Acting · Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, UK · Born August 19, 1948
James Edward Carter (born August 19, 1948) is an English actor. He is best known for his role in Downton Abbey (2010–2015) playing Mr Carson, a role that has earned him four nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2012–2015). He reprised his role in the feature film Downton Abbey (2019).
MovieDownton Abbey: The Grand Finale
2025
as Charles Carson
MovieDownton Abbey Celebrates the Grand Finale
2025
as Self
MovieWonka
2023
as Abacus Crunch
TVHidden Treasures of the National Trust
2023
as Narrator
MovieThe Sea Beast
2022
as King (voice)
MovieDownton Abbey: A New Era
2022
as Charles Carson
MovieThe Good Liar
2019
as Vincent
MovieDownton Abbey
2019
as Charles Carson
TVInside the Ritz Hotel
2019
as Narrator
MovieSwimming with Men
2018
as Ted
MovieKing Lear
2018
as Earl of Kent
TVKnightfall
2017
as Pope Boniface VIII
MovieThe Little Vampire 3D
2017
as Rookery (voice)
MovieTransformers: The Last Knight
2017
as Cogman (voice)
MovieJim Carter: Lonnie Donegan and Me
2016
as Self
MoviePunk Strut: The Movie
2016
as Skippy
MovieHitler's Supergun
2015
as Narrator (voice)
TVFlintoff: Lord of the Fries
2015
as Narrator
MovieNordic Noir - The Rise of Scandi Drama
2014
as Self
One of a Kind
2014
as Narrator (voice)
Rock 'n' Roll Britannia
2013
as Self
MovieSecrets of the Stonehenge Skeletons
2013
as Narrator (Voice)
MovieMy Week with Marilyn
2011
as Barry
MovieDambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb
2011
as Narrator (Voice)
TVDownton Abbey
2010
as Charles Carson
MovieAlice in Wonderland
2010
as The Executioner (voice)
MovieBurlesque Fairytales
2010
as The Compere
MovieRed Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980
2009
as Harold Angus
MovieRed Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1983
2009
as Harold Angus
MovieCreation
2009
as Parslow
Caught in a Trap
2008
as Brian Perkins
MovieThe Oxford Murders
2008
as Inspector Petersen
MovieThe Golden Compass
2007
as John Faa
TVCranford
2007
as Captain Brown
MovieCassandra's Dream
2007
as Garage Boss
TVWould I Lie to You?
2007
as Self
MovieRecovery
2007
as Mr. Lockwood
MovieThe Wind in the Willows
2006
as Engine Driver
MovieThe Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton
2006
as Henry Dorling
MovieAberfan: The Untold Story
2006
as Lord Robens
MovieThe Thief Lord
2006
as Victor
MovieThe Man Who Is Obsessed With The Number 12
2005
as Narrator
MovieHouse of 9
2005
as The Watcher
MovieThe Story of Alton Towers
2005
as Narrator/The Earl
MovieOut of Season
2004
as Michael Philipps
Von Trapped
2004
as Larry Lavelle
MovieCasablanca Driver
2004
as Joe Mateo, l'agent
MovieModigliani
2004
as Achilles Hebuterne
London
2004
as Henry Fielding
MovieElla Enchanted
2004
as Nish
MovieWilde Stories: The Nightingale and the Rose
2003
as Red Rose (voice)
MovieCromwell: Warts and All
2003
as Oliver Cromwell
MoviePompeii: The Last Day
2003
as Polybius
MovieBright Young Things
2003
as Chief Customs Officer
TVTrevor's World of Sport
2003
as Sir Frank Luckton
TVStrange
2003
as Inspector Stuart
TVBlue Murder
2003
as Frank Evans
Movie16 Years of Alcohol
2003
as Director
MovieHeartlands
2003
as Geoff
MovieHornblower: Duty
2003
as Etheridge
TVDinotopia
2002
as Mayor Waldo
MovieDiscovering Dinotopia
2002
as Mayor Waldo
MovieDinotopia
2002
as Mayor Waldo
TVJack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
2001
as Odin - Member of the Great Council of Mac Slec
MovieAccording to Beryl
2001
as Samuel Johnson
MovieWalking With Disc Jockeys
2001
as Narrator
MovieThe Little Vampire
2000
as Rookery
