James Brown

Characters played by James Brown

The Godfather of Soul — Rocky IV (1985)

Musical performer at Apollo's entrance.

Cleophus James — Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)

Former drummer and mentor figure who helps Elwood rebuild the band in the sequel.

Self — Undercover Brother (2002)

A briefly credited self-portrayal with no substantial character details established in the available plot summary.

Career Overview

James Brown has 90 screen credits in a career dating back to 1961. Their work spans 4 cinematic universes — most prominently The Blues Brothers with 2 titles. Signature works include The Blues Brothers, James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston, Soul Power. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For: Acting
Gender: male
Known Credits: 90
Birth Date: 1933-05-03
Birth Place: Barnwell, South Carolina, USA

Known For

Associated Universes

Universe traveler — spans 4 universes

The Blues Brothers (2 titles)
Undercover Brother Collection (1 titles)
Rocky (1 titles)
Tommy Gibbs Collection (1 titles)

Frequent Collaborators

Muhammad Ali (3 collaborations)
B.B. King (2 collaborations)
Don King (2 collaborations)
Lola Love (2 collaborations)
Miriam Makeba (2 collaborations)
George Plimpton (2 collaborations)
Dan Aykroyd (1 collaborations)
John Belushi (1 collaborations)
Cab Calloway (1 collaborations)
Ray Charles (1 collaborations)

Credits

actors (84 credits)
- Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2026
- The Godfather of Soul
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2026
- Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2025
- Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2023
- Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2022
- Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2021
- Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2021
- Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go!
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2021
- The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
  (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2020
- Africa Rising
  Self - Musician (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2019
- The Apollo
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2019
- Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
  Self - Singer (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2019
- 1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2018
- Andy Warhol, Fluorescent
  (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2016
- A Tale of James Brown
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2016
- The Story of Funk: One Nation Under a Groove
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2014
- James Brown - The Man, The Music & The Message
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2014
- Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2014
- Finding the Funk
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2014
- Madam Secretary
  
  - The Dissent Memo (2016) ... James Brown actor actors
  
  2014
- Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2013
- Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2012
- The Real Rocky
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2011
- Soul Power
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2009
- Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2009
- James Brown Live At The Boston Garden - April 5, 1968
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- James Brown Live At The Apollo '68
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- Pavarotti The Duets
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2008
- James Brown: Living in America
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2007
- The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1977
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2007
- George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2006
- Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' World Cup Party
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2006
- Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2006
- Live 8
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2005
- Robots
  Diesel (archive footage) (uncredited)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2005
- Rock 'N' Roll Forever: Ed Sullivan's Greatest Hits
  Self (archive)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2005
- James Brown: Live
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2004
- James Brown: Body Heat
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2004
- Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Soul Years
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2004
- TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2004
- James Brown: Soul Survivor
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2003
- James Brown - Live at Chastain Park Atlanta 1980
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2003
- Paper Chasers
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2003
- The Giants of Black Music
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2003
- Beat the Devil
  Mr. James Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- The Tuxedo
  James Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- Undercover Brother
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- It's Black Entertainment
  Self (archive footage)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2001
- The UB40: Story of Reggae
  Drummer
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2001
- James Brown: Live From The House Of Blues
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1999
- Holy Man
  James Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1998
- Blues Brothers 2000
  Cleophus James
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1998
- Soulmates
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1997
- The View
  
  - Ferguson/Brown (2005) ... Self actor actors
  
  1997
- When We Were Kings
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1996
- Cincinnati's Rock 'N Roll Legends
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- Duckman
  
  - Kidney, Popsicle, and Nuts (1997) ... Hostage Negotiator (voice) actor actors
  
  1994
- RapLine
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1993
- A Party For Richard Pryor
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1991
- James Brown Live in Berlin
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1991
- The Lost James Brown Tapes
  Vocals
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1991
- Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
  James Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1989
- The Simpsons
  
  - Bart's Inner Child (1993) ... James Brown (voice) actor actors
  
  1989
- James Brown & Friends: A Night of Super Soul
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1987
- Rocky IV
  The Godfather of Soul
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- Motown Returns to the Apollo
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- James Brown - Live At Chastain Park
  Himself
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1985
- Miami Vice
  
  - Missing Hours (1987) ... Lou De Long actor actors
  
  1984
- When the Music's Over
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- Doctor Detroit
  Bandleader
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- James Brown: Live at Montreux
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1981
- The Blues Brothers
  Cleophus James
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1980
- James Brown Soul Brother No. 1
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1978
- The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1974
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1974
- James Brown: Soul Train 1973-1974
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1974
- James Brown: Love Power Peace
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1971
- The Phynx
  James Brown
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1970
- Ski Party
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1965
- The T.A.M.I. Show
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1964
- The Hollywood Palace
  
  - Host: Sammy Davis Jr. / James Brown Revue (1969) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Host: Phil Silvers / James Brown Revue (1968) ... Self actor actors
  
  1964
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
  
  - Episode 83 (1983) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Episode 54 (1973) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Episode 125 (1972) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Episode 123 (1968) ... Self actor actors
  
  1962
- The Mike Douglas Show
  
  - Episode 27 (1980) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Episode 45 (1975) ... Self actor actors
  
  - Episode 211 (1969) ... Self - Co-Host actor actors
  
  1961
crew (1 credits)
- The Godfather of Soul
  compositor
  
  crew
  
  2026
sound (5 credits)
- Get On Up
  songs
  
  sound
  
  2014
- Black Women, Sexual Politics and the Revolution
  songs
  
  sound
  
  1992
- Jacob's Ladder
  songs
  
  sound
  
  1990
- Walk Out
  music
  
  sound
  
  1981
- Black Caesar
  original music composer
  
  sound
  
  1973

Content sources

Related entry on Wikidata (Q5950), public domain (CC0).