James Urbaniak

Biography: Tall, dark, and scarecrow-thin, James Urbaniak is probably best known to art house audiences for his work in Hal Hartley's Henry Fool (1997) and The Book of Life (1998). Urbaniak, who met Hartley in the mid-1990s, made his film debut courtesy of the director, who cast the actor in his short Comedy Central film Opera No. 1 (1994), which also featured Adrienne Shelly and future Henry Fool co-star Parker Posey. A product of New Jersey, where he was born in 1963, Urbaniak graduated from high school in 1981. Following a brief stint at community college, he spent the next several years "bumming around" (in his own words) New Jersey, working odd jobs, and doing community theatre. A 1987 introduction to theatre director Karin Coonrod led to the creation of the Arden Party theatre company, which had its debut on the Jersey shore that same year. The company moved to New York the following year and eventually became something of a downtown theatre institution with productions of suchTall, dark, and scarecrow-thin, James Urbaniak is probably best known to art house audiences for his work in Hal Hartley's Henry Fool (1997) and The Book of Life (1998). Urbaniak, who met Hartley in the mid-1990s, made his film debut courtesy of the director, who cast the actor in his short Comedy Central film Opera No. 1 (1994), which also featured Adrienne Shelly and future Henry Fool co-star Parker Posey. A product of New Jersey, where he was born in 1963, Urbaniak graduated from high school in 1981. Following a brief stint at community college, he spent the next several years "bumming around" (in his own words) New Jersey, working odd jobs, and doing community theatre. A 1987 introduction to theatre director Karin Coonrod led to the creation of the Arden Party theatre company, which had its debut on the Jersey shore that same year. The company moved to New York the following year and eventually became something of a downtown theatre institution with productions of such works as The Importance of Being Earnest and Romeo and Juliet. In addition to his work as the co-founder of the Arden Party, Urbaniak also performed with a number of other off-off-Broadway theatre companies, and in 1996, he won a Village Voice Obie award for his performance in avant-garde director and playwright Richard Forman's The Universe. After becoming acquainted with director Hartley, who cast him in his aforementioned 1994 film debut, Urbaniak starred in Henry Fool as Simon Grim, an unassuming and oft-abused garbage man who turns out to be a Nobel Prize-winning literary genius. The film, and Urbaniak's performance, earned a number of positive reviews and a strong art house showing, and the following year the actor could be seen in Hartley's Book of Life, a comedy about Christ's Second Coming that premiered at the Cannes Festival. In addition to his work for Hartley, Urbaniak began appearing in the films of other directors, most notably Hilary Brougher's The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997), which cast him as a 1950s science editor who travels across time; and Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown (1999), which featured the actor in a small role as a musician in Sean Penn's band. Expand

James Urbaniak's Scores

Average career score: 69
Highest Metascore: 88 Review: Season 3
Lowest Metascore: 26 Dr. Ken: Season 1
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 14
  2. Negative: 1 out of 14
14 tv reviews
Title: Year: Credit: User score:
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 2 Nov 28, 2019 Dr. Thaddius S. "Rusty" Venture / Catclops/Eunuch 2/Underbheit Henchman 1 / Dr. Rusty Venture 8.5
54 Fam: Season 1 Jan 10, 2019 John 5.8
tbd Criminal Minds: Season 14 Oct 3, 2018 Special Agent Owen Quinn 7.0
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 7 Aug 5, 2018 Dr. Thaddius S. "Rusty" Venture 8.3
tbd Elementary: Season 6 Apr 30, 2018 Dr. Leo Demopoulos 7.3
tbd Criminal Minds: Season 13 Sep 27, 2017 Special Agent Owen Quinn 6.8
87 Difficult People: Season 3 Aug 8, 2017 Arthur 7.7
88 Review: Season 3 Mar 16, 2017 Grant 8.1
tbd Teachers (2016): Season 2 Jan 17, 2017 James Urbaniak 8.4
83 Difficult People: Season 2 Jul 12, 2016 Arthur 7.2
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 6 Feb 1, 2016 Dr. Thaddius S. "Rusty" Venture 8.2
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 6 Feb 1, 2016 Dr. Rusty Venture / James Urbaniak tbd
26 Dr. Ken: Season 1 Oct 2, 2015 James 3.2
45 Gigi Does It: Season 1 Oct 1, 2015 Actor 7.1
tbd Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3 Sep 27, 2015 James Urbaniak 8.5
76 Difficult People: Season 1 Aug 5, 2015 Arthur / Arthur 6.1
83 Review: Season 2 Jul 30, 2015 "Producer" / Grant 8.1
71 Review: Season 1 Mar 6, 2014 "Producer" / Grant 8.1
tbd The Mentalist: Season 6 Sep 29, 2013 Aaron Kalinoski 7.9
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 5 Jun 3, 2013 Dr. Rusty Venture / James Urbaniak tbd
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 5 Jun 2, 2013 Dr. Thaddius S. "Rusty" Venture 8.4
86 The Good Wife: Season 4 Sep 30, 2012 Judge Temple 8.7
tbd Scandal: Season 2 Sep 27, 2012 Michael Sylva 7.9
tbd Metalocalypse: Season 4 Apr 30, 2012 James Urbaniak 8.9
tbd Body of Proof: Season 2 Sep 20, 2011 Daniel Grubstick 7.9
57 Unforgettable: Season 1 Sep 20, 2011 Richard Simmons / Walter Morgan 5.9
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 4 Oct 19, 2009 Dr. Rusty Venture / Dr. Rusty Venture/Phantom Limb tbd
tbd The Venture Brothers: Season 4 Oct 18, 2009 Dr. Thaddius S. "Rusty" Venture 8.8
67 Weeds: Season 5 Jun 8, 2009 The Wizard 7.3
tbd The Starter Wife: Season 2 Oct 10, 2008 Gary tbd