Editing James Woods (section)

==Career==
===1969–1976: Broadway debut and early work ===
Woods appeared in 36 plays before making his Broadway debut in the 1969 play ''The Penny Wars''.<ref>{{cite web|title=James Woods|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/james-woods-vault-0000061835|website=[[Playbill]]|publisher=TotalTheater|accessdate=March 15, 2024}}</ref> The following year he acted in the first American production of [[Frank McMahon (author)|Frank McMahon]]'s adaptation of [[Brendan Behan]]'s ''[[Borstal Boy (play)|Borstal Boy]]'' (1970) at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]]. He got the part by pretending he was British. He returned to Broadway the following year to portray David Darst in [[Daniel Berrigan]]'s ''[[Catonsville Nine|The Trial of the Catonsville Nine]]'' also at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=THE TRIAL OF THE CATONSVILLE NINE – CURRENT CAST |url=https://www.playbill.com/personlistpage/person-list?production=00000150-aea4-d936-a7fd-eef4b8540000&type=cp#cc |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=Playbill}}</ref> In 1971, he played Bob Rettie in the American premiere of [[Michael Weller]]'s ''[[Moonchildren]]'' at the [[Arena Stage]] in Washington, D.C. The following year the production moved to Broadway at the [[Royale Theatre]] where Woods starred alongside [[Edward Herrmann]] and [[Christopher Guest]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Barnes|first1=Clive|title=Theater: ''Moonchildren''|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/02/22/archives/theater-moonchildren-bitterly-funny-funnily-bitter-play-at-royale.html|accessdate=March 15, 2024|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 22, 1972}}</ref> In 1972, Woods won a [[Theatre World Award]] for his performance. He returned to Broadway in 1973 to portray Steven Cooper in the original production of [[Jean Kerr]]'s ''Finishing Touches'' at the [[Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre|Plymouth Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/james-woods-94147|title=James Woods – Broadway Cast & Staff – IBDB|website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>

Woods has garnered a reputation as a prominent [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] character actor, having appeared in over 130 films and television series. By the early 1970s, he was getting small movie roles including his feature film debut in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[The Visitors (1972 film)|The Visitors]]'' which debuted at the [[1972 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2343/year/1972.html |title=Festival de Cannes: The Visitors |accessdate=April 16, 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> That same year he acted in the neo-noir crime film ''[[Hickey & Boggs]]'' (1972) starring [[Robert Culp]] and [[Bill Cosby]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hickey_and_boggs|title= Hickey & Boggs (1972)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> The following year he had a supporting turn as [[Barbra Streisand]]'s college boyfriend before she meets [[Robert Redford]] in the [[Sydney Pollack]] directed romance drama ''[[The Way We Were]]'' (1973).<ref name="latimes.com"/> He continued to act in films such as the crime drama ''[[The Gambler (1974 film)|The Gambler]]'' (1974) starring [[James Caan]], the neo-noir ''[[Night Moves (1975 film)|Night Moves]]'' (1975) with [[Gene Hackman]] and the comedy ''[[Alex & the Gypsy]]'' (1976) with [[Jack Lemmon]]. He acted in the [[Robert Aldrich]] directed comedy-drama ''[[The Choirboys (film)|The Choirboys]]'' (1977) alongside [[Charles Durning]], [[Louis Gossett Jr.]], [[Randy Quaid]] and [[Burt Young]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/choirboys|title= The Choirboys (1977)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

