James Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, where he graduated from Pilgrim High School in 1965 near the top of his class. Afterwards, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He dropped out to pursue his acting career shortly before his scheduled graduation in 1969.
Northfork (2003): $5,000

Received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame [15 October 1998] He plays a character who works for Richard Nixon in the movie Nixon and played one of a band of men who wore Nixon masks when they robbed a police depository in Best Seller. Reserve Los Angeles Police Officer. Against Capital Punishment. He appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care." Fired his agent for not telling him of Quentin Tarantino's offer to star as Mr. Orange/Freddie in Reservoir Dogs. Dated actress Heather Graham Majored in Political Science at M.I.T. Brother of actor Michael Jeffrey Woods. Felt victimized by Sean Young, who allegedly stalked and harrassed him after their dating relationship ended. Member of Theta Delta Chi Fraternity. Was engaged to actress Missy Crider in 1997; they met when she played his daughter in the TV movie Jane's House. While on a commercial flight from Boston to LA in August, he noticed a group of men acting suspiciously on the plane and informed a flight attendant that he felt the men were planning to hijack the plane. He has thus been in several interviews with FBI agents since the September 11 attacks. [2001] Provided the voice of Carl, the straight-laced rabbit in the pet store across the street from a rental station, in a series of Blockbuster commercials. Is ambidextrous (as seen in The Virgin Suicides, writes on chalkboard with both hands). Is the son of a U.S. Army intelligence officer. The high school in the animated show Family Guy was named after him (James Woods High School). James grew up in Rhode Island, where the show takes place, and has guest starred on the show as himself (an episode where he supports renaming the school Martin Luther King Jr. High School). ["Peter's Got Woods," episode 5.1, 11 September 2005] Visits his family in Rhode Island frequently. Loves cooking and is an excellent chef. Enjoys playing golf. Quit smoking cigarettes in 1993. Loves photography. He was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a full scholarship, majoring not in the physical sciences but in political science. He also pursued acting, appearing in 36 plays at MIT, Harvard, and the Theater Company of Boston and also performed in summer stock at the Provincetown Playhouse. He dropped out of MIT during his last year to move to New York and pursue acting full-time. Got his first acting role, as a thug on Kojak, after Richard Dreyfuss and Martin Sheen had turned it down. Referred to composer Howard Shore as the Bernard Herrmann of the synthesizer. Is a member of MENSA (as are Geena Davis, Chino XL, Ben Rollins and Alan Rachins).