Hollywood superstar destroyer - Brion James

[@d.martin7692]

Blade Runner was cinema immortality for the entire supporting cast.

[@josephperkins4857]

very true

[@wehosrmthink7510]

Me too. He was only 54.

[@PropaneWP]

Agreed. All of the supporting cast in that movie are extremely memorable.

[@gordonyantis941]

Enemy Mine: "I hate _THIS_ guy!" The Fifth Element: "I _LOVE_ this guy!"

[@whosaidthat84]

Enemy Mine is super underrated

[@FodrMichalych]

@@whosaidthat84 Watched it with my sister, then with the boys, everyone was impressed.

[@whosaidthat84]

@@FodrMichalych I really should watch it again. It's surprisingly gritty.

[@nullifiedhumanoid]

​@@whosaidthat841000% Enemy Mine is great.

[@polovky]

Dude was perfect for the roles, looks like he had a lot of fun on set.

[@rogerwalker3969]

He did so much by 54. Fifth Element is one of my favorite movies.

[@dethtongue945]

Him, Bill Paxton, and Brad Dourif make the holy triumvirate of character actors for the last half century.

[@SmartCookie2022]

Not really, Both Paxton and Dourif were the lead actors in some of their movies, while Brion James never was.

[@dethtongue945]

@@SmartCookie2022 I beg to differ. Both Paxton and Dourif may have been leads on occasion, but they are both primarily character actors. Both have IMBD appearances longer than a grown man's arm, but if you count the times they were leads vs supporting characters you will end up with something like a 1 in 10 ratio.

[@VanWinger]

If we include character actors with leading roles then why not James Earl Jones, Kathy Bates or Robert Duvall?

[@Janus10001]

Great call.

[@kevinducharme1263]

don't forget Clancy Brown.

[@stendec-dd3he]

Anything Brion was cast in, definitely made the film better. Never to be forgotten. 😔

[@fergaoneill5323]

He was brilliant in tango and cash

[@CliffuckingBooth]

Thank you for this video man. I loved him as Leon in Blade Runner. Gone but not forgotten.

[@Hand-crankedCamera]

There is not enough tribute to this actor out there, Brion remains one of my all time favorite!

[@CliffuckingBooth]

@@Hand-crankedCamera I agree! Also... Let me tell you about my mother...

[@UncleJackOnline]

He was also great in Flesh And Blood again with Rutger Hauer and is one of my all time favourite movies from that era

[@stonerwallsend9563]

I love this dude, he is one the greatest supporting actor's.

[@axhed]

when i was a kid, i thought he was the coolest villain ever in 'enemy mine' i would've loved to watch this guy for a couple more decades.

[@sotheresthat7882]

One of my favorite actors; I was very upset when he died.

[@mistersamdi]

same, I remember as a kid watching him in Southern Comfort

[@ronarprefect7709]

It makes me sad every time I see him on screen, though I enjoy his movies still. He was great friends with another of my favorite character actors-Tim Thomerson.

[@montylc2001]

Thank you for this video. I always liked his performances and recognized him in every role since the late 70's. His performance in the Fifth Element helped make the movie, as all did who were in it. But I never knew his name. Now I will never forget it. And I did not realize he had passed away, especially at a young age.

[@jeremymorrison263]

I love his part in the 5th Element. "We're not gonna fit!" and the following scream of agony always makes me giggle.

[@DoctorDave5]

I’ve always been more interested in good journeyman actors who turn in memorable performances than overhyped “stars”.

[@CodSlap]

These are the true, ’bread-and-butter’ professionals. Zero hype, just quality work.

[@DoctorDave5]

@ agreed 👍

[@gully45ikkyrus90]

1985 Brion was in a very quirky action comedy “Crimewave”, it was from a Coen brothers script. I think KZbin has it. It’s comedy gold Brion plays half of an exterminator duo,”we kill everything” the motto on their truck.

[@LurkingCrassZero]

Loved that movie, especially as a kid. Me and my brother would just about piss ourselves watching that.

[@NSGrendel]

Also contains Bruce Campbell (briefly) and is an early Sam Raimi movie. Quirky is a pretty good description - but it's got some fun energy, even if it isn't a very cohesive film. Good call about Brion - it's a great role and he shines.

[@peterjanssen5901]

Yeah, he and other character actor Paul L. Smith made a great duo. They were the hilight of the film.

[@lisetteeliseparis7070]

I love Brion James! His turn as the studio head in "The Player" was spot on.