=== 1978–1989: Breakthrough and acclaim ===
Woods rose to prominence playing the husband of [[Meryl Streep]] in the critically acclaimed four episode miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'' (1978) which aired on [[NBC]]. The series focuses on the story of a Jewish family's struggle to survive [[Nazi Germany]]'s [[The Holocaust|campaign of genocide against the Jewish people]]. The series also starred [[Michael Moriarty]] and [[Rosemary Harris]]. ''Holocaust'' won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series|Outstanding Limited Series]] as well as seven other [[Primetime Emmy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1978?page=3|title=30th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners|work=Emmys|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> The following year Woods took a leading role starring in ''[[The Onion Field (film)|The Onion Field]]'' (1979) playing murderer [[Gregory Powell (murderer)|Gregory Powell]]. Critic [[Gene Siskel]] of ''[[The Chicago Tribune]]'' praised Woods' performance writing, "At the center of ''The Onion Field'' is a bunch of superior performances. James Woods (the persecuted artist in "The Holocaust") is a standout as Greg Powell, the ringleader of the crooks, a horrible creature with a scarred face and a quicksilver personality that ranges from murderous to fatherly to murderous in a matter of seconds." He also opined that "Woods deserves an Academy Award nomination for this role."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-gene-siskel-movie-review/43536729/|title= Gene Siskel Movie Review—THE ONION FIELD (09–28–79)|work= Chicago Tribune|date= September 28, 1979|page= 25|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> Woods received nominations for Best Actor from the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globe Awards]], the [[National Society of Film Critics]], and the [[New York Film Critics Circle|New York Film Critics Circle Association]], but notably not from the [[Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://goldenglobes.com/person/james-woods/|title= Awards Profile: James Woods|website= [[Golden Globe Awards]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:JamesWoods-3.jpg|thumb|Woods at the [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]]
At the start of the 1980s, Woods played an eccentric and unpredictable janitor in the [[Peter Yates]] directed thriller ''[[Eyewitness (1981 film)|Eyewitness]]'' (1981) co-starring [[Sigourney Weaver]], [[William Hurt]], [[Morgan Freeman]] and [[Christopher Plummer]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1006917-eyewitness|title= Eyewitness (1981)|website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> 
He acted in the prison drama ''[[Fast-Walking]]'' (1982) with ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' giving the film a mixed review but praising him as "always interesting to watch".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1981/film/reviews/fast-walking-1200425216/|title= Fast-Walking|website= Variety|date= January 1982|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> That same year he acted in the psychological drama ''[[Split Image (film)|Split Image]]'' (1982).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/split-image/|title= Split Image|website= Metacritic|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> 

Woods took the starring role in the [[David Cronenberg]] written and directed [[Science fiction film|science-fiction]] [[body horror]] film ''[[Videodrome]]'' (1983). Critic [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the film and the leading performance writing, "By far Mr. Cronenberg's most inspired touch is the casting of Mr. Woods, who brings an almost backhanded heroism to the horror genre. In villainous or sinister roles...Mr. Woods has been startling, but that kind of casting is almost a redundancy. Here, his offhand wisecracking gives the performance a sharply authentic edge. And his jittery, insinuating manner even begins to look like a kind of innocence, in comparison with the calm, soothing attitudes of the video-crazed megalomaniacs he's up against."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/04/movies/videodrome-lurid-fantasies-of-the-tube.html#:~:text=Cronenberg%2C%20while%20easily%20fulfilling%20the,cleverness%20for%20a%20long%20while.|title= 'VIDEODROME,' LURID FANTASIES OF THE TUBE|work= The New York Times|date= February 4, 1983|accessdate= March 15, 2024|last1= Maslin|first1= Janet}}</ref>

He then took on the role of Maximillian "Max" Bercovicz, a Jewish gangster, in [[Sergio Leone]]'s epic ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984) alongside [[Robert De Niro]], [[Tuesday Weld]], and [[Joe Pesci]]. Woods considers his role in the film as one of his favorites.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090906092454/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=209195 Turner Classic Movies biography], James Woods, accessed January 2, 2011</ref>
The film premiered at the [[1984 Cannes Film Festival]] and received a 15-minute standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[GQ]]|title=Have Film Festivals Reached Peak Standing Ovation?|author=Gogarty, Joshiah|date=September 4, 2024|url=https://www.gq.com/story/standing-ovation-inflation}}</ref> [[Rotten Tomatoes]] reports an 86% approval rating with 51 reviews, the consensus reading, "Sergio Leone's epic crime drama is visually stunning, stylistically bold, and emotionally haunting, and filled with great performances from the likes of Robert De Niro and James Woods."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/once_upon_a_time_in_america|title=Once Upon a Time in America (1984)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref> That same year, he also starred in ''[[Against All Odds (1984 film)|Against All Odds]]'' as a nightclub owner who hires an aging football star, played by [[Jeff Bridges]], to find his missing girlfriend.

