Sondra James
Sondra James (July 21, 1939 – September 12, 2021) was an American sound coordinator and actress.
Sondra James | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Sondra Weil July 21, 1939 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 12, 2021 (aged 82) New York City |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1990–2021 |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Sondra James was born Sondra Weil[1] on July 21, 1939, in the Lower East Side, New York City.[2] She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1955 before taking a double major in anthropology and archaeology at City College of New York.[1]
Career
James began work as an actor, first starring in Mighty Aphrodite in 1995. Following this, she consistently worked as a character actor and voice actress across film, television, and stage, including the national tour of Funny Girl in 1996.[3] In the 1990s, she founded the loop recording company Speakeasy, which provides audio recording for film and television. Within Speakeasy, James took on various sound department roles, including loop coordinator, voice casting, and ADR casting. She was often involved with casting Coen brothers films. As of 2021, the company has provided audio for over 500 films and television shows. James also provided additional voices for several of the productions the company looped.[1][4][2] While James and Speakeasy were successful in the 1990s, she was often upset that she struggled to find acting jobs.[5]
James played the main role of Auntie Norma in Karl Pilkington's British comedy Sick of It; the production decided to use an American actress because there were limited elderly British actors, and these would all be recognizable to a British audience, which Pilkington felt would be distracting. He was shown a picture of James and immediately liked the look of her, knowing he didn't want the character to appear mundane.[6]
In 2020, she was one of the group of actors who brought a class-action lawsuit against SAG-AFTRA Health Fund for imposing penalties on performers over 65 in a health plan restructure supposedly helping cover COVID-19.[7]
Personal life
James had two sons, Michael and Marc. She had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren at the time of her death. She was a fan of the New York Yankees.[3][1]
Death
James died at her home in New York City on September 12, 2021, aged 82, from lung cancer, which had been diagnosed five months earlier.[3]
Filmography
Film
Sourced to BFI and TV Guide unless noted[4][8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Muggable Mary: Street Cop | Neighbor Woman | Television film |
| 1992 | This Is My Life | Additional voices | |
| 1992 | Whispers in the Dark | Additional voices | |
| 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Operator; Chorus voices | |
| 2000 | Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 | Actor/Leader | |
| 2000 | Cecil B. Demented | Additional voices | |
| 2004 | Alfie | Mrs. Liberman | |
| 2004 | Because of Winn-Dixie | Additional voices | |
| 2005 | Robots | Additional voices | |
| 2006 | The Devil Wears Prada | Additional voices | |
| 2006 | Everyone's Hero | Additional voices[9] | |
| 2008 | Marley & Me | Additional voices | |
| 2008 | Breaking Upwards | ||
| 2009 | Everybody's Fine | Additional voices | |
| 2009 | Taking Woodstock | Margaret | |
| 2010 | Going the Distance | Elderly Woman | |
| 2010 | Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps | Lady at Book Signing | |
| 2011 | What's Your Number? | ||
| 2011 | Top Cat: The Movie | Additional voices | |
| 2012 | The Dictator | Friendly Customer | |
| 2012 | Sleepwalk with Me | Colleen | [10] |
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Additional voices[9] | |
| 2012 | Putzel | Mrs. Hertzel | |
| 2014 | America 1979 | Mrs. Ambrose | Short film |
| 2014 | The Cobbler | Anna Stevens | [11] |
| 2014 | Growing Up and Other Lies | Barb | [11] |
| 2016 | C Street | Mrs. Plumbcot | |
| 2016 | Don't Think Twice | Bonnie | |
| 2016 | Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon | Olga[12] | Voice; animation |
| 2017 | Lost Cat Corona | Sal's Mother | |
| 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | Marjorie | |
| 2017 | Keep the Change | Sarah's Grandma | |
| 2017 | Active Adults | Rose | [11] |
| 2018 | The Escape of Prisoner 614 | Maria | |
| 2018 | Lez Bomb | ||
| 2018 | Kikoriki: Deja Vu | Olga | Voice; animation[12][9] |
| 2019 | Joker | Dr. Sally Friedman | |
| 2019 | The Climb | Grandma | |
| 2020 | Shiva Baby | Maureen | |
| 2021 | Making the Day | [13] | |
| 2021 | Dating and New York | Real Estate Mogul | [11] |
| 2021 | The Tender Bar | Grandma Moehringer | Posthumous release[14] |
Television
Sourced to Deadline and TV Guide unless noted[3][8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Sex and the City | ||
| 2001 | Law & Order | ||
| 2003 | Kikoriki | Olga | Voice (Fun Union Dub) |
| 2003 | Pokémon | Nanny | Voice; animation; episode: "147"[12] |
| 2003 | Squeak! | Voice; animation | |
| 2012 | Girls | ||
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | ||
| 2014 | Lucky 7 | ||
| 2014 | The Mysteries of Laura | ||
| 2016 | Crisis in Six Scenes | ||
| 2018–2020 | Sick of It | Auntie Norma | Main role[15] |
| 2020 | What We Do in the Shadows | Joan | Episode: "Brain Scramblies"[16] |
| 30 Rock | [2] | ||
| Ray Donovan | [2] | ||
| At Home with Amy Sedaris | [2] |
Commercials
| Year | Company | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | BMW | Backseat Grandma | BMW X5 commercials: "Awkward Grandma", "Moonroof", "Heads Up"[17] |
Video games
Sourced to Anime News Network unless noted[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Grand Theft Auto III | Ma Cipriani | |
| 2005 | Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories |
Stage
Sourced to The Hollywood Reporter unless noted[2]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Funny Girl | National tour |
| 2002 | The Tale of the Allergist's Wife | Tour |
Film
Sourced to BFI unless noted[4]
Television
Sourced to Deadline unless noted[3]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–1995 | The Heroic Legend of Arslan | [12] |
| 1998–2004 | Sex and the City | [1] |
| 2012 | Royal Pains | 6 episodes[8] |
| Bored to Death | ||
| Boardwalk Empire | ||
| Smash | ||
| Damages | ||
| Nurse Jackie | [1] |
References
- Wild, Stephi. "Actress Sondra James Dies at 82". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Barnes, Mike (2021-09-17). "Sondra James, Actress and Founder of the Loop Group Speakeasy, Dies at 82". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Hipes, Patrick (2021-09-13). "Sondra James Dies: 'Joker' And 'Sick Of It' Actor, Sound Department Veteran Was 82". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- "Sondra James". BFI. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sondra James, Legendary Character Actor on 'Blue Bloods,' 'Law & Order' and Others, Dead at 82". Outsider. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Karl Pilkington interview - Sick Of It". British Comedy Guide. 2018-09-24. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Cullins, Ashley (2020-12-01). "SAG-AFTRA Health Plan Facing Class Action Over Cuts to Coverage". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sondra James". TVGuide. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sondra James (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Blackburn, Joshua (2012-08-22). "[Interview] Mike Birbiglia On Crafting His Directorial Debut 'Sleepwalk With Me'". The Film Stage. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sondra James". Moviefone. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sondra JAMES - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Cristi, A. A. "MAKING THE DAY To Premiere At Cinequest Film Festival". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Grobar, Matt (2021-09-22). "'The Tender Bar': Amazon Sets Release Date For George Clooney-Helmed Pic Starring Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan & More – First Look Image". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "Sick Of It has been renewed for series 2". Den of Geek. 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- "WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Recap (S02E03): Brain Scramblies". Geek Girl Authority. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
- Widmar, Aaron (2015-02-24). "Who Is the Actress Playing the Awkward Grandma in BMW's X5 Commercials?". The News Wheel. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
External links
- Sondra James at IMDb