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Brenda James

Brenda James

Actor · Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Star and monster of the Cult Classic "Slither" Brenda James started out as a 1980's commercial actress in Los Angeles. She was cast as a regular in one of the very first cable sit-coms "Safe at Home" for Ted Turner's network. Brenda spent decades either in guest star roles, like the pregnant murderer in "The Practice" or screaming in slasher movies like "Cutting Class" where she starred along with Brad Pitt in his first feature. Not only did Brenda James play the "Brenda Blob" for James Gunn but she worked in the MTV boy band series "2Gether" as sleazy manager, Liz Porter, produced and written by Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn. Touring Europe as Agnes in "Agnes of God" was one of her career highlights as well as being the inspiration in "Patriot Games" for Harrison Ford to bring back a crucial memory that twists the plot for the entire movie conclusion. The 2000's brought Brenda James into the sci-fi genre where she played Dr. Katie Brown the horticultural love interest for David Hewlett's character Rodney McKay. She worked alongside Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy in the Breakfast Club themed cliff hanger episodes of "The Dead Zone."

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Biography from TMDB.

From
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 36 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 29% in 30 days

What are Brenda James' films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 18th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 15th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

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

share of theme weight
Morality
35%
Self
29%
Survival
16%
Bonds
14%
Society
4%
Ideas
4%
Deception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
4
Warm
2
Melancholic
3
Thrilling
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Unsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet1
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

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 Brenda James' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Brenda 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

36 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Devil's Disciple: The Night Stalker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Lela Kneiding

  • Sunset Strip Killers(2026)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Dorothea(2025)

    as Dorothy Miller

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Man About Town(2006)

    as Judge Ellen Masters

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Slither(2006)

    as Brenda Gutierrez

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Jenifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Ruby

  • Masters of Horror(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruby

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Paper Moon Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Lucinda Staub

  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants(2005)

    as Barbara the Tailor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Saving Milly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Mary

  • The Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Darcy Taylor

  • Stargate: Atlantis(2004)

    Show 4 episodes · as Dr. Katie Brown

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie(2003)

    as Virginia

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Red Rover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Diane

  • The Stranger Beside Me(2003)

    as Margo

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Barber (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Sally

  • Taken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Ellen Greenspan

  • American Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · as Bonnie Pratt

  • The Dead Zone(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Erin Moore

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • L.A.P.D.: To Protect and to Serve(2001)

    as Morten

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • The Attic Expeditions(2001)

    as Nurse One

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Lone Gunmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Publicist

  • See Spot Run(2001)

    as Woman at Park

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Dark Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Valerie Cale

  • 2gether: The Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 10 episodes · as Liz Porter

  • Nice Guys Sleep Alone(1999)

    as Kate

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • First Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Rae

  • Safe House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Asthma Girl Interviewee

  • The Face of Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask(1998)

    as Lucille

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Carrie Novak

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Marcy Newhall

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Patriot Games(1992)

    as Secretary

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Channeler (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Blair

  • Stone Cold(1991)

    as Marie

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Cutting Class(1989)

    as Colleen

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • It's Your Move (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Girl

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 36 titles from 1984 to 2026; peak year 2006.

Biggest box office

Slither (2006)

$13M worldwide

Highest rated

Slither (2006)

Midcredits 64th

Film career

19842026

Peak 2006 · steadily prominent in film for years. 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting36 of 36: 36 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score51st

By decade

1980s2 · acting1990s9 · acting2000s22 · acting2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 0% of 11 roles

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 Brenda James' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 26th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 22nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

22ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

26thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · actor

Sunset Strip Killers (2026)

81st percentile spread · 65% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Stargate: Atlantis (2004)

Midcredits 93rd · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 55/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 70, detractors 36. 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.

Who does Brenda James work with?

People who share at least 2 of Brenda James' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Chad Ferrin shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers