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James Keane

James Keane

Actor · Born September 26, 1952 (74) · Buffalo, New York, USA

James Keane (born September 26, 1952) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the role of Willis Thomas Bell in the American drama television series The Paper Chase.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 26, 1952 (74)
From
Buffalo, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
57 on MovieCove · 77 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 26% in 30 days

What are James Keane's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama 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
Self
31%
Morality
31%
Bonds
13%
Power
13%
Ideas
8%
Survival
5%
Self-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · 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 1 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
4
Dread
2
Romantic
3
Bittersweet
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous3

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 Keane's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 35 of their 57 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Keane'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

77 credits, 57 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Megalopolis(2024)

    as Laughing Man

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Rizen: Possession(2019)

    as Extra

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Rules Don't Apply(2016)

    as Tom

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Miss Meadows(2014)

    as Father Peter

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Emit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Graydon Wofford

  • Love's Christmas Journey(2011)

    as Mr. Peters

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Water for Elephants(2011)

    as Chaplain

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Harry's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Joshua

  • Raising Hope(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Doctor Walters

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Crazy Heart(2009)

    as Manager

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • For Sale by Owner(2009)

    as Loman

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • A Gunfighter's Pledge(2008)

    as Preacher

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Mad Men(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Night Manager

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Hidden Places (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Mr. Jennings

  • Everybody Hates Chris(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Boss

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Close to Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Martins

  • Silent Partner(2005)

    as Senator Banner

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Boston Legal(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Gordon

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Seabiscuit(2003)

    as Car Customer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Assassination Tango(2002)

    as Whitey

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Without a Trace(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Dick Carver

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Hey Arnold! The Movie(2002)

    as Marty Green / Riot Cop (voice)

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Don't Let Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Wes

  • The Vampire Hunters Club(2001)

    as Jonathan White

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as George Anderson

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • M.Y.O.B. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Principal Turk

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Hartsfield's Landing Registrar of Voters

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Family Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Pleasantville(1998)

    as Police Chief Dan

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Todd McFarlane's Spawn 2(1998)

    as Sam Burke

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Bulworth(1998)

    as American Politics Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Don King: Only in America(1997)

    as Reporter 3

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Spawn(1997)

    Show 18 episodes · as Sam Burke (voice)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Crime Analyst Michael Hallbrenner

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Fumbleheads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Veteran Cop

  • Journey Beneath the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Rick (voice)

  • Hey Arnold!(1996)

    Show 10 episodes · as Hospital Orderly (voice) · as Mr. Green (voice; uncredited) · as Mr. Green (voice) · as Mr. Green / EBN Announcer (voice) · as Mr. Green / Judge (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • 7th Heaven(1996)

    Show 4 episodes · as Pete

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • Phenomenon(1996)

    as Pete the Cop

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Angus(1995)

    as Coach

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Here Come the Munsters(1995)

    as Maitre d'

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Workman

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Man

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Coneheads(1993)

    as Harv

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Falling Down(1993)

    as Detective Keene

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Love & War(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as Husband

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Boy Scout(1991)

    as Garage Patrolman

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Talent for the Game(1991)

    as Ray Coffey

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Dick Tracy(1990)

    as Pat Patton

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Mancuso, F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Morrie

  • New York Stories(1989)

    as Jimmy

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Let's Get Harry(1986)

    as Al King

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension(1984)

    as Duck Hunter Bubba

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • 10 to Midnight(1983)

    as Jerry

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Sound of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Actor

  • 48 Hrs.(1982)

    as Vanzant

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • St. Elsewhere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Lawyer

  • Cannery Row(1982)

    as Eddie

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Pray TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Fats

  • The Ambush Murders(1982)

    as Lambert

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Life on the Mississippi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Actor

  • Brubaker(1980)

    as Pinky

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Rose(1979)

    as Dealer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Apocalypse Now(1979)

    as Kilgore's Gunner

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Ike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Corporal

  • Ike: The War Years(1979)

    as Corporal

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Love and Bullets(1979)

    as Doctor

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Roots: The Next Generations(1979)

    Show 1 episode · as Night Dispatcher

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • The Paper Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 58 episodes · as Willis Bell

  • Zero to Sixty(1978)

    as Girlie Bar Bartender

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Night Cries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Charlie

  • Uncle Joe Shannon(1978)

    as Jeels

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind(1977)

    as Radio Telescope Team

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Sunshine Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Hugh Bob

  • Intimate Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Rusty Fenton

  • Three Days of the Condor(1975)

    as Store Clerk

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Great Performances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Ealer

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 77 titles from 1971 to 2024; peak year 1979.

Biggest box office

Dick Tracy (1990)

$163M worldwide

Highest rated

Todd McFarlane's Spawn 2 (1998)

Midcredits 96th

Most popular right now

Spawn (1997)

Film career

19712024

Peak 1979 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. 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
Acting77 of 77: 77 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

By decade

1970s15 · acting1980s13 · acting1990s23 · acting2000s17 · acting2010s8 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 18th · top billed in 0% of 24 roles
758595

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 James Keane's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 42; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 57 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up26
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 57 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser27
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor

The Vampire Hunters Club (2001)

97th percentile spread · 40% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 69/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 38. 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 Keane's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 60 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 52 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does James Keane work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Keane's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jennifer Yuh Nelson shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers