by Hal Erickson
biography
A product of RADA and the London Theatre Workshop, plumpish character actor James Booth ascended to British stage stardom as Tosher in Fings Ain't Wot They Used to Be. Effective in both kindly and unsavory roles, Booth has been permitted a wide range of characterizations since his 1959 screen debut in Jazz Boat (1959). While some filmgoers most closely associate Booth with the role of hero-by-default private Henry Hook in Zulu (1964), others prefer his portrayal of Shirley MacLaine's seducer in The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968). When asked the stage and screen roles that he preferred, James Booth replied, "Those I can relax in." In 1990, James Booth appeared as the toadying Ernie Niles in David Lynch's TV cult favorite Twin Peaks.
