A onetime professional football player for the Cleveland Browns, James has always had a passion for the arts and pursued his passion even while playing for the Browns for two years as a running back.
Biography from TMDB.
- April 3, 1962 (64)
- Lima, Ohio, USA
- Actor, also producer and director
- 58 on MovieCove · 97 credits in all
Known for
What are James Black's films like?
Across their 25 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.
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 4 · Wry 1 · Earnest 19
Light 8 · Serious 9 · Dark 7
A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 4
Gentle 5 · Charged 14 · Intense 5
Steady 7 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 5
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 4
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1
Casual 13 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 10 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 3
Resolved 19 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Shadow: 3 of 8 analyzed roles.
Show the 8 rolesHide the roles
- Shadowas Doctor Death in Zombie Cop (1991)
- Heroas Kronik in Galaxy of the Dinosaurs (1992)
- Allyas Rahmel in The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999)
- Shadowas Mr. Hollywood in King of the Underground (2011)
- Heroas Bob Smith in The Phoenix Rises (2012)
- Heroas CJ Martin in My Brothers' Crossing (2020)
- Heraldas Irving Leighton in Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021)
- Shadowas The Boss in Night Games (2024)
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet12
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous8
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 James Black's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 47 of their 58 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).
- The Preacher's Son (2017) · actor · free
- My Brothers' Crossing (2020) · actor · free
- The Man in 3B (2015) · actor · free
- Detention (2011) · actor · free
- Hard Promises (1991) · actor · free
- Anger Management (2012) · actor · free
- Godzilla (1998) · actor · free
- Love and a Bullet (2002) · actor · free
- Renegade (1992) · actor · free
- The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999) · actor · free
- The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024) · producer · free
- Terror Tales: Poetry & Death Volume 1 (2025) · producer · free
- +8 more
- Bones (2005) · actor
- Lethal Weapon (2016) · actor
- Desperate Housewives (2004) · actor
- Charmed (1998) · actor
- The Preacher's Son (2017) · actor
- Love and a Bullet (2002) · actor
- Renegade (1992) · actor
- The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999) · actor
- Why She Cries (2015) · actor
- Pacific Blue (1996) · actor
- The First 9 1/2 Weeks (1998) · actor
- The Vault (2001) · actor, director
- +1 more
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) · actor · free
- Burn Notice (2007) · actor · free
- The Closer (2005) · actor · free
- Rizzoli & Isles (2010) · actor · free
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) · actor · free
- NCIS (2003) · actor · free
- Charmed (1998) · actor · free
- Lethal Legacy (2023) · actor · free
- CSI: NY (2004) · actor · free
- CSI: Miami (2002) · actor · free
- Pacific Blue (1996) · actor · free
- Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) · actor · free
- Castle (2009) · actor · free
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) · actor · free
- Charmed (1998) · actor · free
- CSI: NY (2004) · actor · free
- Hard Promises (1991) · actor · free
- Anger Management (2012) · actor · free
- Godzilla (1998) · actor · free
- Love and a Bullet (2002) · actor · free
- Renegade (1992) · actor · free
- Why She Cries (2015) · actor · free
- Pacific Blue (1996) · actor · free
- Howdy, show their 4 titles on Howdy
- Shout! TV, show their 2 titles on Shout! TV
- ALLBLK, show their title on ALLBLK
- Full Moon, show their title on Full Moon
- IndiePix Unlimited, show their title on IndiePix Unlimited
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
- Screambox, show their title on Screambox
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
Subscription and free streaming for James Black's 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
97 credits, 58 with a MovieCove page.

The Hail Mary(2026)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all filmsCalabash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Secrets and Yards(2025)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
I Don't Know(2024)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Restitution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

Cricket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

Night Games(2024)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Lethal Legacy(2023)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Uncommon Negotiator (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Lockdown 2025(2021)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
My Brothers' Crossing(2020)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Sydney to the Max(2019)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
The Family Business(2018)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows
All American(2018)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Five Points (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

Deadtime Tales 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

The Preacher's Son(2017)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Lethal Weapon(2016)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Black Tar Road(2016)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
The Man in 3B(2015)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Welcome to the Family(2015)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Why She Cries(2015)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Scorpion(2014)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
The Phoenix Rises(2012)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Anger Management(2012)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows
Detention(2011)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
King of the Underground(2011)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all filmsRepeat Offenders: Jamais Vu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Rizzoli & Isles(2010)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Afro Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

