James Stephens (actor)

{{BLP sources|date=March 2022}}

{{short description|American television and film actor (born 1951)}}

{{other people|James Stephens}}

{{Infobox person

|image =

|imagesize =

| name =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|5|18}}

| birth_place = Mount Kisco, New York, U.S.

| yearsactive = 1976-2015

| partner = Priscilla Taylor{{cite journal| title=Actor James Stephens Is Up to His Neck Again on Paper Chase—but This Time It's on Cable| url=https://people.com/archive/actor-james-stephens-is-up-to-his-neck-again-on-paper-chase-but-this-time-its-on-cable-vol-19-no-18/| last=Graham| first=Jefferson| date=May 9, 1983| journal=People| accessdate=2021-04-17}}

| children = 1

| death_date =

| death_place =

| known_for = The Paper Chase

| occupation = Actor

}}

James Stephens (born May 18, 1951) is an American actor best known for his starring role as James T. Hart in the television series The Paper Chase. He is also known for his role in Tom Bosley's ABC television series, Father Dowling Mysteries (1989-1991), in which Stephens was cast as Father Philip Prestwick.

Biography

Stephens was born in Mount Kisco, New York. He is best known for his role as idealistic Minnesota-born law student James T. Hart in The Paper Chase (1978–1979 and 1983–1986), taking on the role originated by Timothy Bottoms in the movie of the same name.

His first role was as C. L. Bradley in the pilot and two episodes of the ABC western series, How the West Was Won, starring James Arness. He guest-starred in such series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Diagnosis: Murder, L.A. Law, Matlock, Moonlighting, M*A*S*H, Eischied, multiple characters on Murder, She Wrote, a recurring role on Cagney & Lacey, and the role of the young Doctor Auschlander in 1945 in flashbacks on St. Elsewhere. His film appearances have included roles in True Grit: A Further Adventure (1978), First Monday in October (1981), The Getaway (1994), A Perry Mason Mystery:The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994), and Against the Law (1997).

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable sortable"

|+

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1981

|First Monday in October

|Mason Woods

|

1983

|Two of a Kind

|Ron

|Credited as James 'Stevens'

1989

|Caddie Woodlawn

|John Woodlawn

|

1994

|The Getaway

|Harold Carvey, DVM

|

1997

|Against the Law

|Det. Ben Hamada

|

1998

|Hijack

|Harold Besser

|

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1978

|How the West Was Won

|C.L. Bradley

|2 episodes

1978

|True Grit: A Further Adventure

|Joshua Sumner

|Television film

1978–1986

|The Paper Chase

|James T. Hart

|58 episodes

1979

|Eischied

|Colvin

|2 episodes

1979

|The Death of Ocean View Park

|Phil Brady

|Television film

1980

|M*A*S*H

|Private David Sheridan

|Episode: "Morale Victory"

1980

|Tourist

|Steve Konay

|Television film

1980

|The Littlest Hobo

|Kevin Wheeler

|Episode: "Portrait of Danger"

1982

|Mysterious Two

|Tim Armstrong

|Television film

1984–1994

|Murder, She Wrote

|Various roles

|4 episodes

1986

|St. Elsewhere

|One episode as the young Daniel Auschlander

|Episode: "Time Heals: Part 2"

1986

|Gone to Texas

|Stephen F. Austin

|Television film

1987

|Houston Knights

|Jonathan Linder

|Episode: "God's Will"

1987

|Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery

|Father Philip Prestwick

|Television film

1988

|21 Jump Street

|Mark Rafferty

|Episode: "I'm Okay, You Need Work"

1988

|Hotel

|Jonas Robinson

|Episode: "Power Play"

1988

|Cagney & Lacey

|Lt. Jim Thornton

|3 episodes

1988

|Pancho Barnes

|Rankin Barnes

|Television film

1989

|General Hospital

|Aphrodite Captain

|Episode dated 12 May 1989

1989

|Moonlighting

|Mark Charnock

|Episode: "Lunar Eclipse"

1989–1991

|Father Dowling Mysteries

|Father Philip Prestwick

|37 episodes

1990

|Follow Your Heart

|Howard

|Television film

1993

|Matlock

|Dr. Duncan Farmington

|Episode: "The Divorce"

1994

|L.A. Law

|Dr. Michael Joyce

|Episode: "God Is My Co-Counsel"

1994

|MacShayne: The Final Roll of the Dice

|Patrick Blondel

| rowspan="2" |Television film

1994

|A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

|Daniel Kingman

1994–1998

|Diagnosis: Murder

|Ian Trainor / Dr. Niven

|3 episodes

1997

|Buffy the Vampire Slayer

|Dr. Weirick

|Episode: "The Pack"

1998

|Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

|Tom North

|Episode: "The Gun"

2002

|Courage the Cowardly Dog

|Voice

|13 episodes

References

{{Reflist}}