fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

James Keane (born September 26,[1] 1952) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the role of "Willis Thomas Bell" in the American drama television series The Paper Chase.[2]

James Keane
Born	(1952-09-26) September 26, 1952 (age 69) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	American Academy of Dramatic Arts Harvard Law School
Occupation	Film and television actor
Years active	1975–2016

Life and career

Keane was born in Buffalo, New York.[3] He was an elevator operator at the Sherry-Netherland hotel in New York, with also attending at American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Harvard Law School.[4] Keane began his career in 1975, as appearing in the film Three Days of the Condor, where he played the role of the "Store Clerk". When he worked as an elevator operator, Keane met film director, Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was working on the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, which the film starred Al Pacino.[4]

Keane thought that he would have a role in The Godfather Part II, as he then noticed that Coppola went to the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea called Sicily.[4] In 1978, he joined the cast of the new CBS drama television series The Paper Chase, where Keane played the role of "Willis Thomas Bell".[4] He also appeared in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, with also dubbing the actor, Marlon Brando in the television miniseries of The Godfather.[4] Keane then appeared in the 1982 film 48 Hrs. (as "Detective Van Zant"). In 1983, he appeared in The Optimist, a dialogue-free comedy television series. In the 1990 film Dick Tracy, where Keane had played the role as Dick Tracy's closest associate and second-in-command "Pat Patton".[3]

Keane was asked by film director, Steven Spielberg, if he was interested in being cast on the television series Roseanne, in which his role was similar to John Goodman.[3] Keane didn't answer.[3] He retired his career in 2016, as his credit was from the film Rules Don't Apply.

References

External links

• James Keane at IMDb
• James Keane at the TCM Movie Database
• James Keane at AllMovie
• Rotten Tomatoes profile

---