James Wallace Langham II (born March 11, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television shows, playing the role of Phil the Head Writer on The Larry Sanders Show (1992–1998), Josh Blair in Veronica's Closet (1997–2000), and as David Hodges on the crime drama television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015), a role he would reprise in CSI: Vegas (2021). He began his career in 1985 under the stage name Wally Ward before reverting to his real name in 1989. He would have roles in films such as Weird Science, Michael, Daddy Day Care, Little Miss Sunshine, The Social Network and Ford v Ferrari, and make appearances in series such as ER, The West Wing, For All Mankind and Physical.
Early and personal life Langham was born on March 11, 1965, in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of Sunni, a costume designer, and James Langham, an elevator repairman.
In March 2000, Langham pleaded no contest to battery charges after beating a tabloid reporter and was ordered to serve three years' probation and to serve 450 hours of community service and to donate $10,000 to a registered nonprofit organization. In a statement, Langham said "[he] would have never attacked anyone had I not first been provoked".
Film career Langham got his start in the John Hughes film Weird Science (1985), as well as in The Invisible Kid and the ABC Afterschool Special entitled Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story, but later moved to roles as a young bigot in Soul Man and as a gang leader in The Chocolate War. He appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy Daddy Day Care, and the critically acclaimed Little Miss Sunshine and The Social Network.
Television career Langham dropped the Ward moniker in the 1990s as he moved to more adult roles, appearing as a regular in the much-hyped but short-lived CBS series WIOU. His big breakthrough came when he was cast as Phil, the cynical staff and then head writer for insecure talk show host Larry Sanders, in HBO's sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. Langham then took on a role in NBC's Veronica's Closet, playing Kirstie Alley's gay assistant Josh. He then appeared on the Joan Cusack sitcom What About Joan?
He has guest-starred on many series including, Murphy Brown, NewsRadio, ER, Murder, She Wrote, Sex and the City, 21 Jump Street, Medium, both the 1985 and the 2002 versions of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Star Trek: Voyager, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monk, Shameless, and Grace Under Fire.
He was the voice of Andy French on the animated series Mission Hill, as well as the Care-Bots and Smoltz in Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Basil Karlo/Clayface in The Batman, Orm/Ocean Master in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Anarky in Beware the Batman.
Langham played lab technician David Hodges on the CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Starting with the eighth-season premiere, Langham was listed in the main titles.
Other work Langham played Dr. Grant Seeker in the preshow of the theme park attraction Dinosaur at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, in which his character attempts to send guests back in time to retrieve a live Iguanadon; his voice was also heard in the ride vehicle throughout the attraction. Dinosaur closed permanently on February 2, 2026.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1985Weird ScienceArtCredited as Wally Ward1986Thunder RunPaulSoul ManBarky BrewerCombat AcademyPercival 'Percy' Barnett1987Amazon Women on the MoonPrivate Anson W. PucketSegment: "The Unknown Soldier"; uncredited1988The Invisible KidMilton McClaneCredited as Wally WardUnder the BoardwalkBackwashThe Chocolate WarArchie1989Martians Go HomeVoyeur Martian1990Vital SignsGant1996God's Lonely ManRickMichaelBruce Craddock1998DinosaurDr. Grant SeekerPreshow2001On EdgeJimmy Hand2003Daddy Day CareJim Fields2004Hot Night in the CityJack2006Little Miss SunshineKirbyI Want Someone to Eat Cheese WithClaude Clochet2007The KeyunknownDirect-to-video2008The Great Buck HowardDan GreenGrowing OpBryce2009Triumph of SparhusenBjorn EpsteinShort film2010The Bannen WaySurveillance TechThe Social NetworkPeter Thiel2012Ruby SparksWarrenHitchcockSaul BassFreeloadersSwedish Car Enthusiast2013Somewhere SlowPaulRain from StarsAndy2014TranscendenceDr. StraussDraft DayPete BeglerButtwhistleMr. ConferAJ's Infinite SummerDanny/GuardVoice, short filmTaken 3Mike2016War DogsVegas X SupplierSpacemanBruce LindsayLBJArthur SchlesingerClosureShort film; director/producer2017BobBobShort filmBattle of the SexesHenry2018The Darkest MindsDr. Viceroy2019Sophie's QuinceaneraManShort filmFord v FerrariDr. Granger2021Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions ScandalGordon Caplan2025The Alto KnightsSenator Estes Kefauver
