James Woods Has a New Love

He's passionate, energetic, wildly gifted, and proven. An evening with the irresistible James Woods was a treat beyond compare.

We met in a lovely restaurant in Connecticut. Although we sat in a quiet booth in the corner in order to dine undisturbed, a myriad of fans couldn't resist; they had to come over to tell Jimmy how much he was loved. Never was a man so gracious and sweet. He chitchatted with his fans like the guy next door. He explained to my husband and me that he never turned a fan away. After all, it is the constant stream of loyal fans who allow Jimmy to live a life of lavishness, success, and abundance. Well, it is the fans along with the successful movies he has been making every year since 1972!

Listen to Mom

From the moment Jimmy sat down to join us, his cell phone rang nonstop; he soon put it on "vibrate" so that the ring would not continue to interrupt us. Not long into the interview, he looked at his vibrating phone and explained apologetically that he had to take the call, as it was his mom. "Hi, Mom. Yes, I'm at the interview. No, Mom, I won't swear. OK, Mom, no four-letter words. What, Mom? Clint Eastwood is trying to track me down? OK, Mom, I'll call him back tonight. I won't forget … no swearing. Gotta go now!"

Family

Mom's phone call got us talking about Jimmy's wonderful family. He was born in Vernal, Utah, on April 18, 1947, to two loving parents. His baby brother, Michael, came along almost 10 years later. Jimmy described how cute his little brother was. "When he was 2, he would come with me on my paper route, but he would get so tired, I would carry him home in the bag. He was so cute."

Jimmy remembers that when he was a little boy, his dad, a big, strong, gentle country man would sit Jimmy on his lap and recite Shakespeare to him. His dad was an Army intelligence officer, who took the time to make breakfast on Sundays for his wife, Martha.

One bleak day in 1960, Jimmy's dad went in for an aortic operation. He died in Martha's arms and the family was devastated. It was a senseless tragedy. Little brother Michael was only 3. Jimmy reminisced: "Dad was a wonderful man. He sent money to his mother. He took care of business; he was a good man. Before he died, he called my 3-year-old brother, Michael, and told him, 'I died, but God let me call you to say goodbye.' As for me, Dad wrote me the most wonderful goodbye letter."

What Doesn't Kill You Will Make You Stronger

"One of the things I learned through the years is that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. I'm not good-looking. I had devotion from my parents. Mom did everything for me. I just decided I would never take no for an answer."

When Jimmy said he wasn't good-looking, I immediately began to protest. No sooner than the words came out of my mouth, a fan came to the table: "Mr. Woods, I am so sorry to interrupt, but I have loved your work for so many years. I am such an admirer … and you are so handsome in person!" That settled it.

Fact Checking

I explained to Jimmy that I did a bit of research before the interview and wanted to make sure my facts were correct. Was his IQ really 180? "No, it's not," he answered emphatically. It's 184! I read that he is against capital punishment. Untrue. I read that he was a reserve police officer. Untrue.

I heard that on his SAT, he scored a perfect 800 on the verbal section but bombed on the math section and scored a measly 770. That was incorrect, as well. He had a perfect verbal score and 779 on the math section.

It was clear to see how Jimmy could have a perfect verbal score. The guy is wonderfully articulate, educated, fascinating, and an active thinker with ideas on every subject. Yet, he is down-to-earth, unabashedly honest, and endlessly charming. For example, when we began speaking about poker, he said: "I would rather play poker [than hang with Hollywood types] because I meet a better class of people! There are so many blowhards in my business. I meet nice people in poker. And I want to earn the right to be considered a great poker player."

Follow Your Heart

In high school, Jimmy was always put in classes for the gifted kids. His brother described him like this: "James was quiet, and always in his room with the door closed, studying. He wore those thin ties and white socks. My brother was the ultimate high school nerd." I asked Jimmy about the accuracy of that statement, and he readily agreed.

