Just saw Blade Runner: The Final Cut (fantastic BTW) and clicked on Brion's name from the Blade Runner site to see what
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Max06 — 15 years ago(October 25, 2010 08:01 PM)
There's a very good 1995 interview with Brion James from Psychotronic Video.com in which he discusses his childhood growing up with movies, early acting days, playing villains, his long-term alcohol and drug use, and eventual sobriety unfortunately too late for his body:
http://www.psychotronic.com/site/brion_james -
tiptoesan — 15 years ago(November 15, 2010 03:53 AM)
Guilty. Watched Steel Dawn this morning (don't judge me!!! LMAO) and was wondering what Brion had done lately only to discover what everyone else in here apparently found out the same way I just did. I hate to stereotype actors that I really like, but Brion will always be Leon from Blade Runner. The intensity that he brought to that role carried through every performance he did thereafter whether it be something a bit more comical such at The Fifth Element or as Max Jenke in The Horror Show. I'm saddened that I didn't know sooner because he truly was one of my favorites. I'm gladdened to see that all you guys felt the same way that I do about him. It's a bit late but rest in peace Leon
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RikerDonegal — 14 years ago(May 10, 2011 04:51 PM)
Same as everyone else, I'm surprised and saddened to find he had passed away.
Just watched his episode of The Sentinel tonight. He was typically great as a psycho.
But, from all his roles, my favourite is his second episode of Sledge Hammer. So funny, so different to how we usually see him. It really stuck in my mind.
https://www.facebook.com/ABriefingWithMichael -
Jraq4202 — 14 years ago(June 15, 2011 04:33 PM)
damn, this thread is 4 years old and just found out he passed away today! I also didnt know he grew up in Beaumont, CA which is where I live now. Crazy stuff. I didnt think anyone did anything remotely big at all coming out of this town.
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stentor7 — 14 years ago(September 15, 2011 08:16 PM)
I had just moved back to Los Angeles after graduating from UC Berkeley, and my roommate at the time was an actor who knew Brion. So he told me he was going to a friend's funeral. I asked him who it was, and when he told me, I insisted on going too. I was struck dumb because I had known Brion from his roles in Blade Runner, Enemy Mine, and The Fifth Element. I couldn't believe how many famous actors I saw at his memorial service. Tim Robbins was there with his wife Susan Sarandon, Bruce Willis was there with Demi Moore, I saw Mark Hamill on the other side of the room, Dean Stockwell, Milla Jov5b4ovich was sitting next to Bruce, Greta Scacchi, Harrison Ford was there with his wife, Lou Gossett was there, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid was there with Meg Ryan, Joanna Cassidy, Rutger Hauer, Whoopi Goldberg, Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone, Peter Boyle, Gary Oldman, Gina Gershon, Brian-Doyle Murray, Ian Holm, Vincent D'Onofrio (whom I actually had met before and I gave a dirty look to because of the way he treated a director friend of mine an his wife when he was in their movie with Gregory Hines), Chris Elliot, Jim Gammon, Nick Nolte, Arnold Shwarzenegger, Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Darryl Hannah, Mathieu Kassovitz, Bernie Casey, Tiny Lister, Sidney Pollack was there with his brother Bernie, Larry Fishburne, Jim Belushi, Jane Kaczmarek was there with her husband Brad Whitford, Melanie Griffith was there with her husband Antonio Banderas, Jack Nicholson was hanging out in the back of the room with sunglasses on, I think he was crying, Angelica Huston was there standing next to him with her arm around him hugging him. I was just agog at how many faces I recognized. There were a lot of people there who remembered working with Brion. Tim Thomerson was there sitting up in the first row, he was also wearing sunglasses, he also looked like he'd been crying.
My roommate and I sat down next to Sean Young. There were a lot of faces I recognized but couldn't put a name to. The only reason I got into that memor1c84ial service at all was because I was with my roommate who had been on the admission list and was allowed to bring a guest. It was so weird because with that many industry insiders in the room, the atmosphere was markedly different. There were no photographers or papparazzi outside, it was like they didn't know about it at all. I'll never forget that memorial service.