James Joseph Sloyan Jr. (February 24, 1941 – July 22, 2026) was an American character actor of stage and screen, as well as a much-employed voice actor, most notably via his two-decade tenure as the voice of Lexus.
Early life and career Sloyan was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 24, 1941. One of four children, two girls and two boys, born to James J. Sloyan and Annamae O'Brien"Obituaries: Annamae Sloyan". The Indianapolis Star. August 23 1985. p. 47. Retrieved March 12, 2026. "Services for Annamae O'Brien Sloyan, 82, Albany, N.Y., formerly of Indianapolis and mother of actor James Sloyan, will be l0 a.m. Saturday in Assumption-St. Paul Catholic Church, Mechanicville. N.Y. The widow of James J. Sloyan, she died Wednesday in Albany Medical Center. A native of Mechanicville, she had been an Indianapolis resident many years before moving to Albany 30 years ago. Her son, an Indianapolis native, has starred in several Broadway shows and two television series, including Oh Madeline with actress Madeline Kahn. [...] Survivors, besides her son. include a daughter. Judy Wilkes, and another son, Patrick J. Sloyan.""SLOYAN. The Indianapolis Star. 1954. Sec. 3, p. 7. Retrieved March 12, 2026. "James J.. 3490 E. Fall Creek Pkwy., N. Dr.. husband of Annamae, father of Patrick J., James J. Jr., and Judy, also survived by 3 sisters. Anna Sloyan, Mrs. Josephine Grampp of New York. [...] [S]ervices and burial Monday at Mechanicsville, N.Y.." (another being Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Patrick J. Sloyan"Obituaries: Ann Judith (Judy) Wilkes (Oct. 8, 1935—Jan. 11, 2022)". The Post-Star. January 23, 2022. p. C6. Retrieved March 13, 2026. "Judy was born Oct. 8, 1935 to the late Annamae (O’Brien) and James Sloyan in Stamford, CT, and had three siblings: Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Patrick Sloyan (d. 2019, m. Phyllis); Elizabeth Sloyan (d. 1949); stage/film/television actor, James Sloyan (m. Deirdre)."), Sloyan Jr. spent most of the next nine and a half years in Europe, namely Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, and—if only long enough to board the next ship bound for home—Paris, France,"New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1958", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24TG-L62 : Sun Apr 13 03:58:40 UTC 2025), Entry for James Sloyan, 1950. before dividing the remainder of his preteens/adolescence between three decidedly disparate New York State municipalities. 1) Mechanicville, the birthplace of Sloyan's mother; 2) Albany, the state capitol, where, by his own count, Sloyan was "actually thrown out of five [or] six high schools""Network Bio". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 10, 1977. p. 56., and 3) New York City, where in 1957, Sloyan embarked on his scholarship-subsidized two years of study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Sloyan's acting career was interrupted in 1962, when he was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War.Clark, Mark (2013). Star Trek: FAQ 2.0: EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION, THE MOVIES AND BEYOND (UNOFFICIAL AND UNAUTHORIZED). Milwaukee, WI: Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. .
Television Sloyan's television career includes numerous brief performances on daytime dramas The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, and Ryan's Hope, and guest appearances on prime-time series Hawaii Five-O; The Streets of San Francisco; Wonder Woman; Baywatch; Moonlighting; Quantum Leap; The X-Files; MacGyver; Party of Five; Matlock; Murder, She Wrote; and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He appeared in the television movies Blind Ambition, Billionaire Boys Club, and My Son Is Innocent.
In the fall of 1970, Sloyan, James Broderick, and Reni Santoni were cast in the ABC Movie of the Week episode, "Panic on the 5:22", as a trio of underprivileged, disaffected, and somewhat desperate Bronx residents who board a suburbs-bound commuter train in Manhattan and, after donning ski masks and drawing guns, commandeer its club car in hopes of making a quick killing."Hoods Menace Passengers". Cumberland Times-News. Nov 9, 1974. p. 12. Retrieved March 20, 2026. "Three gunmen looking quick "score," hold-up affluent passengers aboard the club car of a swank New commuter train in "Panic The 5:22,' [...] Harvey Hart directed the Eugene Price screenplay that pits the trio of bumbling but dangerous hoodlums, frustrated graduates of a teenage gang in the Bronx, against a problem-ridden group of Manhattan business executives, a promiscuous high fashion New York model, a retired Army general, a brittle female cosmetic firm owner, a young attorney and a professional athlete."Thomas, Kevin (November 20, 1974). "A Morality Play in 'Panic'". The Los Angeles Times. pt. IV, p. 20. Retrieved March 20, 2026. "Robert Walden and his pals from long-ago teenage gang days, dim-witted Reni Santoni and nervous James Sloyan, board a train at Grand Central Station bound for Groton, Conn., [...] In the 35 minutes--minus commercials - before Walden and company don ski masks and draw their guns, Hart and Price show their wealthy would-be victims as largely unsympathetic types, for the most part arrogant, self-centered and, in a few instances, downright crooked. Thus, the difference between these rich passengers and the intruders is one of socio-economics rather than morals." Much to their dismay, these hopes are promptly dashed, and their desperation dramatically escalated, by the discovery that these affluent suburbanites carry nothing but credit cards.Halliwell, Leslie (1977). Halliwell's Film Guide : A Survey of 8,000 English-Language Movies. London: Granada Publishing. p. 574–575. . "Wealthy passengers are terrorized by three incompetent hoodlums who are exasperated at finding credit cards instead of money. Smooth, odd little suspenser which goes on too long and submerges in cliche philosophy. Some smart moments, though." In 1972, Sloyan co-starred with James Coco in Neil Simon's "The Greasy Spoon", one of five sketches that comprise his dark comedy, The Trouble With People, presented by Bell System Television Theatre on NBC-TV."Hooked by a Crook?". The Ouachita Citizen. November 2, 1972. p. 7-B. Retrieved March 12, 2026. "'The Greasy Diner' has more than grease in store for James Coco as he finds out. Coco and Jim Sloyan star in 'The Greasy Diner,' one of the five sketches in the NBC-TV. Bell System Family Theatre presentation of Nell Simon's 'The Trouble With People,' which will be presented Sunday, Nov. 12, from 8-9 p.m."