In [[Oliver Stone]]'s drama ''[[Salvador (film)|Salvador]]'' (1986), Woods portrayed real-life journalist [[Richard Boyle (journalist)|Richard Boyle]] as he chronicles events in [[El Salvador]]. Despite his criticism that ""Salvador" is long and disjointed and tries to tell too many stories," [[Roger Ebert]] wrote in the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', "This is the sort of role Woods was born to play".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/salvador-1986|title=Salvador Movie Review & Film Summary (1986) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com}}</ref> He won the [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor]]. He also received his first [[Academy Award]] nomination for his performance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/690e10e5469503a7ba7af6d5f8d619d6|title= 'Platoon,' 'Room with a View' Lead Oscar Nominees with 8 Apiece |work=Associated Press News |access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1987, Woods won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie]] for his role as a disabled man in the made-for-television film ''[[Promise (1986 film)|Promise]]'' (1986). The film also starred [[James Garner]] and [[Piper Laurie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/promise/2030118600/|title= Promise|website= TV Guide|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> In 1989, Woods won his second [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award]], for his role as the founder of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]], [[Bill W.]] in the made-for-television drama film, ''[[My Name Is Bill W.]]'' starring [[James Garner]] and [[Gary Sinise]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097939/|title= My Name is Bill W.|website= [[IMDB]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

In 1988, Woods portrayed a man struggling with [[cocaine]] addiction in ''[[The Boost]]''. While the film received mixed reviews Woods' was praised for his performance with Critic [[Roger Ebert]] declaring that it was "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen". He also added, "Woods is one of the most intense, unpredictable actors in the movies today. You watch his characters because they seem capable of exploding – not out of anger, but out of hurt, shame and low self-esteem. They're wounded, but they fight back by being smarter than anyone else and using jokes and sarcasm to keep people at arm's length."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-boost-1988|title= The Boost|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= February 5, 2023}}</ref> On October 28, 1989, Woods hosted ''[[Saturday Night Live (season 15)|Saturday Night Live]]'' with [[Don Henley]] as the musical guest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/cast/james-woods-60206|title= James Woods on Saturday Night Live|website= nbc.com|access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1989, Woods acted in the courtroom drama ''[[True Believer (1989 film)|True Believer]]'' with [[Robert Downey Jr.]] and [[Yuji Okumoto]] and family drama ''[[Immediate Family (film)|Immediate Family]]'' acting alongside [[Glenn Close]], [[Mary Stuart Masterson]] and [[Kevin Dillon]]. Of the latter, critic [[Roger Ebert]] noted of his performance "Woods is toned down from his other recent performances. He is the best actor in Hollywood at playing manics, crazies, hyperactive schemers and intelligent con men, but here he simply plays a more or less normal husband with ordinary desires and passions. He and Close make a convincing couple."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/immediate-family-1989|title= Immediate Family review|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>

===1990–1999: Established actor ===
Woods was offered a leading role in [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s directorial debut, the [[low-budget film]] ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'' (1992), but his agent rejected the script without showing it to the actor. When Woods learned of this some time later, he fired his agents ([[Creative Artists Agency|CAA]]), replacing them with [[ICM Partners|ICM]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0j_AORLLiBUC&pg=PA157 Hollywood's new radicalism: war, globalisation and the movies from Reagan to George W. Bush], by Ben Dickenson, 2006, page 157</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TIj12IGUmkYC&pg=PA244 Film voices: Interviews From Post Script], by Gerald Duchovnay, 2004, pages 244–245</ref> That year, he did portray [[Roy Cohn]] in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Citizen Cohn]]'' (1992) directed by [[Frank Pierson]] and featuring performances by [[Lee Grant]], [[Frederic Forrest]] and [[Pat Hingle]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103973/|title= Citizen Cohn (TV film)|website= [[IMDB]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> Tony Scott of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' praised the film and Woods writing, "It's Cohn's show and James Woods, in imaginative casting, is unnerving, ranging from the confused hospital-ridden patient to the smartly paced, homophobic gay prosecutor who knows every vicious trick to nail opponents. Woods's interp, chock-full of nuances, is masterful."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/1992/tv/reviews/hbo-pictures-citizen-cohn-1200430494/|title= Hbo Pictures Citizen Cohn|website= Variety|date= August 21, 1992|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>
For his performance he received nominations for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1993/outstanding-lead-actor-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie|title= 1993 – 45th Emmy Awards|website= Emmy Awards|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> He also took a supporting role as attorney [[Joseph Scott (attorney)|Joseph Scott]] in the [[Richard Attenborough]] directed biographical epic film ''[[Chaplin (film)|Chaplin]]'' (1992) starring [[Robert Downey Jr.]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/chaplin/cast/2000124416/|title= Chaplin Cast and Crew|website= TV Guide|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> 

