English actor Theo James began acting in 2010 with a few small roles, including a part in the television miniseries A Perfect Woman. He also made a minor appearance in Season 1, Episode 3 of Downton Abbey as Kamal Pamuk. His career continued to flourish with roles in Bedlam, Room at the Top, and Golden Boy. James is most well known for his role as Tobias “Four” Eaton in the Divergent film series. He is also known for his role as David in two films in the Underworld franchise and for playing Will Younger in the Netflix film How It Ends.
In 2018, James began starring as the English voice dub of Hector in the anime Castlevania. More recently, the actor has starred in television shows: in Sanditon as Sidney Parker and in The Time Traveler’s Wife as Henry DeTamble. James has had multiple awards nominations and four wins so far in his career. Next, he is also scheduled to appear as Captain Henry Ossory in the 2022 Mr. Malcolm’s List, a historical drama film based on the book of the same name by Suzanne Allain, as reported by Deadline. Here’s a look at Theo James’ greatest performances.
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7 Castlevania
Netflix
Castlevania is an anime based on a well-known video game franchise. The show centers on Trevor Belmont, along with a crew of oddball companions, as he battles Vlad Dracula Tepes to prevent the annihilation of Eastern Europe. One of Dracula’s two human generals in his army, Hector is voiced by James. Hector is a forge master who summons demons from Hell into dead bodies. He also raises people and animals from the dead with a hammer. The freshly created monsters can then be enlisted in Dracula’s army and be devoted to Hector’s ambitions.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Bedlam
Sky Living Network
Bedlam is a 2011 British supernatural drama television series. The “Bedlam Heights” apartment complex, which was originally a mental hospital, and the paranormal phenomena occurring there were the main subjects of the television show. James’ character, Jed Harper, has the capacity to see spirits that are typically invisible to others and has visions of their deaths. Jed must ascertain the spirits’ motivations and prevent their schemes because the hauntings are mostly malicious. The show is similar in some ways to Ghost Whisperer, but takes a different view on the supernatural world, and James does an excellent job of portraying the abilities of his character.
5 Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British historical drama television series set in the early-20th Century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes, which has maintained its popularity over the years. The Crawley family’s Edwardian country home serves as the setting for Downton Abbey, which follows the lives of the family and their servants. James guest-stars as Kamal Pamuk, the son of one of the Turkish Sultan’s ministers. He traveled to London to attend a meeting aimed at establishing an independent Albania, but sadly passed away in the bed of Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery).
4 The Time Traveler’s Wife
HBO Max
While the newest adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife has fallen flat in critics’ eyes, per Rotten Tomatoes, James gives a solid performance as Henry DeTamble. The HBO Max series is based on the book of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger, which was previously adapted into a movie in 2009. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a love story centered on Henry, a man with a genetic condition that enables him to time travel unpredictably, and his wife Clare (Rose Leslie), an artist who must contend with his frequent absences. James told Entertainment Weekly, “He’s thrown out of time, and it expends a lot of energy. It depletes him. It’s an affliction, an illness that he has to deal with. I always felt like it’s an epileptic fit times 100, where it’s a real shock to his body.”
3 Underworld
Screen Gems
The Underworld franchise contains five films released over 14 years. James stars as a vampire named David in both Underworld: Awakening (2012) and Underworld: Blood Wars (2017). David is Selene’s (Kate Beckinsale) ally throughout both films and helps her navigate the war between the Vampires and Lycans, including how her own personal life fits into that ideal. James’ portrayal of David is unique in that he seems to really care about Selene as a friend and not just an ally, while other vampires working with her have been shown to have less of an emotional connection.
2 Divergent
Lionsgate Films
The Divergent series is probably what James is most well known for. He played Tobias Eaton a.k.a. Four, in the YA dystopian science fiction action films Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant. The films, based on the book series by Veronica Roth, tell the story of Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley) whose society houses five different factions. Each person must select a faction as they reach adulthood and make a lifelong commitment to it. Tris picks the Dauntless, those who put bravery first, where she meets and eventually falls in love with Four, all while fighting for their future. Tris learns during her initiation that she is actually a Divergent and will never be able to identify with any one faction. James’ take on Four is almost exactly what comes to mind when reading the books. He does a wonderful job of bringing the character to life and portraying his caring stoicism. The final book Allegiant was split into two movies, Allegiant and Ascendant, but per Buzzfeed News, the final movie was never completed, and the film series never fully tells Tris and Four’s story.
1 How It Ends
How It Ends is one of those films you have to see to believe. How It Ends, a Netflix story, tells what happens to Will Younger and Samantha Sutherland (James and Kat Graham) when a seismic incident off the West Coast, which has interfered with communications and electricity, keeps Will separated from a pregnant Sam. Sam’s father Tom (Forest Whitaker) and Will travel across the USA to return to Sam and make sure she is safe. Their harrowing journey changes everything about life as they knew it. Without giving anything away, the best part of the film is literally how it ends and the irony of the title is something everyone should experience.
