James Hetfield
Known for Acting · 215 credits
- Born
- 1963-08-03 (age 62)
- Place of birth
- Downey, California, USA
- Also known as
- James Alan Hetfield · Metallica
Biography
James Alan Hetfield is an American musician and songwriter best known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionally performs lead guitar duties and solos, both live and in the studio. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering an advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler. Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and released ten studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays and 24 singles.
In 2009, Hetfield was ranked at no. 8 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists and no. 24 by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time. In Guitar World's poll, Hetfield was placed as the 19th greatest guitarist of all time, as well as being placed second (along with Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett) in The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists poll of the same magazine. Rolling Stone placed Hetfield as the 87th greatest guitarist of all time.
This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by contributors. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Known For
TV Shows (22)
The Simpsons
1989
as William Rieflin (voice)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
as Self - Musical Guest
American Dad!
2005
as James Hetfield (voice)
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
as Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
Billions
2016
as Metallica
MTV Video Music Awards
1984
as Self
Classic Albums
1997
as Self - Guitarist, Vocalist, Metallica
De Wereld Draait Door
2005
as Self
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
2022
as James Hetfield (voice)
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
2017
as Self
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
Later... with Jools Holland
1992
as Self
Metalocalypse
2006
as Fan #1 (voice) / Sniper (voice) / Troll (voice) / Lorkey (voice)
Skylanders Academy
2016
as Wolfgang (voice)
History 101
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Seven Ages of Rock
2007
as Self
Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis
as Self
Heavy Metal Heaven Hosted by Elvira
1989
as Himself - Metalica
The Hunt
2014
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MTV Rockumentary
1989
The Big 4
2011
as Self
Movies (193)
Ennio
2022
as Self
Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017
2017
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
2009
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
2019
as Officer Bob Hayward
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
2012
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
2008
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
2006
as Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
2011
as Vocal, Guitar
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
2014
as Vocals, Guitars
The Thicket
2024
as Simon Deasy
Woodstock '99
2000
Metallica Korea
2006
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
1986
as Self - Vocals, Guitar
Metallica: Ride The Lightning
1985
as Self
Metallican Vid
1993
as Self - Rhythm/Lead Vocal
Absent
2011
as Self
Ozzy: No Escape from Now
2025
as Self
Metallica: Rock in Rio
2012
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017
2017
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
1999
as Self
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
2017
as Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Detroit, Michigan
1986
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
1992
as Vox, Guitars
The Darwin Awards
2007
as Self
Metallica: Through the Never
2013
as Self
Metallica: Newark, Delaware
1989
as Self
Sad Hill Unearthed
2018
as Self - Musician
Metallica: Live at San Diego
1992
as Self
Metallica: Nagoya, Japan
1986
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [2015] X Games
2015
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live Covers
1998
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock
1991
Metallica: Wherever We May Roam
2021
as vocals, guitars
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit
2021
as Self
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
1993
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019
2019
Metallica Saved My Life
2025
as Self
Metallica: Woodstock '94
1994
Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre
1989
as Self
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
1989
as Vox, Guitars
Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow
2025
as Self
Di'Anno: Iron Maiden's Lost Singer
2025
as Self
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
2007
as Self
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
1998
as Self
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
1992
as Self
Metallica: Woodstock '99
1999
as Self
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
1993
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica: Day on the Green
1985
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo
2022
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004
as Self
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
2012
as Self
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
2003
as Self
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
2016
as Self - vocals, guitars
Metallica Touring Europe
2008
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
2003
as Self
Metallica - Live Earth
2007
as Self
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
2014
as Self
Metallica: Polar Beach Party
2025
as Self
Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
2022
as Self
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
1992
as Self
'Tallica Parking Lot
2014
as Self (voice)
Metallica: Cliff 'Em All
1987
as Self - Guitarist / Vocalist
Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96
2025
as Self
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
1989
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Surfing Your Dreams
2013
Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction
2024
as Self
Metallica: Sick Out Of Studio 2007 Oslo
as Self
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
2020
as lead vocals, guitar
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Metallica: Poor East Asian Me - Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea
1998
as Self
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2
2019
as Self
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
1986
as Vox, Guitars
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
2006
as Vocalist, Guitarrist
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
2010
as Self
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
2001
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies
2021
Lemmy
2010
as Self
Metallica: MTV Icon
2003
as Self
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
2016
as Voice & Rithm Guitar
Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album
as Self - Metallica
Metallica: The Black Album
2012
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M
1999
as Self
2 of One
1989
as Self (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocal)
Cum On Feel The Noize
2017
as Self
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
1983
as Vox, Guitars
For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow
1992
Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago
2017
as Self
Hard Rock Treasures
2005
as Self
Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly
2017
as Narrator
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
2020
as Self
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
2012
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Mission to Lars
2015
as Self
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
2005
as Self (segments "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said")
Metallica: Fan Can 6
2010
as Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Fan Can 1
1996
as Self
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge
Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
1992
as Self
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
2010
as Guitars
Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999
2020
as Self
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
2014
as Self
Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story
2019
as Self
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
2009
as Self - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Making Magnetic
2008
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
2015
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico
1993
as Vox, Guitars
Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life
2006
as Self
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
2013
as Self - Vocals, Guitars
Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"
2014
as Self
Metallica: Fan Can 5
2006
as Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans
2025
as Self
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
1992
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
2014
as Self
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
1988
as Self - Vocals, Guitars
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
1972
as Self
Metallica: The Night Before
2016
Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert
2022
as Self
Metallica: Live in Baltimore
2000
as Self - Vocals/Guitar
Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)
2025
as Self
Metallica: This Monster Lives
2014
as Self
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
2009
as Vocals, Guitars
About James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is an American musician and songwriter best known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionally performs lead guitar duties and solos, both live and in the studio. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering an advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler. Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and released ten studio albums,… With 215 credits spanning from 1972 to 2025, James Hetfield has appeared in 193 films and 22 TV shows.
Fans searching for James Hetfield movies, James Hetfield filmography, or the latest projects starring James Hetfield can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular James Hetfield Movies
- Ennio (2022) — as Self
- Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017 (2017)
- Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City (2009) — as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
- Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) — as Officer Bob Hayward
- Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012 (2012) — as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Where to Watch James Hetfield Films
Most James Hetfield movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring James Hetfield, check our movies catalogue and browse page.