[@andreaso8886]

I loved him as a actor. He was such a good bad guy. Loved him in Enemy Mine. Also loved his face. Always great to draw him. Such a great character face.

[@FormerlyNYVulgarian]

He was great as the jealous husband in Tales From The Crypt “Split Second”.

[@solidsnake3861]

dude looks scary and fun at the same time

[@PainInTheS]

Oh man, Brion James.....he's one of those treasures. Never in the lead, pops up in tons of movies and ALWAYS delivers, helping the 'big' guys shine. There are several of those guys. Damn fine actor, always a joy seeing him do his work. 👍

[@LTPottenger]

I believe Brion James is the guy in hat on right with mustache at 3:35 cheering on Charles Bronson in Hard Times.

[@bigfiretogetherforever5047]

That Nick Nolte punch to Eddie while taking a swig is legendary!

[@slayerstenis]

I always hated when he dies in one of my favorite movie Steel Dawn with Patrick Swayze

[@spladam3845]

I enjoyed this nostalgia. RP Legend. Liked and subbed.

[@societyofroodest.590ad9]

A great actor taken too soon. Rest in Peace, Brion.

[@Drunkenstein-v8v]

Always been the "Time to die" guy for me. Guys like these make movies believable

[@John-jl9de]

We all miss him and his acting chops.

[@Mpackcifier4]

He was in one of my favorite tales from the crypt episodes

[@Hand-crankedCamera]

Oh Yes, one of the first tales from the crypt that I came across was that one with Brion, ("Split Second" |S3 E11) creepy, entertaining, scarry and educational :D

[@johnr.7906]

"My wife does what?????"

[@mistersamdi]

that was a great episode

[@mm72213]

Blade runner and the fifth element Connection Confirmed 😊

[@SynthaTron-v1w]

Brion can turn small role into masterpiece, few minutes on screen and the movies is that much better!

[@TiberiusStJudge]

I was just watching the 5th Element and was talking about him.❤❤❤❤

[@pierrebenoit-j1q]

The man is in the same category as Brad Dourif ...a great compositional actor RIP

[@johnr.7906]

He was in a lot of great things and was always quality. RIP!!!

[@baronvonweed7002]

Many actors with great talent like Brion James never get that lead role but can still hold up a movie alone. Also Brions role in Walter Hills, Southern Comfort is worth mentioning. One of the best movies. Solid cast, solid done, solid music by Ry Cooder. Magic.

[@caincotterill5493]

What a brilliant video and subject👍🏻 great tribute to a great actor. Your right about how good he is, his small parts never stay small as he steals his scenes with amazing acting. Thank you for helping him shine and reminding us to appreciate him and others🫡🇬🇧

[@AtropalArbaal-dk8jv]

One of my favorite actors.

[@mbryson2899]

He always delivered whatever he was in. His performances in _Flesh + Blood_ and _Nemedis_ were real standouts.

[@kebul2000]

Brion James in blade runner classic

[@mattresbert]

Thank you very much ❤

[@ronarprefect7709]

"Bladerunner" is a great movie, and Brion James was as good as any other actor. It is shameful that they pay "character actors" so much less, as movies could not exist without them and many of them greatly boost the entertainment value of movies and television. Can you imagine movies existing without good character actors?

[@PS-hv7on]

A great tribute to an underrated professional.

[@bobbyologun1517]

^

[@whosaidthat84]

I'll always remember him as one of the Gruntsky brothers from The Wrong Guys. RIP to one of Hollywood's most underrated actors ever.

[@stephencurry8552]

I have seen so many films where the supposed secondary actor is the one who carried the scene and makes the film stand out.

[@shisno7914]

This showed up in my recommendations today. Cheers to you for a thoughtful vid on a great character actor. Subbed.

[@MrRocketleg]

General Munro! "I'm gonna take pictures..for archive.." LOL

[@cyrollan]

that was funny in '97. in today's world it's creepy.

[@Elerad]

One of my all time favorite supporting actors. Added something to every movie in which he appeared

[@InspiralJez]

thank you, what a lovely video!

[@markwilson185]

He was one of then best Thank you for sharing !

[@V3ntilator]

He had a lot of memorable roles and were always a great bad guy.

[@ronaldboyker2123]

So underappreciated was Brion James. One of my top ten favorite actors ever. Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies not just because of its great story and beautiful sets and visual effects, but it had four of my favorites, Harrison Ford (my all time favorite), Brion James, Joseph Turkel and Rutger Hauer. R.I.P. to Mr. Hauer, Mr. James and Mr. Turkel.

