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IMDbPro

Hawthorne James

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Hawthorne James
Abandoned Act Trailer
Play trailer1:09
Abandoned Act (2018)
6 Videos
4 Photos
Hawthorne James began life on the south side of Chicago to tremendously loving and supportive parents Robert and A.M. Alene. He attended Catholic school from kindergarten until the family moved to Michigan when he became an honor student in a public school; a bad mix.

Hawthorne's very extraordinary father was driving himself to the hospital when he passed by Holy Cross Jr. College, stopped in and talked Brother John Driscoll into accepting his son. It was there Hawthone got back on the right path and began to excel again academically. Hawthorne's father passed away two months after he began.

Hawthorne received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater from across the street at the University of Notre Dame and received his Masters degree in Theater from the University of Michigan. Hawthorne taught Theater at Illinois State University when he decided to go to Hollywood to pursue acting and found Inner City Cultural Center and Ted Lange who encouraged him to continue his studies in London, England at the London Shakespeare Academy.

Best known for his role as Big Red Davis in the 1991 film The Five Heartbeats and Sam, the bus driver, in Speed. One of the most incredible roles Hawthorne has portrayed is Victor Romero along with Badja Djola and Alec Baldwin in Heaven's Prisoners.

Once in Hollywood Mr. Hawthorne James headed straight to ICCC where he performed on stage for free, for the love of the art. His nine to five jobs began as a Mailroom Clerk at ITC to a Post-Production Driver at the brand new TriStar Pictures.

Within three months Hawthorne was an executive in the Post-Production Department. Everything that TriStar did went across his desk. It was there he learned how to make a movie under Jim Potter. He learned how to edit on No Mercy and he's uncredited for editing Rambo II.

Hawthorne directed a few MasterCard commercials when Teriq Alexander hired him to direct his first feature film The Stick Up Kids. Another film he directed close to his heart is Lisa Trotter and Hawthorne wrote and directed the film Remember Me?

First cast in a film by Cliff Roquemore, Disco Godfather and Penitentiary II. Other roles he landed include "One Eyed Sam" in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Hood of Horrors, The Doors, Cheers, Amazing Stories and Stir Crazy. Hawthorne can be seen in television series Seven, NYPD Blue, and had a guest-starring role on Frasier as Bill in the season one episode.

An advocate for youth to read and study. As he travels he goes to YTS and prisons to inspire and encourage the incarcerated. He believes I won't be free until you be free. Hawthorne stood up to the motion picture studios to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Day and won the fight. Hawthorne James is an Icon and a Legend. Hawthorne James is an Inner City Cultural Center Alumnus.
BornMay 1, 1949
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMay 1, 1949
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins total

    Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
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    Known for

    Keanu Reeves in Speed (1994)
    Speed
    7.3
    • Sam
    • 1994
    Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in Seven (1995)
    Seven
    8.6
    • George the Night Guard at the Library
    • 1995
    In the Matchbox
    In the Matchbox
    Short
    • Uncle Wendell
      Teri Hatcher, Alec Baldwin, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Kelly Lynch in Vengeance froide (1996)
      Vengeance froide
      5.8
      • Victor Romero
      • 1996

      Credits

      Edit
      IMDbPro

      Actor



      • Superhuman
        • Pastor Hawkins (rumored)
        • Pre-production
      • Jazzy Bells
        • Otis
        • Post-production
        • Short



