James Marshall Napier (22 October 1951 – 14 August 2022) was a New Zealand-born character actor, playwright and graphic artist. He is known for a succession of strong supporting roles in Australasian films and television shows. He also had a notable stage career.
Biography Napier grew up in the city of Lower Hutt and was educated at Hutt Valley High School. He is the father of James Reuben Napier, actress Jessica Napier, and Rose Napier. He is the uncle of film director James Napier Robertson.
Before becoming an actor, Napier worked variously as a labourer, factory hand, and truck driver. He also spent a year studying graphic design at the Wellington Polytechnic. He landed his first professional acting job in 1975, at Wellington's Downstage Theatre.
In 1988, he moved with his wife and two young children to Australia, hoping to further his acting career. He soon became an established name in film, theatre, and television. His play Freak Winds has been performed in Australia, New Zealand, United States and Canada; other plays have been broadcast on Australia's ABC radio.
His starring role in Bellbird (2019) resulted in the film receiving awards at several international film festivals.
Death
Napier died from brain cancer on 14 August 2022 in Canberra at the age of 70.
Theatre
As performer Year Title Role Type 1971 Marat/Sade Jaques Roux Studio Workshop 1972 The Day Flanagan Died Berney Flanagan Studio Workshop 1973 Major Barbara Bill Walker Unity Theatre, Wellington 1975 Bully Pete Downstage Theatre, NZ 1976 Ubu Roi Captain MacNure Downstage Theatre, NZ 1976 Three Sisters Rode Downstage Theatre, NZ 1976 Othello Soldier Downstage Theatre, NZ 1976 Happy Birthday, Wanda June Colonel 'Looseleaf' Harper Downstage Theatre, NZ 1977 The Tooth of Crime Hoss Unity Theatre, Wellington 1978 Twelfth Night Sir Toby Belch Centrepoint Theatre, NZ 1978 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Gigi / Dogsborough Circa Theatre, NZ 1978 The One Day of the Year Alf Four Seasons Theatre 1978 Huffers Tour 1979 Stiff Bix Kabaret Various Rock Theatre 1980 Steel Heels Various Unity Theatre, Wellington 1981 The Dumb Waiter Ben Tour 1982 The Duchess of Malfi Ferdinand Circa Theatre, NZ 1983 Tooth and Claw Mime Downstage Theatre, NZ 1984 Insignificance The Senator Circa Theatre, NZ 1985 Country Cops Waddell Circa Theatre, NZ 1986 Loose Connections Rick Thomas Downstage Theatre, NZ 1991 Diving for Pearls Den Belvoir Street Theatre 1994 All Souls Joe Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company 1996 A View from the Bridge Eddie Carbone Belvoir Street Theatre 1996 Simpatico Carter Wharf Theatre with STC 1996 Speaking in Tongues Leon / Nick Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company 1997 The Herbal Bed Dr John Hall Wharf Theatre with STC 1997 Waiting for Godot Vladimir / Estragon Q Theatre 2000 Alarms and Excursions Actor A Ensemble Theatre 2000 Freak Winds Ernest Old Fitzroy Theatre with Hydra Theatre Company 2002 Angel City Wheeler Old Fitzroy Theatre 2006 Freak Winds Ernest Arclight Theater, New York 2008 Frost/Nixon Nixon Fairfax Studio with MTC 2009 The Birthday Party Goldberg Fairfax Studio with MTC 2010 The Power of Yes Howard Davies & various Belvoir Street Theatre 2010 The Schelling Point Kubrick Old Fitzroy Theatre 2011 In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Mr Daldry Sydney Opera House, Southbank Theatre Melbourne, Riverside Theatres Parramatta with STC 2011 Stainless Steel Rat Mark Stephens / Eric J Holder Jnr / Journalist Seymour Centre with Harrison Productions 2012 The Gift Ed Auckland Theatre Company 2013 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy Belvoir Street Theatre, Theatre Royal, Sydney 2013 All My Sons Joe Keller Eternity Playhouse, Sydney , Darlinghurst Theatre 2015–17 The Present Ivan Chekhov's Platonov adapted by Andrew Upton with STC & Broadway tour
As crew Year Title Role Type 2006 Freak Winds Director / Playwright Arclight Theater, New York
