James Keane (actor)
James Keane | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1952 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | American Academy of Dramatic Arts Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Film and television actor |
| Years active | 1975–2016 |
James Keane (born September 26,[1] 1952) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the role of "Willis Thomas Bell" in the American drama television series The Paper Chase.[2]
Life and career[]
Keane was born in Buffalo, New York.[3] He was an elevator operator at the Sherry-Netherland hotel in New York, with also attending at American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Harvard Law School.[4] Keane began his career in 1975, as appearing in the film Three Days of the Condor, where he played the role of the "Store Clerk". When he worked as an elevator operator, Keane met film director, Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was working on the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, which the film starred Al Pacino.[4]
Keane thought that he would have a role in The Godfather Part II, as he then noticed that Coppola went to the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea called Sicily.[4] In 1978, he joined the cast of the new CBS drama television series The Paper Chase, where Keane played the role of "Willis Thomas Bell".[4] He also appeared in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, with also dubbing the actor, Marlon Brando in the television miniseries of The Godfather.[4] Keane then appeared in the 1982 film 48 Hrs. (as "Detective Van Zant"), in which he later appeared in the 1990 film Dick Tracy, where he played the role as Dick Tracy's closest associate and second-in-command "Pat Patton".[3]
Keane was asked by film director, Steven Spielberg, if he was interested in being cast on the television series Roseanne, in which his role was similar to John Goodman.[3] Keane didn't answer.[3] He retired his career in 2016, as his credit was from the film Rules Don't Apply.
References[]
- ^ "Birthdays". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. September 26, 2000. p. 2. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "James Keane Is Billboard". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. January 26, 1979. p. 31. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Pergament, Alan (June 13, 1990). "Buffalo Actor Could Have Had His 'Tracy' Part 7 Years Ago". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Beck, Andee (February 4, 1979). "James Keane of 'Paper Chase'". News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. p. 80. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
- James Keane at IMDb
- James Keane at the TCM Movie Database
- James Keane at AllMovie
- Rotten Tomatoes profile
Authority control | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| National libraries | |
- 1952 births
- Living people
- People from Buffalo, New York
- Male actors from New York (state)
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
- Harvard Law School alumni