James Oliver Cromwell is an American film and television actor, probably best known for his role as Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. He has been nominated for an Oscar, three Emmy Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards during his career. Cromwell was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Manhattan, New York. He was adopted by actress Kay Johnson and actor, director and producer John Cromwell, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College and Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he studied engineering. Like both his parents, he was drawn to the theater, doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He has long been an advocate of leftist causes. In an October 2008 interview, he strongly attacked the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration, saying their controversial foreign policy would "either destroy us or the entire planet." He became a vegetarian in 1974 after seeing a stockyard in Texas and experiencing the "smell, terror and anxiety." He became an ethical vegan while playing the character of Farmer Hoggett in the movie Babe in 1995. He frequently speaks out on issues regarding animal cruelty for PETA, largely the treatment of pigs. Cromwell was married to Anne Ulvestad from 1976 to 1986. They had three children. He married his second wife, Julie Cobb, on 29 May 1986.
Movie | Night Vet | Dr. Abel Evergood | 2025 |
Series | The Last Days of Lehman Brothers | 2025 | |
Movie | Rebel Ridge | Judge | 2024-08-27 |
Series | Sugar | Jonathan Siegel | 2024-04-04 |
Movie | Merry Little Batman | Alfred Pennyworth (voice) | 2023-12-08 |
Movie | Prancer: A Christmas Tale | Bud | 2022-11-22 |
Movie | Emperor | John Brown | 2020-08-18 |
Series | Operation Buffalo | Cranky | 2020-05-31 |
Movie | Spider-Man: Far From Home | Captain George Stacy | 2019-06-28 |
Movie | Countdown to Year Zero | 2019-07-11 | |
Movie | The Laundromat | Joseph David Martin | 2019-09-27 |
Series | The Family | Douglas Coe | 2019-08-09 |
Movie | That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars | Self | 2019-08-08 |
Movie | The Immortal | Grandfather | 2019-11-30 |
Movie | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Benjamin Lockwood | 2018-06-06 |
Series | Counterpart | Yanek | 2017-12-10 |
Movie | Marshall | The Judge | 2017-10-13 |
Movie | The Promise | Henry Morgenthau Sr. | 2016-12-02 |
Movie | The Perfect Crime: Leopold & Loeb | Narrator | 2016-02-09 |
Movie | 50 Years of Star Trek | Self | 2016-08-14 |
Series | The Young Pope | Cardinal Michael Spencer | 2016-10-21 |
Movie | Walking the Mile | Self | 2014-12-09 |
Movie | Big Hero 6 | Professor Robert Callaghan (voice) | 2014-10-24 |
Movie | The Trials of Cate McCall | Justice Sumpter | 2013-11-28 |
Movie | La Classe américaine | Self | 2012-10-05 |
Movie | Still Mine | Craig Morrison | 2012-09-10 |
Movie | Cowgirls n' Angels | Terence Parker | 2012-05-25 |
Movie | Soldiers of Fortune | Haussman | 2012-06-07 |
Movie | Memorial Day | Bud Vogel | 2011-06-06 |
Movie | The Artist | Clifton | 2011-10-12 |
Movie | Hide Away | The Ancient Mariner | 2011-10-30 |
Movie | Pope Pius XII | Pope Pius XII | 2010-10-31 |
Movie | Secretariat | Ogden Phipps | 2010-08-20 |
Movie | A Lonely Place for Dying | Howard Simons | 2009-01-01 |
Movie | Starz Inside - Unforgettably Evil | Self | 2009-07-26 |
Movie | Surrogates | Dr. Lionel Canter | 2009-09-24 |
Movie | The Last Days of Lehman Brothers | Hank Paulson | 2009-09-09 |
Series | Impact | Lloyd | 2009-02-14 |
Movie | W. | George H.W. Bush | 2008-10-17 |
Movie | Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' | Self | 2008-09-23 |
Movie | Tortured | Jack | 2008-09-10 |
Movie | Dante's Inferno | Virgil (voice) | 2007-01-18 |
Movie | Becoming Jane | Mr. Austen | 2007-03-02 |
Movie | Spider-Man 3 | Captain Stacey | 2007-05-01 |
Movie | The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird | Self | 2006-10-03 |
Movie | Avenger | Paul Devereaux | 2006-04-09 |