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes 2022 Northspur Summers 2020 Earl's Town Earl Short film2019 Bellbird Ross Feature film Little Monsters Army General Feature film2016 The Light Between Oceans Mr Couglan Feature film Down Under Graham Sheather Feature film 2013 Inside The Visiting Doctor Short film 2012 Jack Irish: Bad Debts Father Gorman TV movie2011 Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer was Here Chief Commissioner Neil ComrieTV movie Panic at Rock Island Paul Thorpe TV movie2010 Griff the Invisible Benson Feature film The Clinic Officer Marvin Underwood Feature film I Love You Too Mechanic Feature film 2009 I'm Not Harry Jenson Tom Feature film 2007 The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep Sgt Strunk Feature film2004 Sold Out J. Edgar Crippen Short film Get Rich Quick Turf O'Keefe2003 Travelling Light Don Ferris Feature film Bad Eggs Doug Gillespie Feature film2002 Stuffed Bunny Priest Short film Black and White Prison Warden Feature film New Skin Captain Jip2001 My Husband, My Killer John Radij TV movie Jet Set Mr Birkin2000 The Shirt Mike Hughes Muggers Charles Lawrence Feature film 1999 Airtight Norscrum TV movie In a Savage Land Geoffrey Hallerton Feature film Strange Planet Robert Feature film1998 13 Gantry Row Blake TV movie The Sugar Factory Mr Berne Feature film Meteorites Cass Cassidy TV movie 1997 Diana & Me Bank Manager Feature film1996 Dead Heart Sgt. Oakes Feature film Children of the Revolution Brendan Shaw Feature film Race the Sun Mr Cronin Feature film1995 Swimming Lessons Jim TV movie Babe Chairman of Judges Feature film1994 Spider and Rose Henderson Feature film Paperback Romance (aka Lucky Break) George LePine Feature film 1993 Shotgun Wedding Dave Green Feature film1991Flirting Mr. Rupert Elliott Feature film 1990 The Big Steal Desmond Clark Feature film1988 The Grasscutter Det. Inspector Cross TV movie The Navigator Searle Feature film Georgia Frank Le Mat Feature film The Clean Machine Keith Reid Feature film 1985 Came a Hot Friday Sel Bishop Feature film 1984 Pallet on the Floor Joe Voot Feature film 1983 Wild Horses Andy Feature film1982 Carry Me Back Airforce Guard Battletruck Poole Feature film1981 Inside Every Thin Girl TV movie Bad Blood Trev Bond Feature film1980 Beyond Reasonable Doubt Wyllie Feature film Goodbye Pork Pie Police Driver Feature film
Television YearTitleRoleNotes2021 Doctor Doctor Bill TV series, 1 episode 2020 Grey Nomads Don Boyce TV series, 6 episodes 2016 Janet King Magistrate Schaeffer TV series, 1 episode 2014–15 Love Child Greg Matheson TV series, season 2, 8 episodes2014 The Moodys Howard Benson TV series, 3 episodes Auckland Daze Arnold TV series, 1 episode 2012 Rake Prosecution TV series, 1 episode 2009 Chandon Pictures Basil TV series, 1 episode 2006–10 City Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Wilton Sparkes TV series, seasons 1-2 & 4, 11 episodes 2001–06 McLeod's Daughters Harry Ryan TV series, 87 episodes2001 Stingers Eddie Thomas TV series, 1 episode Head Start John Allott TV series, 4 episodes Farscape General Grynes TV series, 1 episode 2001 The Farm Peter Collins TV series, 3 episodes 2000 The Lost World Drakul TV series, 1 episode 1999–01 All Saints Ian Hanrahan / Mick Mason TV series, 3 episodes 1999–96 Water Rats Joe da Silva TV series, 5 episodes 1997–99 Blue Heelers John Scanlan / Jim Jamieson TV series, 2 episodes 1996 Twisted Tales Ray TV series, 1 episode 1996 The Beast Commander Wallingford TV miniseries, 2 episodes1995 Blue Murder Tony Eustace TV miniseries, 2 episodes Snowy River: The Mcgregor Saga Charlie Dunn TV series, 1 episode Halifax f.p. Dale TV series, 1 episode 1994–93 Secrets Gary O'Leary TV series, 13 episodes1993 Stark Private Detective TV series, 2 episodes Seven Deadly Sins Tom TV miniseries, 1 episode: "Greed" Time Trax Oscar TV series, 1 episode 1992 South Pacific Adventures Captain Johnson 1989–92 Police Rescue Fred 'Frog' Catteau TV series, 19 episodes 1991–92 G.P. Stan Brodie TV series, 2 episodes 1992 The Girl from Tomorrow Draco TV series, 12 episodes1989 Rafferty's Rules Alex Reed TV series, 1 episode Mission Impossible Talbot TV series, 1 episode E Street Bernie TV series, 1 episode 1988 Always Afternoon Bill Kennon TV series, 4 episodes 1987 Starlight Hotel Det. Wallace Feature film1986 Dangerous Orphans Hobbes Feature film Adventurer Mason TV series, 12 episodes Seekers Wright TV series, 1 episode Footrot Flats Hunk Murphy Animated feature film1985 Roche Snatch TV series, 2 episodes Hanlon Sweeny Lie of the Land Huddy Heart of the High Country Hary TV series, 1 episode1984 Inside Straight TV series, 1 episode Mortimer's Patch Lance Harris TV series, 1 episode 1979 The Neville Purvis Family Show Larry Lucas TV series, 6 episodes 1977 The Governor Richard Seddon TV series, 1 episode
Activism In 2002, he and his daughter, Jessica Napier, won $64,000 in the Australian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for a South Australian animal rights group. Both are animal rights supporters and vegetarians.
References
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