Castle(2009)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
The Starter Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

3 Days Gone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Burn Notice(2007)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Agenda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

Twenty Good Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Saturday Night Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Bones(2005)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
The Closer(2005)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Urban Evil: Trilogy of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Sci-Fi Slaughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

Desperate Housewives(2004)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows
CSI: NY(2004)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Listen Up! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Roscoe's House of Chicken n Waffles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Summerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

In Your Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

10-8: Officers on Duty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

NCIS(2003)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
All of Us(2003)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows
CSI: Miami(2002)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows
Love and a Bullet(2002)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
One on One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

Six Feet Under(2001)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
The Vault(2001)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Horrorvision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Stop It, You're Killing Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Sheena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Malcolm in the Middle(2000)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Unshackled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Standing on Fishes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
S Club 7 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

The First 9 1/2 Weeks(1998)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Soldier(1998)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Charmed(1998)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
Martial Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

V.I.P. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Will & Grace(1998)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all showsCappuccino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Out of Sight(1998)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Godzilla(1998)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Surface to Air(1998)
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films
The Burning Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

The Sentinel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Pacific Blue(1996)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows
Space: Above and Beyond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

With Criminal Intent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Babylon 5(1993)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Ozone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Galaxy of the Dinosaurs(1992)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Renegade(1992)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all showsMaximum Impact (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Hard Promises(1991)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Chickboxer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Zombie Cop(1991)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Virtual High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 97 titles, 96 of them dated from 1991 to 2026; peak year 1998.
Film career
Peak 1998 · fewer prominent film roles lately. 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.
- 1998Screen debut· Out of Sight
- 2018Career best· Carl Weber's The Family Business
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.
How do James Black's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 20th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 24 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 18th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up17
- 50th to 74th9
- 25th to 49th11
- Below 25th20
Shape of the crowd
26 of their 57 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved6
- Loved with Detractors3
- Divisive3
- Cult Classic3
- Crowd Pleaser15
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed26
Reviewers score the acting 39/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 26. 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 James Black's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs 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 James Black work with?
People who share at least 2 of James Black's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Autumn Federici shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Jake HelgrenShared titles: The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024), Lethal Legacy (2023), Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021)See all 3 shared titles with Jake Helgren

- J.R. BookwalterShared titles: The Vault (2001), Galaxy of the Dinosaurs (1992), Zombie Cop (1991)See all 3 shared titles with J.R. Bookwalter

- Trey HaleyShared titles: The Preacher's Son (2017), The Man in 3B (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Trey Haley

Writers
- Carl WeberShared titles: The Preacher's Son (2017), The Man in 3B (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Carl Weber
Actors
- Daniel RoebuckShared titles: The Hail Mary (2026), I Don't Know (2024), My Brothers' Crossing (2020)See all 3 shared titles with Daniel Roebuck

- Duane WhitakerShared titles: The Hail Mary (2026), I Don't Know (2024), My Brothers' Crossing (2020)See all 3 shared titles with Duane Whitaker

- Joe EstevezShared titles: The Hail Mary (2026), My Brothers' Crossing (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Estevez

- Marsha DietleinShared titles: The Hail Mary (2026), My Brothers' Crossing (2020)See all 2 shared titles with Marsha Dietlein

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Horacio MartinezShared titles: The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024), Lethal Legacy (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Horacio Martinez

- Chad RehmannShared titles: Lethal Legacy (2023), Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Chad Rehmann

- Chris PeppeShared titles: The Preacher's Son (2017), The Man in 3B (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Chris Peppe
- Eric WycoffShared titles: The Preacher's Son (2017), The Man in 3B (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Eric Wycoff

Producers
- Autumn FedericiShared titles: Terror Tales: Poetry & Death Volume 1 (2025), The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024), Lethal Legacy (2023), Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021)See all 4 shared titles with Autumn Federici

- Kristifor CvijeticShared titles: The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024), Lethal Legacy (2023), Writing Around the Christmas Tree (2021)See all 3 shared titles with Kristifor Cvijetic
- Jim KlockShared titles: Terror Tales: Poetry & Death Volume 1 (2025), The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Jim Klock

- Joe DainShared titles: Terror Tales: Poetry & Death Volume 1 (2025), The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Joe Dain