He appeared in a number of science fiction television series, including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, in which he portrayed Barnard "Barney" Smith in the episode "The Plot to Kill a City", and several roles in the Star Trek franchise. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, he portrayed Alidar Jarok (a defecting Romulan admiral) in "The Defector", and Alexander Rozhenko (Worf's son) as an adult in the future, in "Firstborn" using the alias "K'mtar". In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, he portrayed the Bajoran scientist Doctor Mora Pol, Odo's guardian scientist in the episodes "The Begotten" and "The Alternate". The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Jetrel" features Sloyan as the title character.
Film Sloyan is featured in The Sting as Mottola, who is used to illustrate the concept of a griftee, in a variation on the pigeon drop scam.
He played roles in The Traveling Executioner (1970),Hale, Ernest (September 27, 1970). "Flicker Footnotes: 'Executioner' Is Sardonic Tale". The Columbus Ledger. p .18. Retrieved March 13, 2026. "James J. Sloyan (r) as Deputy Warden Piquant, talks with prisoners in 'The Traveling Executioner'." The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), and Xanadu (1980).
Advertisements For 20 years, Sloyan was the voice of Lexus. The company's first commercial, "Balance," aired in 1989 and went on to win several awards as well as homages in pop culture and media. Sloyan served as Lexus' sole voice actor until 2009. He later narrated ads for Mitsubishi. Sloyan was also a voice actor for Sprint Nextel long-distance services, and in film trailers for movies such as Jumper, The Shadow, and How to Make an American Quilt.CED Voices.com
Personal life and death Sloyan and actress Deirdre Lenihan began dating in 1963 and became engaged five years later. By 1973, they were openly living together, and seemed poised to take the plunge. They had two children, Daniel Sloyan and actress Samantha Sloyan.
Sloyan died at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, on July 22, 2026, at the age of 85.
Partial filmography Year Title Role Notes1970 The Traveling Executioner Piquant 1970 ABC Movie of the Week Frankie Scamantino Episode: "Panic on the 5:22"1971 The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight Joey 1972 The Doctors Al Jarrett guest role1972 Between Time and Timbuktu Dr. Paul Proteus TV movie1973 The Sting Mottola 1973KojakJack MurzieEpisode: "Siege of Terror"1974Hawaii Five-OCharles FlemingEpisode: "Murder with a Golden Touch"1976 The Million Dollar Rip-Off Lubeck TV movie1979The New Adventures of Wonder WomanMark ReubenEpisode: "The Girl with a Gift for Disaster"1979Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyBarneyEpisode: The Plot to Kill a City, Parts 1 & 21979 Blind Ambition Ronald Ziegler TV Mini-Series, 4 episodes1979 Kaz Father O'Brian Episode: "Trouble on the South Side"1980 Xanadu Simpson 1982 Prime Suspect John Malloy TV movie1985 Amos Sheriff John Thomas TV movie1987 Billionaire Boys Club District Attorney TV movie1987 Growing Pains Max Drummond Episode: "Confidentially Yours"1991 Changes Paul Stevenson TV movie1991 Quantum Leap Theodore Moody Episode: "Last Dance Before an Execution - S03E19"1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Alidar Jarok Episode: "The Defector"1993 Crime & Punishment The Interrogator 6 episodes (voice)1994, 1997 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Dr. Mora Pol Episodes: "The Alternate", "The Begotten"1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation K'mtar/Future Alexander Episode: "Firstborn"1994 X Files Dr. Frank Nollette Episode: "Roland"1995 Star Trek: Voyager Ma'bor Jetrel Episode: "Jetrel"2008 The Car and the Road Short film (voice)
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