James Woods has astounded movie fans with his dark portrayals of villains as well as some sympathetic roles. Finding success on Broadway, he quickly made his name known in films and TV beginning in the 1970s.
His movies include “Once Upon a Time in America,” “Casino,” “Videodrome,” and “Against All Odds.” He’s even lent his voice to popular animated shows like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.”
Lately, he’s voiced his conservative views on Twitter in controversial posts that people either love or love to hate. But it's no matter to Woods; he's said that he doesn’t care if he can’t find work in liberal Hollywood again.
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Here are five things you didn't know about James Woods:
1. He’s one smart guy — Woods was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He reportedly has an IQ of 180, according to CBS News. He majored in political science, but left MIT before graduating to pursue an acting career, Time reported.
2. He may have witnessed a 9/11 dry run — Woods reported four suspicious airline passengers to the FBI about a month before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The actor was on a cross-country flight from Boston to Los Angeles when he noticed four men who appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin acting "oddly."
"None of them had anything to eat or drink, nor did they read, sleep, or appear to make themselves comfortable. They sat erect in their seats and stared straight ahead, saying nothing to flight attendants and speaking to each other only in inaudible tones," ABC News reported of the incident.
Woods went on to become a proponent of the war on terror. In fact, his Twitter bio reads, "Time to start fighting back..."
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3. He nearly got busted for gambling as a little kid — At about age 5 or 6, Woods was living in a small Illinois town. His mother and grandmother would take him along to the local bookies where people were betting on horses. One time, a place they were in got raided by police, but young James got away when his grandmother took him down the fire escape, he told ESPN.
4. Woods is a great poker player — Not surprisingly, he turned that childhood experience into a successful hobby. He has competed in such poker tournaments as the Bellagio World Poker Tour Championship and the World Poker Tour LA Poker Classic.
5. He’s a three-time Emmy Award winner — Although nominated many times for Academy Awards and Golden Globes, Woods has scored best actor Emmys for “My Name Is Bill W.” in 1989 and “Promise” in 1986. He also won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2000 for outstanding performer in an animated program as Hades in “Hercules."
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