Movie | The Queen | Philip of Edinburgh | 2006-09-15 |
Movie | Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy | Narrator | 2005-10-04 |
Movie | The Longest Yard | Warden Hazen | 2005-05-27 |
Series | Salem's Lot | Donald Callahan | 2004-06-20 |
Movie | I, Robot | Dr. Alfred Lanning | 2004-07-15 |
Movie | The John Garfield Story | Self | 2003-02-03 |
Movie | A Carol Christmas | Ghost of Christmas Future (uncredited) | 2003-12-07 |
Movie | The Snow Walker | Walter "Shep" Shepherd | 2003-09-11 |
Movie | Blackball | Ray Speight | 2003-05-18 |
Series | Angels in America | Henry | 2003-12-07 |
Movie | A Death in the Family | Joel Lynch | 2002-03-25 |
Movie | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | The Colonel (voice) | 2002-05-24 |
Movie | RFK | President Lyndon Baines Johnson | 2002-08-25 |
Movie | The Sum of All Fears | President Fowler | 2002-05-31 |
Movie | Project Viper | MP 1 | 2002-05-15 |
Series | Citizen Baines | 2001-09-29 | |
Movie | Raptor | Benny | 2001-11-06 |
Series | Six Feet Under | George Sibley | 2001-06-03 |
Movie | RKO 281 | William Randolph Hearst | 2000-04-07 |
Movie | Fail Safe | Gordon Knapp | 2000-04-09 |
Movie | Walking the Mile: The Making of The Green Mile | Self / Warden Hal Moores | 2000-06-13 |
Movie | Space Cowboys | Bob Gerson | 2000-08-04 |
Movie | The General's Daughter | General Joseph Campbell | 1999-06-18 |
Movie | A Slight Case of Murder | John Edgarson | 1999-09-19 |
Movie | Snow Falling on Cedars | Judge Fielding | 1999-12-22 |
Movie | The Green Mile | Warden Hal Moores | 1999-12-10 |
Movie | The Bachelor | Priest | 1999-11-05 |
Movie | Owd Bob | Adam MacAdam | 1998-01-01 |
Movie | Deep Impact | Alan Rittenhouse | 1998-05-08 |
Movie | Species II | Senator Ross | 1998-04-10 |
Movie | Babe: Pig in the City | Farmer Arthur Hoggett | 1998-11-25 |
Movie | L.A. Confidential | Dudley Smith | 1997-09-19 |
Movie | The Education of Little Tree | Nonno | 1997-12-25 |
Movie | Star Trek: First Contact | Dr. Zefram Cochrane | 1996-11-22 |
Movie | The People vs. Larry Flynt | Charles Keating | 1996-12-25 |
Movie | Eraser | William Donohue | 1996-06-21 |
Movie | Babe | Farmer Hoggett | 1995-07-18 |
Movie | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Judge Pounders | 1995-05-20 |
Movie | The Shaggy Dog | Charlie Mulvihill | 1994-11-12 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds In Love | Mr. Skolnick | 1994-05-09 |
Movie | Romeo Is Bleeding | Cage | 1993-09-13 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation | Mr. Skolnick | 1992-07-13 |
Movie | The Babe | Brother Mathias | 1992-04-17 |
Movie | Miracle Landing | B.J Cocker | 1990-02-11 |
Movie | The Runnin' Kind | Uncle Phil | 1989-09-08 |
Movie | Pink Cadillac | Motel Desk Clerk | 1989-05-26 |
Movie | The Rescue | Adm. Rothman | 1988-08-05 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise | Mr. Skolnick | 1987-07-10 |
Movie | A Fine Mess | Detective Blist | 1986-08-08 |
Movie | Explorers | Mr. Müller | 1985-07-12 |
Movie | The House of God | Officer Quick | 1984-01-01 |
Movie | Oh, God! You Devil | Priest | 1984-11-07 |
Movie | Revenge of the Nerds | Mr. Skolnick | 1984-07-20 |
Movie | Tank | Deputy Euclid | 1984-03-16 |
Movie | The Man with Two Brains | Realtor | 1983-06-10 |
Movie | Barefoot In the Park | Harry Pepper | 1982-03-20 |
Movie | The Rainmaker | Noah Curry | 1982-10-23 |
Movie | Nobody's Perfekt | Dr. Carson | 1981-08-07 |
Movie | A Christmas Without Snow | Reverend Lohman | 1980-12-09 |
Movie | Peeping Times | Bernard Mantee | 1978-01-25 |
Movie | The Cheap Detective | Schnell | 1978-06-23 |
Movie | Deadly Game | Deputy Malcom Rossiter Jr. | 1977-12-01 |
Movie | The Girl in the Empty Grave | Deputy Malcolm Rossiter Jr. | 1977-09-20 |
Series | Once an Eagle | J.L. Cleghorne | 1976-12-02 |
Series | The Nancy Walker Show | Glen | 1976-09-30 |
Movie | Murder by Death | Marcel Cassette | 1976-06-23 |
Series | Hot l Baltimore | 1975-01-24 | |
Movie | Daddy Long Legs | Extra (uncredited) | 1955-05-05 |