# James Keane (actor)

James Keane (born September 26, 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.

## Early life and education

Keane was born in Buffalo, New York. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

## Career

Keane began his career in 1975, appearing in the film Three Days of the Condor playing a store clerk. Between acting jobs, he was an elevator operator at the Sherry-Netherland hotel in New York, where he met film director, Francis Ford Coppola. Keane thought that he might get a role in The Godfather Part II until he realized that shooting was to be in Sicily.
In 1978 Keane joined the cast of the new CBS drama television series The Paper Chase as the law student Willis Thomas Bell. He also appeared in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, and was hired to overdub some of Marlon Brando’s lines in the television miniseries of The Godfather. Keane appeared in the 1982 film 48 Hrs. (as Detective Van Zant, and the 1990 film Dick Tracy as Dick Tracy's second-in-command Pat Patton.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1975 | Three Days of the Condor | Store Clerk |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Radio Telescope Team |
| 1978 | Zero to Sixty | Girlie Bar Bartender |
| 1978 | Uncle Joe Shannon | Jeels |
| 1979 | Love and Bullets | Doctor |
| 1979 | Apocalypse Now | Kilgore's Gunner |
| 1979 | The Rose | Dealer |
| 1980 | Brubaker | Pinky |
| 1982 | Cannery Row | Eddie |
| 1982 | 48 Hrs. | Vanzant |
| 1983 | 10 to Midnight | Jerry |
| 1984 | Buckaroo Banzai | Duck Hunter Bubba |
| 1986 | Let's Get Harry | Al King |
| 1989 | New York Stories | Jimmy |
| 1990 | Dick Tracy | Pat Patton |
| 1991 | Talent for the Game | Ray Coffey |
| 1991 | The Last Boy Scout | Garage Patrolman |
| 1993 | Falling Down | Detective Keene |
| 1993 | Coneheads | Harv |
| 1995 | Murder in the First | Alcatraz Guard |
| 1995 | One Night Stand | Single Jim at Bar |
| 1995 | Angus | Coach |
| 1996 | Phenomenon | Pete the Cop |
| 1997 | Journey Beneath the Sea | Rick |
| 1997 | The Fanatics | Veteran Cop |
| 1998 | Bulworth | American Politics Director |
| 1998 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn 2 | Sam Burke |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Police Chief Dan |
| 1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn 3: The Ultimate Battle | Sam Burke |
| 2001 | Bill's Gun Shop | Delbert |
| 2002 | Don't Let Go | Wes |
| 2002 | Hey Arnold!: The Movie | Marty Green / Riot Cop |
| 2002 | Assassination Tango | Whitey |
| 2003 | The Low Budget Time Machine | Professor Staplejoy |
| 2003 | Seabiscuit | Car Customer |
| 2005 | Silent Partner | Senator Banner |
| 2008 | The Grift | Lost Traveler |
| 2009 | For Sale by Owner | Loman |
| 2009 | Crazy Heart | Manager |
| 2011 | Water for Elephants | Chaplain |
| 2014 | Miss Meadows | Father Peter |
| 2016 | Rules Don't Apply | Tom |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Intimate Strangers | Rusty Fenton | Television film |
| 1977 | Sunshine Christmas | Hugh Bob | Television film |
| 1978 | Night Cries | Charlie | Television film |
| 1978–1986 | The Paper Chase | Willis Bell | 58 episodes |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | Night Dispatcher | Episode: "Part III" |
| 1979 | Ike | Corporal | Episode: "Part I" |
| 1979 | M*A*S*H | Cpl. Shaw | Episode: "Mr. and Mrs. Who?" |
| 1980 | Great Performances | Mr. Ealer | Episode: "Life on the Mississippi" |
| 1981 | Hart to Hart | Carl | Episode: "Harts Under Glass" |
| 1982 | The Ambush Murders | Lambert | Television film |
| 1982 | Pray TV | Fats | Television film |
| 1982 | In Security | Rudy DeMayo | Television film |
| 1982 | St. Elsewhere | Lawyer | Episode: "Legionnaires: Part 1" |
| 1983 | The Optimist | The Father | Episode: "Kid's Stuff" |
| 1986 | Hill Street Blues | Officer James Sanders | Episode: "I Come on My Knees: |
| 1987 | What's Happening Now!! | Jake | Episode: "Opening Day" |
| 1987, 1989 | The Tracey Ullman Show | Scott Supinger / Alan | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Throb | Mark | Episode: "Only the Lonely" |
| 1989 | Mancuso, F.B.I. | Morrie | Episode: "Little Saigon" |
| 1990, 1991 | Designing Women | Wildman #1 / Loud Tourist | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Get a Life | Uncle Milt | Episode: "Chris vs. Donald" |
| 1992 | Evening Shade | Charlie | Episode: "The Perfect Birthday Party, Sort Of" |
| 1992, 1994 | Love & War | Husband / Man at Bar | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Jack's Place | Milt | Episode: "Faithful Henry" |
| 1993, 1996 | Murphy Brown | Burrito Buddy | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Diagnosis: Murder | Man | Episode: "Lily" |
| 1994 | Days of Our Lives | Flower Store Clerk | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Weird Science | Policeman | Episode: "Lucky Suit" |
| 1995 | Letter to My Killer | Ray | Television film |
| 1995 | Runway One | 2nd Man | Television film |
| 1995 | ER | Workman | Episode: "Welcome Back Carter!" |
| 1995 | Here Come the Munsters | Maitre d' | Television film |
| 1996–2000 | Hey Arnold! | Various voices | 14 episodes |
| 1997 | Spicy City | Lem / Flaxson | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Don King: Only in America | Reporter #3 | Television film |
| 1997–1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Sam Burke / Tony Twist | 17 episodes |
| 1998 | Timecop | Sheriff | Episode: "Alternate World" |
| 2000 | M.Y.O.B. | Principal Turk | Episode: "Bad Seed" |
| 2000–2004 | 7th Heaven | Pete | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | The West Wing | Registrar of Voters | Episode: "Hartsfield's Landing" |
| 2002 | NYPD Blue | Noel Thomas | Episode: "Guns & Hoses" |
| 2002 | The Practice | Michael Hallbrenner | Episode: "Of Thee I Sing" |
| 2003 | Becker | Mr. Loman | Episode: "Spontaneous Combustion" |
| 2005 | Annie's Point | Doug Gordon | Television film |
| 2005 | Everybody Hates Chris | Boss | Episode: "Everybody Hates Sausage" |
| 2005 | Close to Home | Fred Martins | Episode: "Baseball Murder" |
| 2006 | Hidden Places | Mr. Jennings | Television film |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Joe Gordon | Episode: "Son of the Defender" |
| 2007 | Mad Men | Night Manager | Episode: "The Wheel" |
| 2007 | Without a Trace | Dick Garver | Episode: "Run" |
| 2008 | October Road | Sully | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | A Gunfighter's Pledge | Preacher | Television film |
| 2010 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | George Anderson | Episode: "Neverland" |
| 2011 | The Protector | Eddie | Episode: "Affairs" |
| 2011 | Love's Christmas Journey | Mr. Peters | Television film |
| 2012 | Harry's Law | Joshua | Episode: "Class War" |
| 2013 | Raising Hope | Doctor Walters | Episode: "Hi-Def" |
| 2013, 2014 | Betrayal | Lou Mrozek | 2 episodes |