Peter Francis James is an acclaimed American actor and voice-over artist whose career spans stage, screen, and television. He made his professional debut in 1979 in Coriolanus, appearing alongside Earle Hyman and Morgan Freeman. From 2000 to 2020, he taught Shakespeare at the Yale School of Drama, nurturing the next generation of classical actors.

James is a two-time Obie Award winner: first for his performance as Claire in Jean Genet’s The Maids, and again for his portrayal of Colin Powell in David Hare’s Stuff Happens, which also earned him Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards. He played Oscar opposite Dame Maggie Smith in Edward Albee’s The Lady from Dubuque at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket, later reprising the role opposite Jane Alexander in New York.

On television, James is widely recognized for his role as Raymond Parks in The Rosa Parks Story (2002), and for his recurring performances as Judge Kevin Beck on Law & Order: SVU and as Jahfree Neema in HBO’s Oz. Other TV credits include Gossip Girl, Third Watch, Law & Order, Criminal Intent, and Guiding Light, where he played Clayton Boudreau.

His film and television movie appearances include Double Platinum, Long Day’s Journey into Night (1982), and Hamlet(1990), directed by Kevin Kline. He portrayed Thurgood Marshall in PBS’s American Experience: Simple Justice (1993) and played Isaac Coles in the miniseries The Wedding (1998).