      • Hawthorne James, Mila McCoy, Dehz Donahue, Mack White III, and Avante Perkins in Mister Gates (2024)
        Mister Gates
        8.5
        • Charles Gates
        • 2024
      • Bill Cobbs, Patrice Fisher, Howard Hewett, Sid Burston, and Bill Porter in Incandescent Love (2023)
        Incandescent Love
        7.3
        TV Mini Series
        • Dr. James Witherstone
        • 2023
      • A Polished Soul (2022)
        A Polished Soul
        8.5
        • Poppa Cooley
        • 2022
      • Hawthorne James, Erica Peeples, and Tecoya Harris in Flint Tale (2021)
        Flint Tale
        7.7
        • Chief Hartwell
        • 2021
      • A Day of Trouble (2021)
        A Day of Trouble
        6.1
        • Hank
        • 2021
      • I'm Sorry - (Carla's Tales) (2020)
        I'm Sorry - (Carla's Tales)
        • Sandy's Father
        • 2020
      • Hawthorne James, Cynda Williams, and Shania Brown in Why Me (2020)
        Why Me
        • Thomas
        • 2020
      • Keys (2019)
        Keys
        8.1
        • Chief Charlie Miller
        • 2019
      • Abandoned Act (2018)
        Abandoned Act
        Short
        • Daryl
        • 2018
      • Claudia Christian, Peter Dobson, and Kevin Interdonato in Dirty Dead Con Men (2018)
        Dirty Dead Con Men
        4.6
        • Art McCoy
        • 2018
      • Thomas Miles, Mya, Carl Anthony Payne II, Gary Anthony Sturgis, Christopher O'Neal, Christopher Jefferson, and Cayden Wilson in 5th Ward (2018)
        5th Ward
        7.5
        TV Series
        • John
        • 2018
      • Kathy Bates in Disjointed (2017)
        Disjointed
        6.8
        TV Series
        • Saul 'The Muskrat' FIshkin
        • 2017
      • Gary Sinise, Alana De La Garza, Tyler James Williams, Daniel Henney, and Annie Funke in Esprits criminels: Unité sans frontières (2016)
        Esprits criminels: Unité sans frontières
        6.2
        TV Series
        • Jimmy
        • 2017
      • Thomas Mikal Ford, Hawthorne James, Mystikal, and Brittany Diamond Carpentero in Blues for Life (2016)
        Blues for Life
        5.3
        • Plank Road Slim
        • 2016
      • Lou Diamond Phillips in Le tueur de la nuit (2016)
        Le tueur de la nuit
        5.8
        TV Movie
        • Harrison Johnson
        • 2016

      Producer



      • Bill Cobbs, Patrice Fisher, Howard Hewett, Sid Burston, and Bill Porter in Incandescent Love (2023)
        Incandescent Love
        7.3
        TV Mini Series
        • associate producer
        • 2023
      • No Reason (2022)
        No Reason
        4.9
        • associate producer
        • 2022
      • A Polished Soul (2022)
        A Polished Soul
        8.5
        • producer
        • 2022
      • Hawthorne James, Cynda Williams, and Shania Brown in Why Me (2020)
        Why Me
        • producer
        • 2020
      • Eddie Murphy, Jerry Lewis, Maceo Anderson, Redd Foxx, Rufus L. McDonald, Prince C. Spencer, Al Williams, The Four Step Brothers, Sylvester Johnson, and Freddy James in The Life of Dancer (2017)
        The Life of Dancer
        Short
        • executive producer
        • 2017
      • Tasia Grant in Gps (2015)
        Gps
        Short
        • associate producer
        • 2015
      • Lisa Trotter (2010)
        Lisa Trotter
        Short
        • executive producer
        • 2010

      Director



      • Lisa Trotter (2010)
        Lisa Trotter
        Short
        • Director
        • 2010
      • The Stick Up Kids (2008)
        The Stick Up Kids
        6.2
        Video
        • Director
        • 2008

      • In-development projects at IMDbPro

      Videos6

      Malice N Wonderland
      Trailer 1:14
      Malice N Wonderland
      Boss'n Up
      Trailer 2:08
      Boss'n Up
      Boss'n Up
      Trailer 2:08
      Boss'n Up
      A Christmas Wedding
      Trailer 1:48
      A Christmas Wedding
      The Five Heartbeats
      Trailer 1:26
      The Five Heartbeats
      Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
      Trailer 0:26
      Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
      Abandoned Act
      Trailer 1:09
      Abandoned Act

      Personal details

      Edit
      • Alternative names
        • James H. Hawthorne
      • Born
        • May 1, 1949
        • Chicago, Illinois, USA

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Has a bachelor's degree in Theater from the University of Notre Dame and a Master's degree in Theater from the University of Michigan. He also studied in London, England at the London Shakespeare Academy.

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