Trivia

At 6' 6.5", he is the tallest Oscar-nominated actor of all time (he was nominated for his Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Babe, el puerquito valiente (1995)).

Is the only actor to ever utter the words "Star Trek" on Star Trek itself. In the film Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996), his character Zefram Cochrane said to the crew, "...and you're all astronauts on... some kind of star trek?".

In addition to having played four United States Presidents, he appears in La reina (2006) as Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Grew up to be taller than both of his parents: his father was 6' 3'' and his mother was 5' 4''. His son John Cromwell is even taller than him standing at a height of 6' 8''.

He struggled somewhat early in his career on account of his height and the fact that few producers wanted someone towering over their leading men. Many of his early roles show him seated or leaning on something.

His interest in drama was at first to become a stage director, and he began acting as a way of making ends meet.

In the late 1960s, he was a member of the Committee to Defend the Panthers, a group organized to defend 13 members of the Black Panther Party who had been imprisoned in New York on charges of conspiracy. All 13 members were eventually released.

He has appeared in five films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Babe, el puerquito valiente (1995), Los Ángeles al desnudo (1997), Milagros inesperados (1999), La reina (2006) and El artista (2011). The Artist won in the category.

He and his father John Cromwell have both made films about US Presidents. James has played Lyndon B. Johnson and George Bush, as well as two other fictional Presidents, on The West Wing (1999) and La suma de todos los miedos (2002). His father, John Cromwell, directed El libertador (1940).

On July 3, 2001, he was arrested for trespassing during an animal rights demonstration in Virginia, targeting the Wendy's fast food chain. He and four other PETA protesters refused to leave after urging patrons to boycott the restaurant. Cromwell was released on his own recognizance after about five hours. He was ordered to stay out of all Wendy's restaurants in Virginia unless he intends to eat there.

In February 2013, Cromwell was arrested for interrupting a University of Wisconsin Board of Regents meeting while showing a graphic photo of a cat to protest about alleged mistreatment of animals on campus. The incident, which garnered widespread press coverage, was resolved on March 25, 2013, when an attorney representing Cromwell entered no-contest pleas to the non-criminal offense and agreed to pay $100 forfeitures and court costs of $263.50. In December 2015, he was removed from an event in New York for heckling an energy company receiving an award.

Son of actress Kay Johnson and director/actor John Cromwell.

Has starred in the remake of El misterio de Salem's Lot (2004), based on Stephen King's novel, and his ex-wife, Julie Cobb, starred in the original 1979 version.

Known to be a passionate liberal who openly supports several progressive political causes. Is most outspoken about the protection of animals.

Along with Jeremy Roberts, Boris Lee Krutonog, Alice Krige and Jack Shearer, he is one of only five actors to initially play a character in a "Star Trek" film before reprising their role in a "Star Trek" television series. He played Zefram Cochrane in Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996) and later reprised his role in Broken Bow, Part 1 (2001).

Was ranked 56 of Total Film's Top 100 Greatest Movie Villains for his role as Captain Dudley Smith in Los Ángeles al desnudo (1997).

Attended the prestigious Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the alma mater of Harry Hamlin and Oliver Stone.

Has twice played a prison warden, both with units of measure in the title: Milagros inesperados (1999) and Golpe bajo: El juego final (2005). Has also been in two movies about pioneering space travel: Los exploradores (1985) and Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996).

Was an outspoken opponent of US President George W. Bush's administration. Ironically, he has portrayed Bush's father, George Bush, on film.

His Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996) character, Zefram Cochrane, first appeared on the original series episode "Metamorphosis" with Leonard Nimoy. Cromwell himself has never worked with Nimoy, but two of his other roles have connections to the role of Spock. Cromwell later appeared on American Horror Story with Zachary Quinto. The film Los Ángeles al desnudo (1997) features the historical character of LAPD Chief William H. Parker, a former colleague of Gene Roddenberry and the basis for the character Spock.