Woods played a supporting role of a hustler, Lester Diamond, in [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995), alongside [[Robert De Niro]], [[Sharon Stone]] and [[Joe Pesci]]. When Woods had heard that Scorsese was interested in working with him, he called Scorsese's office and left the following message: "Any time, any place, any part, any fee."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/15-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-casino/88894|title=15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Casino|date=July 22, 2014|website=ShortList}}</ref> The film was well received by critics, earning a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "Impressive ambition and bravura performances from an outstanding cast help ''Casino'' pay off in spite of a familiar narrative that may strike some viewers as a safe bet for director Martin Scorsese."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1067987_casino|title=Casino (1995)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref> Also in 1995, he starred as [[H.R. Haldeman]] in Oliver Stone's ''[[Nixon (film)|Nixon]]'', opposite [[Anthony Hopkins]] as [[Richard Nixon]]. Woods received a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nomination along with the rest of the cast for its [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|ensemble]] work. That same year he acted in the [[HBO]] television film ''[[Indictment: The McMartin Trial]]'' acting opposite [[Mercedes Ruehl]] earning nominations for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1995/outstanding-lead-actor-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie|title= 1995 – 47th Emmy Awards|website= Emmy Awards|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>  

[[File:James Woods (210411648).jpg|thumb|right|Woods at an [[AIDS Project Los Angeles]] benefit in September 1990]]
In [[Rob Reiner]]'s film ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (1996), Woods appeared alongside [[Alec Baldwin]] and [[Whoopi Goldberg]]. He portrayed [[Byron De La Beckwith]], a [[white supremacist]] who assassinated civil rights leader [[Medgar Evers]] in 1963. The film was not a box-office success and received mixed reviews, earning a critics' review of 43% on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]. However, some critics praised Woods' performance. [[Janet Maslin]], in her ''[[New York Times]]'' review, states, "Woods's performance as the hateful old reprobate Beckwith is the film's chief sign of life".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/20/movies/for-a-true-story-dipping-into-the-classics.html|title=For a True Story, Dipping Into the Classics|first=Janet|last=Maslin|newspaper=The New York Times |author-link=Janet Maslin|date=December 20, 1996}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' published an article titled "James Woods is So Good at Being Bad". In the articles it describes Woods having aggressively lobbied director Rob Reiner for the role, which Reiner originally intended for an actor in his 70s, like [[Paul Newman]].<ref name="latimes.com">{{cite news|first=Matthew|last=Gilbert|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-01-ca-14352-story.html|title=James Woods Is So Good at Being Bad|date=January 1, 1997|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
"Beckwith's Mississippi accent, which Woods perfected by watching tapes and working with an accent coach, helped him distance himself from the character. 'I imagined I was speaking a foreign language'."<ref name="latimes.com"/> Woods earned a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe nomination]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} as well as his second Oscar nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1997|title= The 69th academy awards – 1997|date= October 5, 2014|publisher= oscars.org |access-date= May 12, 2020}}</ref> 

Woods would later voice [[Hades (Disney)|Hades]] in the [[Disney animated feature|Disney Animated film]], ''[[Hercules (1997 film)|Hercules]]'' (1997), where he received critical praise.<ref>New York Magazine, July 7, 1997, page 54</ref> Critic [[Roger Ebert]] described Woods' performance as full of "diabolical glee" and compared his performance of "verbal inventiveness" to that of [[Robin Williams]] in ''[[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Aladdin]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hercules-1997|title=Hercules Movie Review & Film Summary (1997) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert|website=www.rogerebert.com}}</ref> Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' also praised Woods' performance remarking "Woods shows off the full verve of an edgy Scarfe villain".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/13/movies/oh-heavens-what-a-hero.html|title=Oh, Heavens! What a Hero!|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=June 13, 1997|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He reprised the role of Hades again in the [[Hercules (1998 TV series)|television series of the same name]] (where he won a [[Daytime Emmy Award]] in 2000 for his work in season 2), as well as in ''[[House of Mouse]]'' (2001–2003), the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' video game series, ''[[Disney Speedstorm]]'' (2023), and ''[[Once Upon a Studio]]'' (2023). Woods appeared in [[Sofia Coppola]]'s directorial debut ''[[The Virgin Suicides (film)|The Virgin Suicides]]'' (1999) alongside [[Kirsten Dunst]], [[Josh Hartnett]] and [[Kathleen Turner]]. The film premiered at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]] to a largely positive critical reception.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/virgin_suicides|title=The Virgin Suicides (2000)|via=www.rottentomatoes.com}}</ref>

