steven E. de SouzaShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), 48 Hrs. (1982)See all 2 shared titles with Steven E. de Souza

Actors
- Rutger HauerShared titles: Precious Find (1996), Flesh+Blood (1985), A Breed Apart (1984), Blade Runner (1982)See all 4 shared titles with Rutger Hauer

- John Dennis JohnstonShared titles: Joseph's Gift (1999), Flesh+Blood (1985), A Breed Apart (1984)See all 3 shared titles with John Dennis Johnston

- Martin KoveShared titles: Joseph's Gift (1999), Future Shock (1994), Trouble in High Timber Country (1980)See all 3 shared titles with Martin Kove

- Tim ThomersonShared titles: Dirt Merchant (1999), Brain Smasher... A Love Story (1993), The Wrong Guys (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Tim Thomerson

Cinematographers and editors
- Freeman A. DaviesShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), 48 Hrs. (1982), Southern Comfort (1981)See all 3 shared titles with Freeman A. Davies
- Gregory HobsonShared titles: Dirt Merchant (1999), Men in White (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Gregory Hobson
- Ken BlakeyShared titles: Dirt Merchant (1999), The Underground (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Ken Blakey

- Seo MutarevicShared titles: Brown's Requiem (1998), American Strays (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Seo Mutarevic
Producers
- Lawrence GordonShared titles: Another 48 Hrs. (1990), The Wrong Guys (1988), 48 Hrs. (1982)See all 3 shared titles with Lawrence Gordon

- Joseph MerhiShared titles: The Underground (1997), Steel Frontier (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph Merhi

- Richard PepinShared titles: The Underground (1997), Steel Frontier (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Pepin
- John RemarkShared titles: Precious Find (1996), Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills (1996)See all 2 shared titles with John Remark





