James Remar

Acting

James Remar

Born 1953-12-31 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

William James Remar (born December 31, 1953) is an American actor. Some of his best known film roles are as Ajax in The Warriors (1979), as homicidal maniac Albert Ganz in 48 Hrs. (1982), as Dutch Schultz in The Cotton Club (1984), and as Lord Raiden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997). He has had smaller roles in many other notable films, including Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Boys on the Side (1995), Judge Dredd (1995), Psycho (1998), What Lies Beneath (2000), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2002), Blade: Trinity (2004), Ratatouille (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), RED (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011), Django Unchained (2012), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Oppenheimer (2023), and Megalopolis (2024). He was originally cast as Corporal Hicks in Aliens (1986) before being replaced by Michael Biehn. On television, Remar's recurring roles include Richard Wright, the on-off tycoon boyfriend of Samantha in Sex and the City (2001 - 2004), Harry Morgan in Dexter (2006 - 2013) and Dexter: Resurrection (2025 - present), the voice of Vilgax in Ben 10 (2009 - 2012), Tonraq in The Legend of Korra (2013 - 2014), and Peter Gambi in Black Lightning (2018 - 2021). He also voices Executor Hideo in the Destiny video game series. Remar has been married to Atsuko Remar since 1984. They have two children.

Acting credits

The Odyssey poster
8.0

Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront the whims of gods, mythological monsters, and trials that stretch both his cunning and his humanity to the breaking point.

The Odyssey

2026

Oppenheimer poster
8.0

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

Oppenheimer

2023

Ratatouille poster
7.8

In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.

Ratatouille

2007

Django Unchained poster
8.2

With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

Django Unchained

2012

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood poster
7.4

Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton, a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth, his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate, who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski…

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

2019

They Will Kill You poster
7.0

A woman answers a help wanted ad to be a housekeeper in a mysterious New York City high-rise, unaware that she is entering a community that has seen a number of disappearances over the years and may be under the grip of a Satanic cult.

They Will Kill You

2026

Transformers One poster
8.0

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

Transformers One

2024

The Girl Next Door poster
6.8

Exceptionally ambitious high schooler Matthew has aspirations for a career in politics when he falls in love with his gorgeous 19-year-old neighbor, Danielle. But Matthew's bright future is jeopardized when he finds Danielle was once a porn star. As Danielle's past catches up with her, Matthew's love for her forces him to re-evaluate his goals.

The Girl Next Door

2004

Blade: Trinity poster
5.9

For years, Blade has fought against the vampires in the cover of the night. But now, after falling into the crosshairs of the FBI, he is forced out into the daylight, where he is driven to join forces with a clan of human vampire hunters he never knew existed—The Nightstalkers. Together with Abigail and Hannibal, two deftly trained Nightstalkers, Blade follows a trail of blood to the ancient creature that is also hunting him—the original vampire, Dracula.

Blade: Trinity

2004

RED poster
6.7

After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe, crazy Marvin and wily Victoria to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission -- breaking into CIA headquarters.

RED

2010

Judge Dredd poster
5.9

In a dystopian future where Judges maintain law and order by acting as judge, jury, and executioner, Dredd fights to prove his innocence after being falsely accused of murder.

Judge Dredd

1995

Megalopolis poster
5.2

In a futuristic New York known as New Rome, visionary architect Cesar Catilina dreams of building "Megalopolis," a utopian city that redefines society’s limits. Opposing him is the corrupt Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who clings to power and profit. Between them stands Julia, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar forces her to choose between loyalty, ambition, and the fate of humanity.

Megalopolis

2024

Miracle on 34th Street poster
6.8

Six-year-old Susan Walker has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle—Santa Claus. Her mother told her the secret about Santa a long time ago, but, after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all—something to believe in.

Miracle on 34th Street

1994

Pineapple Express poster
6.6

A stoner and his dealer are forced to go on the run from the police after the pothead witnesses a cop commit a murder.

Pineapple Express

2008

The Warriors poster
7.7

Prominent gang leader Cyrus calls a meeting of New York's gangs to set aside their turf wars and take over the city. At the meeting, a rival leader kills Cyrus, but a Coney Island gang called the Warriors is wrongly blamed for Cyrus' death. Before you know it, the cops and every gangbanger in town is hot on the Warriors' trail.

The Warriors

1979

48 Hrs. poster
6.7

A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.

48 Hrs.

1982

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation poster
4.6

A group of heroic warriors has only six days to save the planet in "Mortal Kombat Annihilation." To succeed they must survive the most spectacular series of challenges any human, or god, has ever encountered as they battle an evil warlord bent on taking control of Earth.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

1997

The Quest poster
6.2

Ghang-gheng, the ancient winner-take-all competition in which the deadliest fighters from around the world employ the most spectacular feats of martial arts skills ever displayed in order to win the prized Golden Dragon. But fighting prowess alone will not be enough for Chris to triumph over such daunting foes.

The Quest

1996

Fatal Instinct poster
5.5

Ned Ravine is a police officer and lawyer who occasionally defends the delinquents he arrests. He crosses paths with seductive Lola Cain during an assignment and promptly begins an affair with her. Meanwhile, Ned's wife, Lana, is deep in an affair of her own. Lana and her lover are planning to murder Ned in an elaborate fashion so they can collect on his triple indemnity life insurance policy.

Fatal Instinct

1993

What Lies Beneath poster
6.4

Norman and Claire Spencer are a seemingly happily married couple who uncover a terrible secret… a secret so disturbing it threatens to destroy them.

What Lies Beneath

2000

The Blackcoat's Daughter poster
5.9

Two young women at a prestigious prep school are assailed by an evil, invisible power when they're stranded over winter break.

The Blackcoat's Daughter

2017

Cruising poster
6.6

When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, rookie cop Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows.

Cruising

1980

Drugstore Cowboy poster
7.1

Portland, Oregon, 1971. Bob Hughes is the charismatic leader of a peculiar quartet, formed by his wife, Dianne, and another couple, Rick and Nadine, who skillfully steal from drugstores and hospital medicine cabinets in order to appease their insatiable need for drugs. But neither fun nor luck last forever.

Drugstore Cowboy

1989

Psycho poster
5.1

A young female embezzler arrives at the Bates Motel, which has terrible secrets of its own.

Psycho

1998