===2000–present===
During the 2000s, Woods lent his voice to various films, video games, and television shows including another ''[[Disney]]'' film, ''[[Recess: School's Out]]'' (2001) as Dr. Phillium Benedict, the twisted former headmaster who attempts to abolish summer vacation. Woods would also voice Falcon in ''[[Stuart Little 2]]'' (2002). He appeared in the [[Denzel Washington]] thriller ''[[John Q.]]'' (2002) and had a cameo in ''[[Be Cool]]'' (2005), featuring an all-star cast. In 2007, Woods voiced the role of Reggie Belafonte, a short-tempered sea otter, in the Sony Pictures Animation film, ''[[Surf's Up (film)|Surf's Up]]''. The character is a [[Don King]]-like promoter for the main character's rival. The film went on to receive an [[Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Animated Feature|Best Animated Feature]] losing to [[Pixar]]'s ''[[Ratatouille (film)|Ratatouille]]''. From 2005 to 2016, Woods has played a recurring role as himself in [[Seth MacFarlane]]'s ''[[Family Guy]]''. He has continued to voice [[Hades]] in the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' video games. Since 2016, he has also voiced the role of [[Lex Luthor]] in the animated series ''[[Justice League Action]]''. From 2006 to 2008, Woods starred in the [[CBS]] legal drama series ''[[Shark (American TV series)|Shark]]''. He played an infamous [[defense lawyer]] who, after growing disillusioned when his client commits a murder, becomes a successful prosecutor with the [[Los Angeles County District Attorney]]'s office.

In 2011, Woods starred in the [[HBO]] television drama film ''[[Too Big to Fail (film)|Too Big to Fail]]'' based on the [[Too Big to Fail (book)|2009 book of the same name]] by [[Andrew Ross Sorkin]]. He acted alongside [[Paul Giamatti]], [[William Hurt]], [[Cynthia Nixon]], [[Tony Shalhoub]] and [[Bill Pullman]]. Woods played [[Richard S. Fuld, Jr.]], Chairman and CEO of [[Lehman Brothers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/movies/too-big-to-fail/cast-and-crew/richard-fuld|title=Too Big to Fail – Richard Fuld|website=HBO}}</ref> Ken Tucker of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' praised Woods' writing that he "embodyed the role with macho aggression with snake-oil smoothness".<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/article/2011/05/18/too-big-fail/|title= Too Big to Fail|magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]]|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref>
For his performance Woods earned nominations for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]] and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/18th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards?field_taxonomy_vocabulary_2_target_id=5|title= 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= SAG Awards|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/shows/too-big-fail|title= Too Big to Fail|website= Emmy Awards|accessdate= March 15, 2024}}</ref> In 2012, Woods appeared in the limited series ''[[Coma (American miniseries)|Coma]]'' alongside [[Geena Davis]], [[Richard Dreyfuss]], and [[Ellen Burstyn]]. The series was produced by [[Ridley Scott]], and [[Tony Scott]] and premiered on [[A&E (TV network)|A&E]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/coma-lauren-ambrose-a-e-tony-scott-ridley-scott-lauren-ambrose-367502|title= A&E's 'Coma': What the Critics Are Saying|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= September 2, 2012|access-date= May 24, 2020}}</ref> In 2013, Woods joined [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]'s critically acclaimed series ''[[Ray Donovan]]'' in a recurring role as Patrick "Sully" Sullivan also starring [[Liev Schreiber]], and [[Jon Voight]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/james-woods-joins-showtimes-ray-429789|title= James Woods Joins Showtime's 'Ray Donovan'|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= March 19, 2013|access-date= May 24, 2020}}</ref>

