Sondra James (née Weil; July 21, 1939 – September 12, 2021) was an American sound coordinator and actress.
Early life Sondra James was born Sondra Weil on July 21, 1939, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. 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.
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. 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. While James and Speakeasy were successful in the 1990s, she was often upset that she struggled to find acting jobs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Filmography
Film
Sourced to BFI and TV Guide unless noted YearTitleRoleNotes1982Muggable Mary: Street CopNeighbor WomanTelevision film1992This Is My LifeAdditional voices1992Whispers in the DarkAdditional voices1995Mighty AphroditeOperator; Chorus voices2000Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2Actor/Leader2000Cecil B. DementedAdditional voices2004AlfieMrs. Liberman2004Because of Winn-DixieAdditional voices2005RobotsAdditional voices2006The Devil Wears PradaAdditional voices2006Everyone's HeroAdditional voices2008Marley & MeAdditional voices2008Breaking Upwards2009Everybody's FineAdditional voices2009Taking WoodstockMargaret2010Going the DistanceElderly Woman2010Wall Street: Money Never SleepsLady at Book Signing2011What's Your Number?2011Top Cat: The MovieAdditional voices2012The DictatorFriendly Customer2012Sleepwalk with MeColleen2012Ice Age: Continental DriftAdditional voices2012PutzelMrs. Hertzel2014America 1979Mrs. AmbroseShort film2014The CobblerAnna Stevens2014Growing Up and Other LiesBarb2016C StreetMrs. Plumbcot2016Don't Think TwiceBonnie2016Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden DragonOlgaVoice; animation2017Lost Cat CoronaSal's Mother2017Spider-Man: HomecomingMarjorie2017Keep the ChangeSarah's Grandma2017Active AdultsRose2018The Escape of Prisoner 614Maria2018Lez Bomb2018Kikoriki: Deja VuOlgaVoice; animation2019JokerDr. Sally Friedman2019The ClimbGrandma2020Shiva BabyMaureen2021Making the Day2021Dating and New YorkReal Estate Mogul2021The Tender BarGrandma MoehringerPosthumous release
Television Sourced to Deadline and TV Guide unless noted YearTitleRoleNotes1999Law & Order: Special Victims UnitAgnes Rosenepisode: "Hysteria" 2000Sex and the City 2001Law & Order2003Squeak!2006PokémonNannyVoice; animation; episode: "147" 2012Girls 2013Blue Bloods 2014Lucky 7 2014The Mysteries of Laura 2016Crisis in Six Scenes 2018–2020Sick of It Auntie NormaMain role 2020What We Do in the ShadowsJoanEpisode: "Brain Scramblies" 30 Rock Ray Donovan At Home with Amy Sedaris
Commercials YearCompanyRoleNotes2001BMWBackseat GrandmaBMW X5 commercials: "Awkward Grandma", "Moonroof", "Heads Up"
Video games Sourced to Anime News Network unless noted YearTitleRole2001Grand Theft Auto III Ma Cipriani2005Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Stage Sourced to The Hollywood Reporter unless noted YearTitleNotes1996Funny GirlNational tour2002The Tale of the Allergist's WifeTour
As sound department Film Sourced to BFI unless noted YearTitle1990Green Card1993The Night We Never Met1995Before and After1998Primary Colors1999Music of the Heart1999Ride with the Devil1999The Talented Mr. Ripley1999The Best Man1999The Deep End of the Ocean1999Bowfinger1999The Astronaut's Wife1999The Sixth Sense2000American Psycho2000Down to You2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?2000Mission to Mars2001The Man Who Wasn't There2001Double Whammy2001The Royal Tenenbaums2002K-19: The Widowmaker2002Two Weeks Notice2002Secretary2002Murd3r by Numb8rs2003Intolerable Cruelty2004Secret Window2004The Manchurian Candidate2004Because of Winn-Dixie2004The Stepford Wives2005Transamerica2005The Notorious Bettie Page2005Last Holiday2005Prime2006A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints2006Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus2006World Trade Center2006Trust the Man2006The Sentinel2006Hollywoodland2006Failure to Launch2006Man of the Year2006The Devil Wears Prada2007Tenderness2007Savage Grace2007American Gangster2007Grace is Gone2007Teeth2007Music and Lyrics2007Evening2007Married Life2007Hot Rod2007Stop-Loss2007Perfect Stranger2007The Girl in the Park2007Awake2008Soul Men2008The Reader2008Doubt2008Carriers2008The Happening2009Away We Go2009Taking Woodstock2009Julie & Julia2009A Serious Man2009Everybody's Fine2009Did You Hear About the Morgans?2010True Grit2010The Bounty Hunter2010Dear John2011Margaret2011The Big Year2013Inside Llewyn Davis
Television Sourced to Deadline unless noted YearTitleNotes1991–1995The Heroic Legend of Arslan1998–2004Sex and the City2012Royal Pains6 episodesBored to DeathBoardwalk EmpireSmashDamagesNurse Jackie
References
External links