James Woods' filmography is as impressive as that of any other Hollywood legend. He made a name for himself with a brilliant performance in the 1979 crime drama, The Onion Field in what was his ninth big-screen credit. Over the following three decades, he went on to establish a consistent and stellar career that saw him star in dozens of films and TV shows.He also bagged multiple award nominations, out of which he managed to claim three Primetime Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Film in 1986.So, what exactly happened to derail the career of such a seasoned performer to the extent that he has almost completely vanished from our screens?
Updated on December 27, 2022: James Woods has not been hired for an acting job since a voice acting gig in 2019 for the Kingdom Hearts III video game, but that hasn't stopped him from speaking his mind. The far-right actor has been getting increasingly upset at Twitter for being the target of much censorship. When addressing this conflict on Fox News earlier this December, Woods stated, "I will be getting a lawyer. I will be suing the Democratic National Committee no matter what."
James Woods Was Dropped By His Agent For 'Patriotic' Reasons
On July 4th, 2018, Woods apparently received an email from his agent, informing the actor that he was dropping him as a client due to "patriotic" reasons. With the caption, "So this email from my agent (a political liberal) today…," Woods shared an image of the communiqué on his Twitter account the following day.
The email read, "It’s the 4th of July and I’m feeling patriotic. I don’t want to represent you anymore. I mean I could go on a rant but you know what I’d say." Woods was of course quick to offer a riposte to the message.
He wrote, "My response: Dear Ken, I don’t actually [know what his agent would say]. I was thinking if you’re feeling patriotic, you would appreciate free speech and one’s right to think as an individual. Be that as it may, I want to thank you for all your hard work and devotion on my behalf. Be well."
Woods' agent, Ken Kaplan, had of course been referencing the actor's frequent and fervent support for then-President Donald Trump, something which generally did not go down well in Hollywood circles.
The End Of A Previously Fruitful Relationship Between James Woods & His Agency
That exchange on Twitter marked the end of what had been a previously fruitful relationship between Woods and Kaplan's Gersh Agency. Gersh is one of the leading talent agencies in Hollywood, with top-tier names such as Kristen Stewart, Adam Driver, and Patricia Arquette under their banner.
A number of Twitter users reacted gleefully to the news, implying that Woods was not being persecuted but only reaping what he had sowed. "For the record, Woods didn’t lose his agent because he’s conservative. He didn’t lose his agent because he can’t make money anymore, or because he isn’t a good actor. He lost his agent because no one wants to work with virulent racist a***oles," one tweet read.
Media strategist and activist April Reign wrote, "Good morning to James Woods’ agent. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences, Jimmy." Writer Gary Legum also chipped in: "The problem for James Woods whining that his agent dropped him for being conservative is that there's such a fine line between his outspoken conservatism and just plain old being an a**hole."
James Woods Is Not The First Conservative In Hollywood
Woods is definitely not the first conservative in Hollywood, nor is he even the most controversial. Jon Voight, father to Angelina Jolie and accomplished actor in his own right, is an outspoken Trump supporter who often records very partisan political videos and posts them on his social media accounts.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was of course Republican governor for the state of California for a period of seven years. Clint Eastwood and Melissa Joan Hart are also very open about their leaning towards the right. In more recent times, Caitlyn Jenner is attempting to repeat the Schwarzenegger trick by running for California governor on a conservative ticket.
While all these celebrities have come under varying degrees of fire for their political views, none has really faced as dire career consequences as Woods has. With no meaningful roles for the actor in years, one would imagine he would have slowed down on all the political rhetoric for a while.
Conversely, Woods has been trying to get Donald Trump re-elected and for Joe Biden to resign. In May 2020, Woods tweeted: "Let’s face it. Donald Trump is a rough individual. He is vain, insensitive and raw. But he loves America more than any President in my lifetime. He is the last firewall between us and this cesspool called Washington. I’ll take him any day over any of these bums."