James Duval

James Duval Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: September 10, 1972

Age: 52 years old

Birth Place: Detroit, Michigan

Blank, boyish and brooding, James Duval has been put forward as a symbol of the sometimes amiable anomie of 'Generation X' in a series of ultra low-budget indie features by guerrilla auteur Gregg Araki. Dark, handsome and ethnically indeterminate (an intriguing blend of Vietnamese, French, Italian and Native American), the young actor bears more than a passing resemblance to Keanu Reeves whose laid-back So-Cal delivery style he also shares.

Duval's characters have tended to be sympathetic and sensitive if none-too-bright. His collaboration with Araki has encompassed the would-be Godardian gay teen flick "Totally F***ed Up" (1994), the eccentric but relatively upscale (nearly $1 million) "lovers on the run" road movie "The Doom Generation" (1995) and the "anti-'Beverly Hills, 90210'" teen comedy-drama "Nowhere" (1997). Duval has even branched out to appear in the decidedly mainstream sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day" (1996) but his heart seems to remain independent.

Duval has avoided the standard publicity game, offering almost no information about his past. He was born in Detroit, MI and raised in California. In his late teens, Duval was playing music in a band when he decided to quit and move to Hollywood to try to make it as an actor. With no money or a clue about how to break in, he hung out at a local cafe where writer-director-editor Araki happened to do his writing. The filmmaker liked his looks and offered him a script that turned out to be "Totally F***ed Up." Duval's character, Andy, was sweet but fragile and "totally bummed."

Having enjoyed his screen debut, Duval resurfaced the next year, playing a biker named Smack in another oddball teenpic "Mod Fuck Explosion" (1994). He landed a job as a waiter to pay the rent as he played the naive suburbanite virgin who learns some bizarre life lessons on the road with his teen-aged girlfriend (Rose McGowan) and a mysterious drifter (Johnathon Schaech) in Araki's apocalyptic road comedy "The Doom Generation." Duval won some positive notices but he did not give up his day job.

Fate stepped in when transplanted German genre filmmaker Roland Emmerich dropped by the restaurant where Duval waited tables. Having seen and enjoyed "Totally F***ed Up," Emmerich offered the waiter a most generous tip--a role in his sci-fi epic "Independence Day" as Miguel, the responsible son of a drunken cropduster pilot Dad (Randy Quaid). The success of this feature allowed Duval to concentrate on acting full-time. Rather than going Hollywood, he reteamed with Araki for "Nowhere" and played a supporting role in the AIDS-related drama "River Made to Drown In" (1997).

Credits

Aftermath

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Martin
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The Legend of Catclaws Mountain

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Marcus McKinley
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2024

Kim Kahana: The Man Who Changed Hollywood

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Kim Kahana
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2023

Nightshade

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Officer Camello
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2022

Without Ward

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Helmholtz W. Gault
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2022

Tales From the Other Side

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Elijah
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Amityville Karen

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Troy
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Luxure - Les caprices de mon épouse

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Movie
2022

Night of the Zomghouls

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Bodhi
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2022

I, Challenger

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Sid
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2021

Femmes on vous aime

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Movie
2021

Booze, Broads and Blackjack

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Oscar Chavez
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2020

Beast Mode

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Huckle Saxton
Movie
2019

Bride + 1

Actor
Jothem
Movie
2019

Darling Nikki

Actor
Ethan
Movie
2019

The Master of Pulpits

Actor
Jimmy Duval
Movie
2019

Mr. Malevolent

Actor
Felix
Movie
2018

Mission Possible

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Harry
Movie
2018

Junkie

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Kie Alexander
Movie
2018

The Abduction of Jennifer Grayson

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Jeremy
Movie
2017

The Black Room

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Leo
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2017

Spreading Darkness

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Mark Minscourri
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2017

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Miles
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2017

Garlic and Gunpowder

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Archie Bocci
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2017

American Romance

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Stewart Miles
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2016

It Watches

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Guy
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2016

The Sparrows: Nesting

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Hector Sanchez
Movie
2015

Appetites

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Paul
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2015

Tales of Halloween

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Dante
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2015

Shut Up and Drive

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Ben
Movie
2015

Dead Sea

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Said
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2014

Hercules Reborn

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Horace
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2014

Lazarus: Day of the Living Dead

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Roger Abel
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2014

Tom Holland's Twisted Tales

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Toughey
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2014

American Girls

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Bryan Palmer
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2013

Catch of the Day

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Detective Alex Hoyt
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2013

9 Full Moons

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Terry
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2013

Window Licker

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Dan Finkle
Movie
2013

All Together Now

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Zeke
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2013

Blue Dream

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Robert Harmon
Movie
2013

Blue Dream

Producer
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2013

Amelia's 25th

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Evan
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2012

Prevertere

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Blade
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2012

Sushi GirlStream

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Francis
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2012
57%

Free Samples

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Antonio
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Look at Me

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2012

American Idiots

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Arrowroot
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2012

Not Another Not Another Movie

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Miguel
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2011

On Holiday

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Henry
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2011

TouchbackStream

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Rodriguez
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2011
38%

Alyce Kills

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Vince
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2011

Hawaii Five-0Stream

Guest Star
Series
2010

Sissy

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Frank
Show
2010

Now Here

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Luis Ortiz
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Playback

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Clark
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2010

Naked Angel

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Andreas
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2010

Kaboom

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The Messiah
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2010

The Black Belle

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James Duval
Movie
2010

The Black Belle

Producer
Movie
2010

2 Dudes and a Dream

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Phil
Movie
2009

The Black Waters of Echo's Pond

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Rick
Movie
2009

The Art of Travel

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Taylor 'One Ball'
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2008

Evilution

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Asia Mark
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2008

Penance

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Guy
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2008

Cornered!

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Jimmy
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2008

The Pacific and Eddy

Actor
Movie
2007

Luck of the Draw

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Grady
Movie
2007

Kush

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Cyrus
Movie
2007

Mad Cowgirl

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Thierry
Movie
2006

Chasing Ghosts

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Dmitri Parramatti
Movie
2005

Venice Underground

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Lucious Jackson
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2005

Window Theory

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Dave Kordelewski
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2005

Open House

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Joel Rodman
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2004

May

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Blank
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2002

Comic Book Villains

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2002

Scumrock

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2002

Amerikana

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Chris
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2001

Donnie DarkoStream

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Frank
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2001
87%

The Doe Boy

Actor
Hunter
Movie
2001

Gone in 60 SecondsStream

Actor
Freb
Movie
2000
25%

Go

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Singh
Movie
1999

SLC PunkStream

Actor
John the Mod (as Jimmy Duval)
Movie
1999
62%

The Weekend

Actor
Robert
Movie
1999

How to Make The Cruelest Month

Actor
Movie
1998

The Clown at Midnight

Actor
George
Movie
1998

Nowhere

Actor
Dark Smith
Movie
1997

River Made to Drown In

Actor
Movie
1997

Independence DayStream

Actor
Miguel Casse
Movie
1996
68%

Maldita Generación

Actor
Jordan White
Movie
1995

The Doom Generation

Actor
Jordan White
Movie
1995

Totally F... ed Up

Actor
Andy
Movie
1993