With a genius IQ and an almost perfect SAT score, Jimmy hoped to become an eye surgeon. A terrible accident destroyed his right hand, and becoming a surgeon was no longer an option. Instead, he accepted a political science scholarship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In his freshman year, he joined MIT's Drama Workshop and never looked back. By his senior year, he had appeared in 36 plays. A few months before graduation, he called his mother to tell her he had dropped out of college to become an actor. He described the silence on the other end of the phone as "the longest pause in the history of telephonic communication." Then, Mom spoke. She told him that before she married his father, everyone said she was too young. But, she followed her heart and never regretted it for a moment. She told Jimmy to follow his heart, but "whatever you choose, be the best you possibly can." He certainly followed Mom's advice.

As a matter of fact, when he was interviewed on the Howard Stern show, he gave a caller that very same advice: "Follow your heart."

Staggering Volume

For those of us who haven't exactly followed the career of James Woods, it is staggering to learn about the sheer volume of his work and the commensurate success that followed. Jimmy has been in a movie almost every year since 1972. Let's take a look:

Northfork (2003), Stuart Little 2 (voice, 2002), John Q (2002), Riding in Cars With Boys (2001), Final Fantasy (voice, 2001), Recess: School's Out (2001), Race to Space (2000), Play It to the Bone (1999), Any Given Sunday (1999), The General's Daughter (1999), True Crime (1999), Hercules: Zero to Hero (voice, 1999), The Virgin Suicides (1999), Vampires (1998), Another Day in Paradise (1998), Contact (1997), Hercules (voice, 1997), Kicked in the Head (1997), For Better or Worse (1996), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996), Casino (1995), Nixon (1995), Curse of the Starving Class (1994), The Getaway (1994), The Specialist (1994), Chaplin (1992), Diggstown (1992), Straight Talk (1992), The Hard Way (1991), Immediate Family (1989), True Believer (1989), The Boost (1988), Best Seller (1987), Cop (1987), Salvador (1986), Cat's Eye (1985), Joshua Then and Now (1985), Against All Odds (1984), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Videodrome (1983), Fast-Walking (1982), Split Image (1982), Eyewitness (1981), The Black Marble (1980), The Onion Field (1979), The Choirboys (1977), Alex and the Gypsy (1976), Distance (1975), Night Moves (1975), The Gambler (1974), The Way We Were (1973), Hickey & Boggs (1972), and The Visitors (1972).

Long after it was well-deserved, his devoted fans were thrilled when James Woods finally received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October of 1998.

His New Love

James Woods is the kind of man who will dive wholeheartedly into a project. When he is interested in something, he allows it to consume him until he masters the task.

One day, not too long ago, the poker bug bit him. Now, Jimmy talks the poker talk and walks the poker walk. He plays, analyzes hands, reads about poker, and then plays some more – every day. He wants to achieve greatness, and, surely, he will.

Jimmy told me that he asked Barry Greenstein to teach him, but Barry told him that he wasn't ready for lessons yet! When I asked Barry if he really said that, he scrunched up his face and thought for a moment: "Well, not exactly."

During our chat, Jimmy kept asking my husband, Barry, how certain hands should be played. Jimmy hungers for poker information. Each time, Barry began: "It depends … " Upon hearing that, Jimmy complained: "Every time I ask Kathy Liebert what to do in a certain situation, she says: 'It depends.' When I seek advice, it is always, 'It depends.' When all is said and done, sometimes it's just pure gambling and raw instinct, and that's when it's the most fun."

I asked Kathy about the advice she gave Jimmy, and she said: "James is going to do very well because he is thinking about poker and analyzing every situation. I believe I gave him the most valuable advice, which is: There isn't one answer to a question about poker. It always depends on so many other factors." That coming from the first woman to win a million dollars in a tournament is probably pretty good advice.

He's Bluffing!

Even though James Woods is a newcomer to the world of poker, he knows all about the "bluff." When he left MIT, he moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. When doors were not opening, he "bluffed" his way in.

