James began acting in the New York Theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival of "A Street Car Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. James' breakthrough role was his portayal of Virgil the hitman in Tony Scott's True Romance. Currently living in Greenwich Village in New York City.


The Last Castle (2001): $5,000,000

His sister Johanna is a prominent official with the New Jersey Family Court system. Attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Although he often plays thuggish or brute characters, he is actually somewhat of a pacifist off-stage; he had reservations about continuing his production contract as Tony in "The Sopranos" (1999) due to the show's violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans. Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001." Financed the construction of a restaurant called Vines in Oneonta, New York for his childhood pal Clive Griffiths, who needed the money to launch it. Griffiths has since paid him back, and then some. Lost more than 40 pounds for his role in The Mexican (2001), but had to gain it all back before shooting for the HBO series "The Sopranos" (1999) because executives didn't believe the audience would like a "skinny" Tony. In Crimson Tide (1995), James refers to Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant, two actors he also references in "The Sopranos" (1999). Says he is nothing like "Tony Soprano" in real life, describing his own personality as being more like a "260-pound Woody Allen". Was voted "best-looking" in high school Once worked as a bouncer. In Crimson Tide (1995) he played an officer on the U.S.S. Alabama. In True Romance (1993), he beats up a woman named Alabama, played by Patricia Arquette. Became engaged to Lora Somoza in January 2004. Broke up, amicably, in February 2005. Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral Played Aida Turturro's father in Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and her brother in "The Sopranos" (1999). Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance for a Leading Actor in a Play for "God of Carnage".