Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. Known for playing the character of Leon Kowalski in the movie Blade Runner, James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known American films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hours, Tango & Cash, Silverado, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element. James' commanding screen presence and formidable physique at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall usually resulted in his casting as a heavy, appearing more frequently in lower budget horror and action films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. James appeared in more than 100 films before he died of a heart attack aged 54.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Brion James, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
The Fifth Element
(1997)
General Munro
Blade Runner
(1982)
Leon Kowalski
48 Hrs.
(1982)
Ben Kehoe
Tango & Cash
(1989)
Requin
Enemy Mine
(1985)
Stubbs
Silverado
(1985)
Hobart
Flesh + Blood
(1985)
Karsthans
Red Heat
(1988)
Streak
The Player
(1992)
Joel Levison
Another 48 Hrs.
(1990)
Ben Kehoe
Hard Times
(1975)
Man (uncredited)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
(1981)
Crapshooter
Striking Distance
(1993)
Det. Eddie Eiler
Armed and Dangerous
(1986)
Anthony Lazarus
Cabin Boy
(1994)
Big Teddy
Southern Comfort
(1981)
Trapper
Full Filmography
Acting
The Kansas City Massacre
(1975)
Homer Van Meter
Hard Times
(1975)
Man (uncredited)
Nickelodeon
(1976)
Bailiff
Bound for Glory
(1976)
Pick Up Truck Driver at the Border
Treasure of Matecumbe
(1976)
Roustabout
Harry and Walter Go to New York
(1976)
Hayseed
The Invasion of Johnson County
(1976)
Ben Jones
Corvette Summer
(1978)
Wayne's Car Wash Henchman
Blue Sunshine
(1978)
Tony
Flying High
(1978)
Clyde Boyer
KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park
(1979)
Guard
Wholly Moses
(1980)
Guard at Banquet
The Jazz Singer
(1980)
Man in Bar
Trouble in High Timber Country
(1980)
Eddie Rhodes
Southern Comfort
(1981)
Trapper
Soggy Bottom, U.S.A.
(1981)
Defalice
Conquest of the Earth
(1981)
Willy
Killing at Hell's Gate
(1981)
Turkey Jones
The Postman Always Rings Twice
(1981)
Crapshooter
Blade Runner
(1982)
Leon Kowalski
48 Hrs.
(1982)
Ben Kehoe
Hear No Evil
(1982)
Billy Boy Burns
The Gambler: The Adventure Continues
(1983)
Reece
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
(1983)
Captain Rogers
A Breed Apart
(1984)
Peyton
Crimewave
(1985)
Arthur Coddish
Enemy Mine
(1985)
Stubbs
Flesh + Blood
(1985)
Karsthans
Silverado
(1985)
Hobart
Armed and Dangerous
(1986)
Anthony Lazarus
Annihilator
(1986)
Alien Leader
Amazing Stories
(1986)
Willie Joe
Steel Dawn
(1987)
Tark
Cherry 2000
(1987)
Stacy
Love Among Thieves
(1987)
Andre
The Wrong Guys
(1988)
Glen Grunski
Red Scorpion
(1988)
Krasnov
Nightmare at Noon
(1988)
The Albino
Dead Man Walking
(1988)
Decker
Red Heat
(1988)
Streak
D.O.A.
(1988)
Detective Ulmer
Tango & Cash
(1989)
Requin
Mutator
(1989)
David Allen
The Horror Show
(1989)
Max Jenke
Circles in a Forest
(1989)
Mr. Patterson
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars
(1989)
Roy Grimes
Another 48 Hrs.
(1990)
Ben Kehoe
Street Asylum
(1990)
Reverend Mony
Mom
(1990)
Nestor Duvalier
Enid Is Sleeping
(1990)
Trucker
Ultimate Desires
(1991)
Wolfgang Friedman
The Player
(1992)
Joel Levison
Nemesis
(1992)
Maritz
Black Magic
(1992)
Tom McKay
Frogtown II
(1992)
Prof. Tanzer
Wishman
(1992)
Staten Jack Rose
Striking Distance
(1993)
Det. Eddie Eiler
Brain Smasher... A Love Story
(1993)
Brown
Time Runner
(1993)
Neila
Showdown
(1993)
Vice Principal Kowalski
The Dark
(1993)
Paul Buckner
Rio Diablo
(1993)
Jake Walker
Precious Victims
(1993)
Agent Jimmy Bivens
Radioland Murders
(1994)
Bernie King
Cabin Boy
(1994)
Big Teddy
Knight Rider 2010
(1994)
Jared
The Soft Kill
(1994)
Ben McCarthy
Hong Kong 97
(1994)
Simon Alexander
The Companion
(1994)
Ron Cocheran
Savage Land
(1994)
Cyrus
Scanner Cop
(1994)
Dr. Hampton
Future Shock
(1994)
Jack Porter
Art Deco Detective
(1994)
Jim Wexler
F.T.W.
(1994)
Sheriff Rudy Morgan
Cyberjack
(1995)
Nassim
Steel Frontier
(1995)
General J.W. Quantrell
Dominion
(1995)
Lynwood
Nature of the Beast
(1995)
Sheriff Gordon
Sketch Artist II: Hands That See
(1995)
Larry Walker
Spitfire
(1995)
Tough Guy (uncredited)
Indecent Behavior III
(1995)
Mr. Cowed
Assault on Dome 4
(1996)
Chairman
Precious Find
(1996)
Sam Horton
American Strays
(1996)
Oris
Evil Obsession
(1996)
Stavinski
Billy Lone Bear
(1996)
The Fifth Element
(1997)
General Munro
Back in Business
(1997)
Emery Ryker
The Underground
(1997)
Captain Hilton
Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills
(1997)
Salvador Dali / Sam
The Killing Jar
(1997)
Bombshell
(1997)
Donald
Snide and Prejudice
(1997)
Hermann Goering
In God's Hands
(1998)
Capitaine
Brown's Requiem
(1998)
Cathcart
Deadly Ransom
(1998)
Bobby Rico
Jekyll Island
(1998)
Lawton Goodyear
Black Sea 213
(1998)
Captain Killick
Men in White
(1998)
Air Force
A Place Called Truth
(1998)
Hank
Kai Rabe gegen die Vatikankiller
(1998)
Monk
Dirt Merchant
(1999)
Detective Harry Ball
Heist
(1999)
Caz
Diplomatic Siege
(1999)
Stubbs
Joseph's Gift
(1999)
Frank Childress
Malevolence
(1999)
Warden Walker
Arthurs Quest
(1999)
Trent
The Hunter's Moon
(1999)
Sheriff Foulkes
The King Is Alive
(2000)
Ashley
The Operator
(2000)
Vernon Woods
Farewell, My Love
(2000)
Renault
The Thief & the Stripper
(2002)
Shoe
Swimming with Dolphins
(2005)
Phoenix Point
(2005)
Spider Rico
Production