[1] He was often cast in menacing roles, such as the evil mobster Marcelles Santos in David Lynch's Wild at Heart (1990), the terrifying henchman Eddie "the Dane" in the Coens' Miller's Crossing (1990), and the cruel scientist Dr. Mason Wren in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Alien Resurrection (1997).

Other notable films in which he played include Ruthless People (1986) as the "Bedroom Killer", Patriot Games (1992) as the bearded CIA agent Marty Cantor, Copycat (1995) as the police lieutenant Thomas Quinn, and Go (1998) as strip-club owner Vic Sr. Freeman trained as an actor with Jean Shelton at Shelton Studios in the San Francisco area in the 1970s.

He was nominated for best actor for playing Teach in the West Coast premiere of David Mamet's American Buffalo, which also featured George Eckel and Charles Bouvier.

After directing Look Back in Anger in 1979, Freeman moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.

[2] James E. Freeman attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, New York.