Attended Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Attended and graduated from the College of Fine Arts (CFA) at Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU) (1964). He would later go onto play Carnegie-Mellon's co-founder Andrew W. Mellon on Boardwalk Empire. El Imperio del Contrabando (2010).

After focusing for decades on film and television, Cromwell returned to the stage in March 2012, after an absence of 13 years, in the role of Pozzo in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" at the Los Angeles Mark Taper Forum. Before that, he appeared in Tom Stoppard's "The Invention of Love" at the ACT Theatre in 1999.

Was sentenced to seven days of jail time after refusing to pay a $375 fine related to his arrest at a protest in Wawayanda, New York. He was initially found guilty of obstructing traffic when he and other five protesters staged a sit-in on the site of Competitive Power Ventures' prospective natural gas-fired power plant in regards to the plant's carbon emissions which would pose a threat to the local environment, and accelerate climate change. (julio de 2017)

Has played a fictional President in La suma de todos los miedos (2002) and real-life President Lyndon B. Johnson. Donald Moffat, who has also played Johnson, played the fictional President in Peligro inminente (1994).

Stepson of actress Ruth Nelson. Ex-son-in-law of actor Lee J. Cobb.

Has played a US President four times: fictional President Fowler in La suma de todos los miedos (2002), fictional President Newman on The West Wing (1999), Lyndon B. Johnson in the television film RFK (2002), and George H.W. Bush in Oliver Stone's film Hijo de... Bush (2008).

Besides his own appearances in the Star Trek series, his ex-wife Julie Cobb played Yeoman Leslie Thompson in By Any Other Name (1968) and his ex-stepdaughter Rosemary Morgan played Piri in The Chute (1996).

Was given the role of the prison warden in Golpe bajo: El juego final (2005) after negotiations with Gary Oldman fell through.

Studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village, New York City.

There is a fictional museum in Mr. Monk and the Big Reward (2006) (#4.13) called The Cromwell Institute. This could be a reference to his appearances in three episodes of Viaje a las estrellas: La nueva generación (1987), Starship Down (1995) (#4.6), and Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996).

He was awarded the 1979 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for "Terra Nova" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

On December 18, 2015, Cromwell and five other people were arrested while protesting against the construction of a power station in Wawayanda, New York, near his home in Warwick, New York. Cromwell and fellow Star Trek actor J.G. Hertzler were among the 19 people arrested in Watkins Glen, New York on June 6, 2016, for a protest against underground gas storage in salt caverns near Seneca Lake. On June 6, 2017, he was escorted out of a Democratic Party fundraiser (which New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi attended) after disrupting the event by protesting about the power station. He and his fellow protesters, called the "Wawayanda Six" were convicted of disorderly conduct and obstruction of traffic. They were fined $375, due June 29, 2017 and sentenced to 16 hours of community service. After refusing to pay the fine, he was sentenced to a week in jail, scheduled to go on July 14.

Has worked with David Warner in Doctor erótico (1983). Both stars appeared in the very popular Star Trek series. Warner appeared in Viaje a las estrellas VI: La tierra desconocida (1991) and Cromwell appeared in Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996).

Celebrity sponsor of the Great American Meatout on March 20, 2001.

His son John Cromwell has played the younger version of his character on three series: Memorial Day (2012), American Horror Story (2011) and Betrayal (2013).

He supported the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

Has worked with Ron Perlman in the crime drama La sangre de Romeo (1993). Both stars appeared in the very popular Star Trek series. Cromwell appeared in Viaje a las estrellas: Primer contacto (1996) and Perlman appeared in Némesis (2002).

Has appeared in both of the similarly named 1990s movies: Babe Ruth: rebelde, amante y leyenda (1992) and Babe, el puerquito valiente (1995).

Has English, German, Irish and Scottish ancestry.

He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Los Ángeles al desnudo (1997).

A vegetarian since the 1970's, he changed to a vegan diet after acting opposite a pig in the movie Babe. Cromwell has long been an advocate of animal rights causes.

Was in a relationship with actress and professor Joan MacIntosh (2005-2009) (broke up).