His first important part was in Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy in 1971. "I waited until the stage manager went to the bathroom and then just walked out on stage. I said, 'I'm next,' and auditioned. They wanted only resident British actors with real British accents. I said I was from Liverpool, and they said, 'Great,' and hired me."

Jimmy continues to work on his bluffing techniques, and proudly recalled a bluff he put on Mike Sexton in Vince Van Patten's home game. He used his acting skills to dramatically overbet the pot, knowing Mike had the better hand, but believing Mike would be too conservative to call. The first time Mike learned he had been bluffed was in the Card Player cover story featuring Mike Sexton.

Jimmy explained that poker players think he's a doofus, and he exploits that image by pretending to play a simplistic game. There was a hand against Men Nguyen in which Men bet $2,500 and Jimmy quickly went all in. Men thought and thought, and mumbled that Jimmy must have hit his hand. This was another successful bluff for Jimmy, which Men will learn when he reads this story!

Hollywood Poker

James Woods has shown himself to be a part of the poker world, not just an actor playing poker. He sits and jokes with us and tries his best to take our money. He wants to be respected for being a great poker player, and he is constantly working on his game.

During the PartyPoker cruise earlier this year, he was asked to speak to a room full of delighted poker players. He joked with the cheering crowd: "Well, you can all stop clamoring and cheering for me now. I know what you're really thinking. Be nice to the sucker. Well, you've already busted me!"

How fitting it is that an accomplished actor, a trusted and known face, and a poker player would start a poker site. Jimmy, Vince Van Patten, and other celebrities recently launched their new site, www.HollywoodPoker.com.

James Woods and Vince Van Patten

"Many intelligent people do not feel comfortable giving their credit card number to someone they don't know from a third-world country. People will see that James Woods is sponsoring it, and I gotta believe that people will trust me. You can go to a movie and spend $100 on bad popcorn to see a guy with his hat on backwards. Or, you can come have fun and try to win my money. I play there often, as do my brother, Michael, Vince Van Patten, and plenty of others. I want to play poker with my fans and hopefully beat the – – – – out of my celebrity friends!"

World Poker Tour commentator Vince Van Patten is in on the fun, as well. "Poker is taking Hollywood by storm, and there's nothing better than bluffing a major actor." He promises to be there often, and challenges anyone to come join the fun.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Jimmy has the uncanny ability to take a complicated concept, boil it down to its least common denominator, and discuss it simplistically, yet accurately.

He spoke about the famous French philosopher Merleau-Ponty (1908-61), who believed that our beings pass on a long physical and biological history of preconceived notions. With those subconscious notions, we view and understand the world. We don't consciously do this, it just happens before our eyes. Because our notions and the world are constantly changing, this causes a state of chaos.

"As an actor, one day there is a defining moment. The philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty said the universe is a place of chaos. Yet, there is a wonderful moment when there is a contingency of things where it seems that everything comes together. That happened to me as an actor, and I see it in poker, as well. In poker, there is a moment when there seems to be a harmony of perfection where everything is working." Jimmy is on the path to experience that "perfect" poker moment.

Humor and Wit

His humor is dry and his incisive wit is so sharp that he should host a talk show. I mentioned to him that I did two long interviews that day – his and John Juanda's in the VIP lounge at Foxwoods earlier that day. I told Jimmy that John asked me to point out to him that John's interview was first. With a mischievous grin, Jimmy laughed and didn't miss a beat: "I loved the great dinner. How did John Juanda like the food in the VIP lounge that was probably sitting there for days?"

When All is Said and Done

When all is said and done, James Woods is an intense, accomplished, vivacious individual who loves the game of poker as much as everyone reading this article. There is no doubt that with his natural skills and drive to be the best, he will one day win a big tournament. The only question is when.

Jimmy said, "I took up hold'em a year ago and said I am going to become the best I can and play every day, read about it every day, and speak to people about it every day." How many players work this hard to be a winner? Probably, only the best.