English actor Theo James has only been an active actor for a little over a decade now, but he has taken the spotlight rather quickly as an early role in his career became his breakthrough role. He went to college for philosophy before training for acting, and originally began his career in several smaller roles, especially in television.
Once Divergent was released with James in one of the lead roles, his popularity skyrocketed and his career soared. He even performed his own stunts for the role, an impressive feat not every actor can manage. Now, he continues to further his career by starring in both TV shows and movies and remains a wanted star in Hollywood for many new projects to come. While we wait to see what the future has in store for James, we can look back on some of his best movie performances to date.
8 The Benefactor
The Benefactor is a drama centered around a small family. Francis Watts is a wealthy older man who is initially struggling with guilt. He feels responsible for the death of two of his friends who were married to each other. To try and help relieve these feelings, Watts tries to befriend their daughter and her husband, often with expensive gifts. However, he grows a little too attached to them and begins to meddle with their lives as if he could make up for past mistakes through them.
James plays Luke, the husband in this scenario, who often has to deal with Watts and his meddling. He really brings the role to life, both as a new devoted husband and as someone trying to deal with Watts as he struggles to heal. It’s an important role in this movie, and he brought his all to it.
7 Underworld: Awakening
The fourth installment of the Underworld series is Underworld: Awakening and continues the story of the vampire and werewolf war through the eyes of Selene. Set several years after the events of the second movie, Selene is able to escape from detainment after the humans had captured her. She soon discovers that she and her lycan lover had a hybrid daughter. However, it’s because of this that Selene isn’t really accepted back into the vampire world, and now has to face an even bigger threat than before in the form of an enhanced lycan.
James plays a vampire named David who escapes the prison facility along with Selene and her daughter and is integral to actually managing to get them away. He takes up a lead role in this movie too now that his character has been introduced, as he’s the only vampire who hasn’t turned their backs on Selene. This action-packed horror movie might not be for everyone, but seeing James act in this, whether he be sympathetic or fighting hard, is a real treat.
6 The Secret Scripture
Based on the novel of the same name, The Secret Scripture alternates between the end of the 20th century and the early years of World War II. Rose McNulty has lived in a mental hospital for 50 years after being accused of murdering her baby, but now it’s time to reevaluate to see if she can be released. Rose uses the pages of a nearby Bible to tell him her story as she wrote and drew in it what really happened in her life before she was locked away, claiming she never did murder her baby. The movie then brings these events to life as she tells them.
James plays Father Gaunt, a Catholic priest who has taken an interest in Rose after she moved into town. He’s the main antagonist of the story as he tries to fight for Rose’s affections and is more than just upset when she doesn't choose him. Though it’s not a position we see him in often, James does a great job at bringing the role to life and showing that he will not stop until he gets what he wants, and if he can’t get it, he’ll make sure no one can.
5 The Inbetweeners Movie
The Inbetweeners Movie is based on a sitcom of the same name, originally intended to be the end of the series. A group of friends just finished all of their A-levels and want to celebrate the end of their schooling with a "lads holiday." So, they leave England and travel to Crete, where things begin to go south very quickly. From meeting old friends and finding new girls that seem interested in them, the boys and their relationships quickly fluctuate as they make poor choices throughout the course of their vacation.
James plays a nearly antagonistic role in the movie as a man named James. This man is the current boyfriend of Carli, Simon’s ex that he didn’t expect to see on their vacation. Though not very prominent, there’s no denying that James fills the screen whenever he’s in sight, bringing the right kind of characteristics needed to be the bad boy boyfriend.
4 Divergent
It wouldn’t be a Theo James list without including Divergent, as it’s what kickstarted his career. Based on the young adult novel of the same name, the story takes place in a dystopian Chicago where everyone is divided into factions to help divide tasks and labor. Beatrice Prior has just come of age and is about to take part in the Choosing Ceremony, where she will be allowed to choose the faction she will spend the rest of her life with. It comes as a surprise to everyone when she leaves behind her peaceful Abnegation life to join the Dauntless instead. She gets swept up into ruthless training led by Four, and she has to fight for her life if she doesn’t want to be cast out and end up factionless.
James plays Four, the main character and love interest. He picks up the dark, brooding, and mysterious role well, staring off almost antagonistically before revealing that he did actually respect and even care for Tris this entire time, even if he didn’t show it.
3 War on Everyone
In War on Everyone, two corrupt police officers return to the force as their suspensions are over. This duo regularly extorts criminals for their money or their drugs as bribes and still continues this line of work now that they’ve returned. As they’re keeping an eye on local criminals they discover that one of them is planning a heist, and they hope to get some money out of it. They begin to contact some of his former associates in the search for him and his possessions, but what they don’t realize is that this wraps them up in a much larger scheme they had uncovered and begins to implicate them and threaten their jobs as it progresses.
James plays Lord James Mangan, a knighted businessman who was actually the real person behind the planning of the heist. He served as the movie’s antagonist, for as soon as he was informed that some cops were taking interest in his associates he made sure to send people after them to threaten them. Without James, Managan would have surely fallen flat, as he filled the role perfectly and really brought the movie together.
2 Archive
The sci-fi Archive had a limited release thanks to the pandemic but remains a powerful story nonetheless. George Almore is working on a human AI and is about to complete his latest prototype. He has personal reasons for doing this work that he’s kept a secret from his employers — he really just wants to try and bring his wife back after she died in a car crash.
Currently, her consciousness was stored in a device that he hoped to integrate into one of his robots so that he could have her back permanently again. It seems to become a race against time, however, as employees from the Archive keep watch over him and seem displeased as some of his progress seems to regress. James stars as Almore in this movie, the forlorn widower who just wants his love back. He brings such an emotional performance to the role that it’ll be hard to not watch this movie and have it tugging at your heartstrings by the end.
1 The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is an animated Netflix original set in the world of The Witcher. The story is set at the height of Vesemir’s prime days, showing him off as a cocky young witcher instead of the wise advisor we usually see him as. While Vesemir begins exploring the Continent now that he’s a fully-fledged witcher, he finds delight in slaying monsters and getting paid for it. However, danger of all kinds lurks in every corner, and he soon learns sometimes these jobs aren’t just about the money.
James lends his voice to Vesemir himself, bringing the cocky young adult to life in a great way. He helps convey the proper emotions needed for each scene well, and the character wouldn’t be the same without him.
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