Life and Career
He was born September 16, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois to David James and Mary Galloway James. He has five siblings.
He is best known for playing Raymond Parks, husband of Rosa Parks, in the 2002 TV movie The Rosa Parks Story; for a recurring role as Judge Kevin Beck on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; and for playing Jahfree Neema in the HBO television series Oz. Some of his most recent works include The Messenger, as Dr. Grosso, The Rebound, playing a doctor, and The Pack (starring Lucie Arnaz), as Marc Forrest.
His acting career began in 1979, when he appeared in a version of Shakespear's Coriolanus, starring Denzel Washington, Earle Hyman, and Morgan Freeman.
Peter has appeared in TV shows such as Gossip Girl, Law & Order: Criminal Intent (as Mr. Richmond), Law & Order (as Judge John Laramie), Double Platinum, and Third Watch.
He was in a 1982 TV movie version of Long Day's Journey Into Night (starring Earle Hyman). In 1990 he was in a TV movie version of Hamlet, directed by Kevin Kline. He played Thurgood Marshall in 1993 movie "The American Experience" Simple Justice, and he played Isaac Coles in the 1998 television miniseries The Wedding (starring Halle Berry and Lynn Whitfield). In 2003, he took on the role of Clayton Boudreau on the daytime drama Guiding Light, a role he played until early 2004. In 2006, he returned for a single episode. In 2009, James returned to Guiding Light on a recurring basis.
He played the voice of Dr. J.S. Steinman in the videogame BioShock, a game by Ken Levine. He has played in many minor role in films, such as appearing in movies like Joe Gould's Secret and Montana.
He was the reader for the Recorded Books edition of Richard Wright's Native Son. The following biographical material appears on the 2000 audiobook of Mr James's recording of Walter Mosley's "Walking the Dog".
"Narrator Peter Francis James began his recording career by working on Jacques Cousteau films. He has done the voice-overs and narration on all Cousteau projects distributed in the English-speaking world, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and South Africa. Whether he is narrating rollicking children's books, romances, or gripping sagas, Peter Francis James's melodic, reassuring voice turns these works into marvels of language and images. "Library Journal" praises his ability to make the printed page sing. 'James creates a piece of chamber music out of the subtly varying cadences of Southern Black speech.'"
He was a featured player in Regina Taylor's play Drowning Crow, at the Manhattan Theatre Club.
Peter teaches drama at Yale University.
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