Big Bad James

As an actor, Brion James has died a thousand deaths.

“This is the first sequel I’ve ever been in, because I rarely live through a film,” notes James, who currently co-stars in “Another 48 HRS.,” which opened yesterday.

James, who plays Nick Nolte’s partner in the Paramount action/comedy, is almost always cast as a bad guy--consequently, he says, “I’ve been boiled in oil, I’ve had my head ripped off by a freeway overpass, I’ve been thrown off a cliff. . . . I’ve killed a lot of people too.”

Other actors might complain of being typecast, but James--who has had wicked roles in such films as “Blade Runner,” “Southern Comfort,” and “Tango and Cash”--claims that he has been afforded infinite variety. “I play a lot of different villains,” he says. “I also specialize in dialects,” he adds, breaking into a thick patois: “You tok like thees for Czechoslovakian,” and slides from there into Cockney, proper English, an Arkansas twang and a Texas drawl. “It’s great to be able to change your look and the way you speak,” he finishes, in his normal voice.

While some have argued that screen violence eventually makes viewers more violent themselves, James disagrees. “I don’t know if you can ever get anesthetized to violence,” he says. “Film reflects society, society does not reflect film. If you see violence on film, and you see that it doesn’t pay off, it’s a moral lesson. The good guy almost always wins.”

Despite his affinity toward villains, James’ ideal role would be “the last remake of the Hunchback of Notre Dame--a great empathetic role”--but a character, nevertheless, who meets his peril by falling from a tower.

As for James’ fate in “Another 48 HRS.,” well, he’s not telling.--L. L.