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1985CBS Schoolbreak SpecialBabeEpisode: "Ace Hits the Big Time"Credited as Wally WardThe Best TimesBill SkeezacEpisode: "Snake Meat"Credited as Wally WardChildren of the NightKevinTelevision film; credited as Wally Ward1986Fast TimesMark Ratner7 episodes; recurring role; credited as Wally WardCombat HighPerry BennettTelevision film; credited as Wally Ward1987One HouseChris Houston2 episodes; credited as Wally WardThe Twilight ZoneNelson BaxleyEpisode: "Time and Teresa Golowitz/Voices in the Earth"Credited as Wally WardABC Afterschool SpecialsPaul HendlerEpisode: "Just a Regular Kid: An AIDS Story"1989A Deadly SilenceJimmy Pierson, Jr.Television film; credited as Wally WardMatlockDennis AustinEpisode: "The Cult"199021 Jump StreetPooleEpisode: "Research and Destroy"Murphy BrownMichaelEpisode: "The Murphy Brown School of Broadcasting"1990–1991WIOUWillis TeitlebaumSeries regular; 14 episodes1992Life Goes OnJohn HemingwayEpisode: "The Fairy Tale"1992–1998The Larry Sanders ShowPhilSeries regular; 89 episodesNominated - Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Actor in a Cable Series1993Murder, She WroteTodd MerlinEpisode: "Dead to Rights"1994Madman of the PeopleDavisEpisode: "The Jack Buckner Story"Dave's WorldNeilEpisode: "Family Membership"Life with Louie: A Christmas Surprise for Mrs. StillmanUnknownVoice, television short1995NewsRadioJeffEpisode: "Pilot"1996NewsRadioStewartEpisode: "Physical Graffiti"ERDr. MelvoinEpisode: "Doctor Carter, I Presume"1997Grace Under FireEric SpencerEpisode: "Grace's New Job"F/X: The SeriesLevi ChaseEpisode: "Shooting Mickey"1997–2000Veronica's ClosetJosh BlairSeries regular; 67 episodes/ Director Episode: "Veronica's Clips"Nominated - Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series1998Star Trek: VoyagerFlotter T. Water IIIEpisode: "Once Upon a Time"1999The Wild ThornberrysSvenVoice, episode: "Pal Joey" A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1999–2002Mission HillAndy FrenchVoice, main role (13 episodes)2000Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildPrince Bobby, FishVoice, episode: "The Frog Princess"Daydream Believers: The Monkees' StoryDon KirshnerTelevision filmThe Outer LimitsEzekiel, Daniel FaradayEpisode: "Final Appeal"Buzz Lightyear of Star CommandCare-botsVoice, episode: "Speed Trap"2000–2001What About Joan?Mark LudlowSeries regular; 21 episodes2001Sister Mary Explains It AllAloysius BenheimTelevision filmInside SchwartzA.J.Episode: "Comic Relief Pitcher"2002The Twilight ZoneCharlie StickneyEpisode: "Mr. Motivation"2003Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Three's Company'Jay BernsteinTelevision filmSex and the CityWillyEpisode: "To Market, to Market"Las VegasJulian KerbisEpisode: "Donny, We Hardly Knew Ye"Miss MatchLucasEpisode: "Kate in Ex-tasy"Good Morning, MiamiKenEpisode: "With Friends Like These, Who Needs Emmys?"Rubbing CharlieunknownTelevision film2003–2015CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationDavid Hodges73 episodes; recurring role (seasons 3–7); series regular (seasons 8–15) Writer/Teleplay Episode: "Field Mice"2004Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Charlie's Angels'Jay BernsteinTelevision film2004The West WingTerry AndersEpisode: "The Hubbert Peak"2005MediumAlan2 episodesCurb Your EnthusiasmMan in BathroomEpisode: "The End"2006The BatmanBasil Karlo / ClayfaceVoice, episode: "Clayfaces"2008Batman: The Brave and the BoldOrm / Ocean MasterVoice, episode: "Evil Under the Sea!"Ben 10: Alien ForceTylerVoice, episode: "Inside Man"2009MonkSteve DeWittEpisode: "Mr. Monk and the Dog"Glenn Martin DDSDr. Gary RosVoice, episode: "Mom Dated THAT Guy?"2009–2011Easy to AssembleBjorn Eppstein6 episodes; recurring role20119inePhysicianEpisode: "November"2013Drop Dead DivaLester Tuttle2 episodes2013–2014Beware the BatmanLonnie Machin / AnarkyVoice, recurring role (7 episodes)2014Nikki & Nora: The N&N FilesCarl Mottenberg2 episodes2015CastleDar. Van HoltzmanEpisode: "Hollander's Woods"CSI: ImmortalityDavid HodgesTelevision filmCasualIanEpisode: "Pilot"Scream QueensMr. PutneyEpisode: "The Final Girl(s)"2016Mike & MollyRobertEpisode: "Cops on the Rocks"iZombieDr. Alan BenwayEpisode: "He Blinded Me...With Science"Law & Order: Special Victims UnitTom MetcalfeEpisode: "Imposter"RosewoodDuncan JacottEpisode: "Eddie & the Empire State of Mind"2017Grey's AnatomyDr. Steve CorridanEpisode: "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?"DoubtHarrison WeissEpisode: "Where Do We Go From Here?"Manhunt: UnabomberLouis FreehEpisode: "Publish or Perish"Criminal MindsMr. XEpisode: "Killer App"Good BehaviorStephenEpisode: "You Could Discover Me"LongmireBrian O'Keane2 episodes2018Lethal WeaponCharlie BlumEpisode: "Ruthless"HeathersMr. SawyerRecurring roleYoung SheldonDr. Edward Pilson1 episodeMy Dinner with HervéAaron SpellingTelevision film2019Veronica MarsCourthouse ClerkEpisode: "Years, Continents, Bloodshed"The BoysDamien HodgmanEpisode: "The Female of the Species"ShamelessDr. Tyson2 episodes9-1-1BrianEpisode: "Malfunction"For All MankindHarold Weisner5 episodes; recurring role (season 1)2020MomJerryEpisode: "Silly Frills and a Depressed Garden Gnome"The ResidentJohn CoppleEpisode: "The Flea"2021CSI: VegasDavid HodgesRecurring2021–2022PhysicalAuggie Cartwright5 episodes; recurring role (season 1–2)20231923Kyle MurphyOne episodePerry MasonMelville Phipps6 episodes; recurring role (season 2)
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