James Woods

The poster child for "intense actor," James Woods made an indelible impression on moviegoers with his no-holds-barred performances as fast-talking, hard-nosed, often violent men. Possessing a keen intellect and formidable IQ, Woods initially studied political science before turning to theater fulltime in 1969. He turned in impressive performances on the stages of Broadway, followed by small roles in film and on television before gaining notoriety alongside Meryl Streep in the miniseries "Holocaust" (NBC, 1978). His uncompromising performance as an unrepentant killer in "The Onion Field" (1979) only solidified his growing reputation as one of the most incendiary young actors on the scene. Throughout the 1980s, Woods turned in one riveting performance after the other in projects that included "Videodrome" (1983), "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), "Salvador" (1986), and "True Believer" (1989). He continued into the next decade with films such as "Citizen Cohn" (HBO, 1992), "Casino" (1995), "Ghosts of Mississippi" (1996), and "Another Day in Paradise" (1998). On television, Woods briefly starred in his own legal drama series, "Shark" (CBS, 2006-08), and made recurring appearances as an animated version of his over-the-top self in the cartoon sitcom "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999- ). Over the years, Woods had built a career that encompassed film, television and video games, as well as established him firmly at the upper-echelon of great contemporary American actors.