[@sblsbl7600]

He was one of my favorite character actors.

[@jesseregenauer630]

One of my favorite roles Brion James played was that of Max Jenke in the movie Horror Show. I miss seeing him in movies and always noticed him whenever he appeared in a film...

[@Erkonbaby]

Excellent choice. Subscribed.

[@Alzrad]

Yeah man! Nice work! My favorite has always been the logger’s wife story on Tales from the Crypt! Cheers 🍻

[@bobbygans1893]

yes. that was awesome

[@grene1955]

He elevated every show he was in, always memorable, and a great presence!

[@maghurt]

Nice, I love it when people like Brion James are cherished and remembered.

[@scottbrooks711]

This guy was a great supporting actor

[@greva2904]

4:19 Brion appearing with another unsung legend, Bo Hopkins, who effortlessly stole every single movie scene he ever appeared in!

[@Kyntteri]

"Wake up, time to die" My favorite quote from him.

[@exoterric]

A hero is defined by his villain. Thanks for being so good at playing bad.

[@CurCam713]

Brilliant character actor and one of my favorite villain characters. I first noticed him in Southern Comfort and Blade Runner. I once caught him on a Sally talk show in the 90s and he was there with one of the Coreys discussing recovery from cocaine addiction.

[@blockboygames5956]

Thank you for a beautiful and well researched video. And thank you for using your own voice too. It really adds authenticity and impact to the video. I am over the same 5 AI voices on so many videos.

[@Hand-crankedCamera]

Thank you! I may have to make another, much longer version in the future to cover all of Brion's work. This video was more of a compressed version, based on what Brion loved to talk about during interviews. As other people commented, too many films were kept out; however, it seems Brion's work is still in people's heart and another spin is definitely in the future projects list.

[@bmprose]

5th element is my most watched movie. I have probably watched it 100 times. In fact I rented it from a video store and did not return it for so long the owner just let me buy the copy of it (30bucks?) from him instead of the late fees (I think I was up to 50 bucks, this was late 90s money). Shoutout to Progressive Video in Lakeville, MN. I know you closed years and years ago but you did me right. Bless you and your family.

[@CWHardwick]

Love the channel, hope to see many more videos from you 🤘🏻💪🏻

[@Hand-crankedCamera]

Thank you!!

[@nightdevil6666]

Loved him in 5th Element :( hell i loved the whole cast but his character and chris's characters really brought solid comedic relief

[@skipper4126]

The man might not have been a super star but he is huge part of some of the most legendary movies ever made.

[@ariescustom]

Legend.

[@Lugnuts65]

He was cool as one of the swamp Cajuns in Southern Comfort.

[@13infbatt]

Forgot about that, that was a big enough part too.

[@gorman646]

The one-armed Cajun!

[@DealerD8vE]

"My friends ain't nice like me"

[@DukeCrespo]

Great actor. A real tough guy. I believe Iron Mike, from the game Days Gone, is inspired in Brion James, although I haven't been able to find anything about it.

[@warboats]

yo good shit shining the light on this guy, growing up in 90s i saw alot of him, rest in paradise

[@stevenparent7886]

He was a great actor always did an awesome job of playing a villain.

[@peterjanssen5901]

I still love him as Max Jenke in House III and one the crew mates in Cabin Boy. And it's always great when he did a more nasally voice.

[@r1too]

These Blade Runner clips look so good. Southern Comfort was another Brion James movie that was really good. He played a Cajun and spoke like one. In Another 48 hours. Keyhole, his character had a lot more scenes that were cut. He was pretty upset about that. Only 54. damn.

[@mikhailryzhov9419]

Wow, only now made the connection between his roles in the 5th Element and in the Blade Runner, both perfect.