Movie102 Dalmatians
2000
as Detective Armstrong
TVArabian Nights
2000
as Ja'Far
MovieTube Tales
1999
as Ticket Inspector (segment "Steal Away")
The Bass Player
1999
Trial by Fire
1999
as Geoffrey Bailey
TVThe Scarlet Pimpernel
1999
as General La Forge
TVBlood on the Carpet
1999
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieShakespeare in Love
1998
as Ralph Bashford
MovieLegionnaire
1998
as Lucien Galgani
TVHornblower
1998
as Etheridge
MovieVigo
1998
as Bonaventure (uncredited)
MovieBill's New Frock
1998
as Mr. Platworthy
MovieKeep the Aspidistra Flying
1997
as Erskine
TVThe View
1997
as Self
TVAin't Misbehavin'
1997
as Maxie Morrell
MovieThe Chest
1997
as Roland Blood
TVThe Missing Postman
1997
as DS Lawrence Pitman
MovieThe Missing Postman
1997
as DS Lawrence Pitman
TVMidsomer Murders
1997
as Nathan Green
MovieBright Hair
1997
as Norman Devenish
MovieHarpur and Iles: Protection
1997
as Tenderness Mellick
MovieBrassed Off
1996
as Harry
MovieRichard III
1995
as Lord Hastings
It Might Be You
1995
as Wally 'Lottery' Whaley
MovieThe Grotesque
1995
as George Lecky
MovieMrs Hartley and the Growth Centre
1995
as Inspector
TVDangerfield
1995
as Stephen Millwood
MovieThe Madness of King George
1994
as Fox
MovieMidnight Movie
1994
as Henry Harris
MovieJulius Caesar
1994
as Mark Antony
MovieOpen Fire
1994
as DCS Young
MovieMary Shelley's Frankenstein
1994
as Executioner (uncredited)
MovieBlack Beauty
1994
as John Manly
MovieIn The Cold Light Of Day
1994
as Father
TVPie in the Sky
1994
as Alec Bailey
TVCracker
1993
as Kenneth Trant
MovieThe Hour of the Pig
1993
as Mathieu
Resnick: Rough Treatment
1993
as Grabianski
MovieDetectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
1993
as Commander
TVA Year in Provence
1993
as Ted Hopkins
MovieStalin
1992
as Sergo
TVShakespeare: The Animated Tales
1992
as Mark Antony (voice)
MovieA Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia
1992
as Meinertzhagen
MovieBlame It on the Bellboy
1992
as Rossi
TVMurder Most Horrid
1991
as Roy Redfern
MovieHancock
1991
as Ray Galton
TVSoldier Soldier
1991
as Snr Supt Derek Tierney, RHKP
Incident in Judaea
1991
The Fool
1990
as Mr. Blackthorn
Crimestrike
1990
as The Detective
TVThe Gravy Train
1990
as Personip
MovieThe Witches
1990
as Head Chef
TVA Sense of Guilt
1990
as Richard Murray
MovieErik the Viking
1989
as Jennifer the Viking (Another Rapist)
MovieThe Rainbow
1989
as Mr. Harby
MovieHere Is the News
1989
as News Editor
MoviePrecious Bane
1989
as Sarn
MovieThe Tenth Man
1988
as Pierre
Christabel
1988
as Bausch
Thompson
1988
MovieThe Raggedy Rawney
1988
as The Soldier
MovieSoursweet
1988
as Mr. Constantinides
MovieThe First Kangaroos
1988
as Arthur Hughes
Star Trap
1988
as Dr. Wax
Duck
1988
MovieThe American Way
1987
as Castro
MovieA Month in the Country
1987
as Ellerbeck
MovieHarry's Kingdom
1987
as Bill
TVThe Singing Detective
1986
as Mr Marlow
TVLost Empires
1986
as Inspector Crabb
TVCasualty
1986
as Matthew Charlton
TVThe Monocled Mutineer
1986
MovieHaunted Honeymoon
1986
as Montego
TVThe Mysteries
1985
as Mak / Fourth Soldier
MovieRustlers' Rhapsody
1985
as Blackie
TVScreen Two
1985
as Father
MovieHiawatha
1984
as Nawadaha - The Story Teller
MovieDecember Flower
1984
as Dentist
MovieA Private Function
1984
as Inspector Noble
MovieThe Company of Wolves
1984
as Second Husband (uncredited)
MovieTop Secret!
1984
as Déjà Vu
MovieThe Oresteia
1983
as Agamemnon
TVWidows
1983
as D.I. Frinton
Fox
1980
as Cliff Ryan
TVFox
1980
as Cliff Ryan
TVMinder
1979
as Tomkins
TVNot the Nine O'Clock News
1979
TVI, Claudius
1976
as Roman Senate Senator (uncredited)
TVNOVA
1974
as Narrator
