James Brown: movies and TV shows
James Brown has 111 credits in the archive: 79 films and 32 TV series, from 1948 to 2026. Highest rated: The Simpsons (8.0/10).
Career timeline
1948 – 2026 · busiest year: 2014 (6 credits)
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Full filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Type | Rating | Age then |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | The Godfather of Soul | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 93 |
| 2026 | The Godfather of Soul | Film | — | 93 | |
| 2025 | Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music | Self (archive footage) | Film | 7.8 | 92 |
| 2024 | James Brown: Say It Loud | Self (archive footage) | TV | 8.0 | 91 |
| 2023 | Death by Fame | Self (archive footage) | TV | 6.8 | 90 |
| 2023 | Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.8 | 90 |
| 2022 | Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.5 | 89 |
| 2021 | 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything | Self (archive footage) | TV | 7.5 | 88 |
| 2021 | Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.5 | 88 |
| 2021 | Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go! | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 88 |
| 2021 | Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York | Self (archive footage) | Film | 8.0 | 88 |
| 2020 | 70 Years of Youth Revolt | Self (archive footage) | TV | 7.2 | 87 |
| 2020 | The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault | (archive footage) | Film | — | 87 |
| 2019 | The Apollo | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.4 | 86 |
| 2019 | Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast | Self - Singer (archive footage) | Film | 5.0 | 86 |
| 2019 | Africa Rising | Self - Musician (archive footage) | Film | 7.5 | 86 |
| 2018 | 1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond | Self (archive footage) | Film | 8.0 | 85 |
| 2016 | A Tale of James Brown | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 83 |
| 2015 | Les Fous du Funk | Self | TV | 8.0 | 82 |
| 2014 | Madam Secretary | James Brown | TV | 7.0 | 81 |
| 2014 | Get On Up | Film | 6.8 | 81 | |
| 2014 | Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.9 | 81 |
| 2014 | Finding the Funk | Self | Film | 7.2 | 81 |
| 2014 | The Story of Funk: One Nation Under a Groove | Film | 7.0 | 81 | |
| 2014 | James Brown - The Man, The Music & The Message | Self | Film | 8.0 | 81 |
| 2013 | The Millers | James Brown | TV | 5.7 | 80 |
| 2013 | Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | 80 |
| 2012 | Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ | Self (archive footage) | Film | 5.0 | 79 |
| 2011 | The Real Rocky | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.1 | 78 |
| 2009 | Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America | Self | Film | 7.0 | 76 |
| 2009 | Soul Power | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.5 | 76 |
| 2008 | James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston | Self (archive footage) | Film | 6.6 | 75 |
| 2008 | James Brown Live At The Apollo '68 | Self | Film | 5.3 | 75 |
| 2008 | Pavarotti The Duets | Self | Film | — | 75 |
| 2008 | James Brown Live At The Boston Garden - April 5, 1968 | Self | Film | 4.0 | 75 |
| 2007 | The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1977 | Film | 7.0 | 74 | |
| 2007 | James Brown: Living in America | Film | — | 74 | |
| 2006 | Web Junk 20 | TV | 9.3 | 73 | |
| 2006 | Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' World Cup Party | Self | Film | — | 73 |
| 2006 | Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer | Self (archive footage) | Film | 5.0 | 73 |
| 2006 | George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein | Self (archive footage) | Film | 7.5 | 73 |
| 2005 | Robots | Diesel (archive footage) (uncredited) | Film | 6.5 | 72 |
| 2005 | Live 8 | Self | Film | 7.4 | 72 |
| 2005 | Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music | Self | TV | 8.0 | 72 |
| 2005 | Rock 'N' Roll Forever: Ed Sullivan's Greatest Hits | Self (archive) | Film | — | 72 |
