James Cromwell

Born in Los Angeles, California, James Cromwell was adopted by actress Kay Johnson and actor John Cromwell, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He was educated at The Hill School, Middlebury College and Carnegie Institute of Technology, studying engineering before being drawn to the theater, drawing inspiration from Shakespeare and experimental plays like his parents. A longtime advocate of leftist causes, Cromwell spoke out against the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration in an interview, criticizing their foreign policy as potentially destructive. Following a childhood experience witnessing a stockyard in Texas, he adopted a vegetarian lifestyle in 1974, becoming an ethical vegan while portraying Farmer Hoggett in the movie Babe.