James Woods’ filmography rivals that of any other Hollywood legend in terms of quality. He gained notoriety for his outstanding performance in The Onion Field, a 1979 murder drama, which was his tenth appearance on the big screen. He continued to build a steady and successful career over the next three decades, appearing as a lead in numerous movies and TV shows.
He had numerous nominations for awards, and in 1986, he won three Primetime Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Film.
What specifically occurred to sabotage the career of such a seasoned artist to the point where he has virtually disappeared from our screens?
James Woods hasn’t had a role as an actor since he was hired as a voice actor for the Kingdom Hearts III video game in 2019, but that hasn’t prevented him from voicing his opinions. The far-right actor has grown more and more irate with Twitter for being heavily censored. In an interview with Fox News in early December, Woods discussed this disagreement and said, “I’m going to hire a lawyer. Whatever happens, I’m going to sue the Democratic National Committee.”
Woods reportedly received an email from his agency on July 4th, 2018, alerting the actor that he was abandoning him as a client for “patriotic” motives. “So this email from my agent (a political liberal) today,” the caption reads. The following day, Woods posted a picture of the communiqué to his Twitter page.
The message stated, “On this Fourth of July, I’m feeling really patriotic. I no longer want to be your advocate. I suppose I could rant, but you already know what I’d say.” Naturally, Woods responded to the message with a riposte right away.
He noted: “Dear Ken, I truly don’t [know what his agency would say] I had the impression that if you were feeling patriotic, you would value the freedom of expression and the right to have an independent mind. Whatever the case, I want to express my gratitude for all of your efforts and dedication on my behalf. Good luck.”
Naturally, Woods’ agent, Ken Kaplan, was alluding to the actor’s vocal and frequent backing of then-President Donald Trump, which was highly unpopular in Hollywood.
The partnership between Woods and Kaplan’s Gersh Agency, which had been successful in the past, came to an end after that Twitter argument. Hollywood’s biggest names including Kristen Stewart, Adam Driver, and Patricia Arquette are represented by Gersh, one of the industry’s top talent agencies.
Many Twitter users responded to the news with joy, suggesting that Woods was not being victimized and was simply getting what he had sown. “Just so everyone knows, Woods didn’t lose his agency because he’s liberal. He didn’t lose his agent due to his inability to get work or because he isn’t a talented actor. No one wants to work with virulently racist a***oles, therefore he lost his agent “read one tweet.
April Reign, a media activist and strategist, wrote: “Hello, agent for James Woods. Jimmy, having a free speech right does not mean you are immune from punishment.” The issue with James Woods complaining that his agency fired him because he is a conservative is that there is a thin line between his vocal conservatism and just being an a**hole, according to author Gary Legum.
Woods is undoubtedly not the first or perhaps the most controversial conservative in Hollywood. Jon Voight, the father of Angelina Jolie and a successful actor in his own right, is a vocal fan of Donald Trump and frequently publishes extremely passionate political films on his social media pages.
Of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger served as California’s Republican governor for seven years. Melissa Joan Hart and Clint Eastwood are both quite forthright about their political leanings. More recently, Caitlyn Jenner is trying to pull off the Schwarzenegger ruse by campaigning for governor of California on a conservative platform.
Although all of these public figures have faced criticism for their political opinions to varied degrees, only Woods has actually experienced the kind of severe career ramifications that Woods has. One would think the actor would have calmed down on all the political talk for a while because he hasn’t had any significant parts in years.
In contrast, Woods has worked to remove Joe Biden from office and secure Donald Trump’s reelection. Woods tweeted in May 2020: “Let’s be honest. Donald Trump is a violent person. He is conceited, callous, and raw. But compared to other presidents in my lifetime, he loves America more. He is the last line of defense separating us from this Washington filth. Over any of these scumbags, I’ll pick him every time.”