| 2004 | James Brown: Body Heat | Self | Film | 8.0 | 71 |
| 2004 | Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Soul Years | Self (archive footage) | Film | 9.8 | 71 |
| 2004 | TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | Self (archive footage) | Film | 5.3 | 71 |
| 2004 | James Brown: Live | Self | Film | — | 71 |
| 2003 | James Brown: Soul Survivor | Self | Film | 7.7 | 70 |
| 2003 | The Giants of Black Music | Self | Film | — | 70 |
| 2003 | James Brown - Live at Chastain Park Atlanta 1980 | Film | — | 70 | |
| 2003 | Paper Chasers | Film | 7.0 | 70 | |
| 2002 | The Tuxedo | James Brown | Film | 5.7 | 69 |
| 2002 | Undercover Brother | Self | Film | 5.9 | 69 |
| 2002 | It's Black Entertainment | Self (archive footage) | Film | 8.7 | 69 |
| 2002 | Beat the Devil | Mr. James Brown | Film | 7.1 | 69 |
| 2001 | The Hire | Self | TV | 7.6 | 68 |
| 2001 | The UB40: Story of Reggae | Drummer | Film | — | 68 |
| 2001 | Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular | Self | Film | 10.0 | 68 |
| 1999 | Where Are They Now? | Self | TV | 7.5 | 66 |
| 1999 | James Brown: Live From The House Of Blues | Self | Film | — | 66 |
| 1998 | Blues Brothers 2000 | Cleophus James | Film | 5.3 | 65 |
| 1998 | Holy Man | James Brown | Film | 5.2 | 65 |
| 1997 | The View | Self | TV | 4.3 | 64 |
| 1996 | TFI Friday | Self | TV | 7.1 | 63 |
| 1996 | When We Were Kings | Self | Film | 7.6 | 63 |
| 1995 | Cincinnati's Rock 'N Roll Legends | Self | Film | 5.6 | 62 |
| 1994 | Duckman | Hostage Negotiator (voice) | TV | 7.2 | 61 |
| 1994 | New York Undercover | Self | TV | 7.3 | 61 |
| 1993 | RapLine | Self | Film | 10.0 | 60 |
| 1992 | Black Women, Sexual Politics and the Revolution | Film | — | 59 | |
| 1991 | James Brown Live in Berlin | Film | 7.0 | 58 | |
| 1991 | The Lost James Brown Tapes | Vocals | Film | — | 58 |
| 1990 | The Word | TV | 6.0 | 57 | |
| 1990 | Jacob's Ladder | Film | 7.4 | 57 | |
| 1989 | The Simpsons | James Brown (voice) | TV | 8.0 | 56 |
| 1989 | Legends of Rock 'n' Roll | James Brown | Film | 9.0 | 56 |
| 1988 | Yo! MTV Raps | Self | TV | 7.5 | 55 |
| 1987 | James Brown & Friends: A Night of Super Soul | Self | Film | — | 54 |
| 1986 | Amen | TV | 6.6 | 53 | |
| 1986 | Throb | TV | 6.3 | 53 | |
| 1985 | Rocky IV | The Godfather of Soul | Film | 7.1 | 52 |
| 1985 | James Brown - Live At Chastain Park | Himself | Film | 5.5 | 52 |
| 1984 | Miami Vice | Lou De Long | TV | 7.4 | 51 |
| 1983 | Doctor Detroit | Bandleader | Film | 5.1 | 50 |
| 1983 | When the Music's Over | Self | Film | — | 50 |
| 1981 | James Brown: Live at Montreux | Self | Film | 8.0 | 48 |
| 1981 | Walk Out | Film | — | 48 | |
| 1980 | The Blues Brothers | Cleophus James | Film | 7.7 | 47 |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center Honors | Self | TV | 7.4 | 45 |
| 1978 | James Brown Soul Brother No. 1 | Film | 8.0 | 45 | |
| 1974 | The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1974 | Self | Film | — | 41 |
| 1974 | James Brown: Soul Train 1973-1974 | Self | Film | — | 41 |
| 1973 | Black Caesar | Film | 5.8 | 40 | |
| 1973 | Slaughter's Big Rip-Off | Film | 4.8 | 40 | |
| 1971 | James Brown: Love Power Peace | Self | Film | — | 38 |
| 1970 | The Flip Wilson Show | Self | TV | 4.9 | 37 |
| 1970 | The Phynx | James Brown | Film | 3.5 | 37 |
| 1969 | Playboy After Dark | TV | 4.0 | 36 | |
| 1969 | The Music Scene | TV | 9.0 | 36 | |
| 1965 | Ski Party | Self | Film | 6.0 | 32 |
| 1964 | Shindig! | Self | TV | 6.4 | 31 |
| 1964 | The Hollywood Palace | Self | TV | 5.0 | 31 |
| 1964 | The T.A.M.I. Show | Self | Film | 7.9 | 31 |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self | TV | 7.5 | 29 |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self - Co-Host | TV | 5.8 | 28 |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self | TV | 5.8 | 28 |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self | TV | 6.8 | 15 |
| Future Shock | TV | 4.0 | — | ||
| Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer | Self (archive footage) | Film | — | — |