[[File:RobertDeNiroJenniferConnellyJamesWoodsCannes.jpg|thumb|left|[[Jennifer Connelly]], Woods, and [[Robert De Niro]] at a screening of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in 2012]]
He also appeared as a fictional version of himself in the episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' entitled "[[Homer and Apu]]" and in eight episodes of ''[[Family Guy]]'', which is set in Woods' home state of [[Rhode Island]]. He is also the namesake for James Woods Regional High School in ''Family Guy''. The high school's name was later changed to Adam West High School to reflect the death of [[Adam West]], who was a character in the show. Woods has lent his voice to video games such as ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]''. In 2012, Woods attended an anniversary screening of a restored cut of ''[[Once Upon a Time in America]]'' (1984) at the [[65th Cannes Film Festival]]. The screening was made possible by [[Martin Scorsese]] and his [[The Film Foundation|Film Foundation]] which digitally restored the film as well as included 40 additional minutes of footage.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.indiewire.com/2012/04/restored-cut-of-sergio-leones-once-upon-a-time-in-america-with-40-more-minutes-to-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival-111564/ |title= Restored Cut Of Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon A Time In America' With 40 More Minutes To Premiere At Cannes Film Festival |website= [[IndieWire]] |date= 18 April 2012 |access-date= 12 May 2020 |archive-date= August 18, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200818014201/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/04/restored-cut-of-sergio-leones-once-upon-a-time-in-america-with-40-more-minutes-to-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival-111564/ |url-status= dead }}</ref> Woods, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Connelly, and [[Elizabeth McGovern]] attended the premiere and introduced the film.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thewrap.com/40-actress-over-40/once-upon-a-time-premiere-65th-annual-cannes-film-festival/ |title= Once Upon A Time Premiere – 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival |website= [[TheWrap]] |access-date= 12 May 2020 |archive-date= July 8, 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230708162112/https://www.thewrap.com/40-actress-in-their-40s-amy-adams-kerry-washington/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

In 2014, Woods joined Robert De Niro for an anniversary screening of ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984) at the 52nd [[New York Film Festival]] at [[Film at Lincoln Center|Film Society at Lincoln Center]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2014/blog/new-york-film-festival-mankiewicz-retrospective-film-society-2014.html |title= Mankiewicz retrospective and 3 revivals unveiled for 52nd new york film festival |website= filminc.org |access-date= 12 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/2014-new-york-film-festival/13/ |title= 2014 New York Film Festival |website= [[CBS News]] |date= September 28, 2014 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> In 2017, Woods made a rare public appearance at the [[Writers Guild of America Awards]] to honor his friend [[Oliver Stone]], with whom he had collaborated three times (''Salvador'', ''Nixon'', and ''Any Given Sunday''), who was receiving the lifetime achievement award.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Anne |last1=Thompson |first2=Kate |last2=Erland |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/02/2017-writers-guild-awards-donald-trump-politics-1201785181/ |title= Trump, Triumph and Speaking Truth to Power: Politics Take a Bow at 2017 Writers Guild Awards |website= [[IndieWire]] |date=20 February 2017 |access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> During the ceremony, Woods bantered with host [[Patton Oswalt]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Emma |last=Barrie |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/james-woods-stole-patton-oswalts-shoe-at-the-wga-awards.html |title= James Woods Stole Patton Oswalt's Shoe at the WGA Awards, Quite a Feat|website= [[Vulture (magazine)|Vulture]] |publisher=[[New York Media]] |location=New York City |date=19 February 2017|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> Woods served as an executive producer on [[Christopher Nolan]]'s biographical thriller ''[[Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer]]'' (2023).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Amsden |first=David |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Oppenheimer's Big Screen Odyssey: The Man, the Book and the Film's 50-Year Journey |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-07-18/epic-backstory-of-oppenheimer-the-film-and-american-prometheus-the-book |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=[[The Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/oppenheimer-charles-roven-christopher-nolan-1235560144/|title= Producer Charles Roven Talks 'Oppenheimer' Origin, John Woo's 'The Killer' Remake and Gal Gadot's 'Cleopatra'|website= The Hollywood Reporter|date= August 9, 2023|accessdate= November 25, 2023}}</ref> Woods and J. David Wargo were thanked when the film won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]] by producer [[Charles Roven]] who credited them for giving him the book ''[[American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer]]'' which was the basis for the film.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.unionprogress.com/2024/03/11/oppenheimer-producer-recognizes-clairton-native-for-his-role-with-the-award-winning-film/#:~:text=%E2%80%9COppenheimer%E2%80%9D%20won%20seven%20awards%2C,the%20ceremony%20concluded%20Sunday%20night.|title= 'Oppenheimer' producer recognizes Clairton native for his role with the award-winning film|website= Pittsburgh Union Progress|date= March 11, 2024|accessdate= March 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2023-07-18/epic-backstory-of-oppenheimer-the-film-and-american-prometheus-the-book|title= Oppenheimer's big-screen odyssey: The man, the book and the film's 50-year journey|website= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|date= July 18, 2023|accessdate= March 17, 2024}}</ref>