James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys". In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
In his first performing role, Cagney danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of the 1919 revue Every Sailor. He spent several years in vaudeville as a hoofer and comedian until his first ma
In 1938, he received his first Academy Award Best Actor nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for 20 years in 1961, spending time on his farm before returning for a part in Ragtime mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke.
Cagney walked out on Warners several times over his career, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. In 1935, he sued Warners for breach of contract and won; this marked one of the first times an actor had beaten a studio over a contract issue. He worked for an independent film company for a year while the suit was settled, and also established his own production company, Cagney Productions, in 1942 before returning to Warners again four years later. Jack Warner called him "The Professional Againster", in reference to Cagney’s refusal to be pushed around. Cagney also made numerous morale-boosting troop tours before and during World War II, and was President of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.
Born
Jul 17, 1899
New York City, New York, USA
Died
Mar 30, 1986
Known For
Acting
Movies
130 acting
2 crew
Popularity
1.1
Known For
White Heat
1949
as Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
Mutiny on the Bounty
1935
as (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
1939
as Eddie Bartlett
One, Two, Three
1961
as C.R. MacNamara
Mister Roberts
1955
as Captain Morton
The Public Enemy
1931
as Tom Powers
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982
as (in "White Heat") (archive footage)
Ragtime
1981
as New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
Footlight Parade
1933
as Chester Kent
Tupac: Resurrection
2003
as Self (archival)
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