[@89volvowithlazers]

Brion makes movies movies ya know actors like him make the films we love. Brion James u r a Boss🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@WhispersOfWind]

Few years back I more or less out of the blue started wondering about this actor and wanted to watch a movie with him. I really liked him in Blade Runner, a role I think he suited very well but also was familiar with him through a few other movies like Hudson Hawk (and others like Tango & Cash) but to my surprise is that I learned that he had passed away relatively early in his life and relatively early in modern Hollywood's "life", is that I thought it was really a pity but then again he has remained immortalized through the movies he did, some of them that were really good like aforementioned Blade Runner. In Blade Runner the villains really I think got a side of humanity that made one feel sorry for them and that is in no small amount due to the actor's and how they had portrait their roles. Brion James had a way to portray villains with a human side to them very well I think, even if it was just due to them being "quirky" or "funny" like comedic. After finding out that he had passed I realized I watched all the movies with him in them that I wanted to watch and felt a bit sad that there were no more movies with him in them that I could watch, but a lot of them he did he did them really well. Another person that also often played villains and I think much more scarier villains is Billy Drago, and I'm wondering if you'd care to make a video about him sometime because I feel that he as an actor also played very niche roles but very good ones in terms of being the bad guy and playing them particularly well and is also deserving of a video like this I think.

[@jironthunder7519]

I knew dude was a solid actor, i never realized how many movies he appeared in

[@achaerna.6662]

He's been on a list I maintain of supporting actors who remains memorable for me forever. Others on the list include Sven-Ole Thorsen, Al Leong, Daniel Bernhardt. If they're in a movie, I'm more interested.

[@chriscreighton1480]

His line in Red Heat has always stuck with me ............ " And i ain't telling you shit !" 😂

[@gguitteau]

“Let me tell you about my mother…” That’s a scene and face I always remembered about that movie.

[@johnnyrico6202]

The first B movie actor who's name i knee as a kid. Instant sub. Lance Hendrickson next please.

[@Hand-crankedCamera]

Thank you, Lance Hendrickson is definitely on the list (so many great actors that don't get enough spot light).

[@Piterdeveirs333]

I can remember the first thing I saw him in. It was an episode of Tales from the Crypt and it was about a bunch of loggers in the woods. His character was the boss and his wife cheated on him with the new guy. I have no memory of any of the other actors except him

[@theMonkeyMonkey]

What a great tribute.

[@Breacher1968]

10:47 that scene was awesome it always put a smile on my face.

[@Ridger1179]

The Fifth Element has a lot of the characters that are technically good guys but are played by actors often typecast as bad guys. James here as the General, of course, but also Ian Holm as Vito and Tommy Tiny Lister (friggin Deebo from Friday) as the President of the Earth. It was really cool to see. They all shined in that movie. Brought a lot of soul. I'll miss 'em.

[@thehellezell]

I love Brion James ... starred in one my favorite episodes of HBOs Tales from the Crypt

[@I_Love_my_adblock4408]

🙋🏾‍♂️ Al Leong and Brion James were two of the best character actors in the 80's.

[@eksit101]

My aunt went to school with him. Couple years older than my mom. My family has been in Beaumont for over 100 years.

[@mondomacabromajor5731]

Great bad guy .. i highly recommend the newly released 'Blade Runner White Dragon Cut 5' ... a brilliant re-edit of BladeRunner...

[@Palaemon44]

I was never able to look at a tortoise the same way again after watching him in Blade Runner.

[@richardsanchez5444]

Tango and Cash is such a fun movie.

[@ibanezleftyclub]

He is an absolute legend.

[@privateinformation2960]

i think the very earliest brion james quote i can remember would be "My mother? Let me tell you about my mother..."

[@ONEFATE9]

Leon : How many years do I have, blade runner? How many years? Rick Deckard: Fu.....four....years! Leon: More than you!!!!! R.I.P. Brion James. One of the greatest character actors of all time!!!!

[@RogueSabre]

I have 2 brothers, both signifactly older than me. We all love atction movies from the 80-90s somehow Brion became known as the "Slirpy Hungarian" god knows why. However he will always hold a place in our collective action movie loving hearts

[@janosbajusz4680]

He whas Hungaryan?

[@Adiscretefirm]

So weird looking back that Red Heat was a hit, and Blade Runner wasn't

[@pellganesh3681]

You skipped "Flesh and Blood" 1985. Directed by Paul Verhoeven with Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh, it's a great movie, and Brion James is a great character to watch.

[@jasonjohnson1690]

He was great, really liked him

[@anastasiosgkotzamanis5277]

I remember him from "Blade Runner", "Flesh and Blood" and as a great villain immortal in "Highlander The Series".

[@Johny40Se7en]

Brion James is sort of like the Sam Rockwell of supporting roles. May not win a (pointless) award like an oscar, but he brings something cool and worthwhile to the performances. His best performances will always be the over the top British accented villain in Tango & Cash, Streak in Red Heat, and the General in The Fifth Element.