James Hetfield
Known for: Acting
James Alan Hetfield is an American musician and songwriter best known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionally performs lead guitar duties and solos, both live and in the studio. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering an advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler. Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and released ten studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays and 24 singles. In 2009, Hetfield was ranked at no. 8 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists and no. 24 by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time. In Guitar World's poll, Hetfield was placed as the 19th greatest guitarist of all time, as well as being placed second (along with Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett) in The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists poll of the same magazine. Rolling Stone placed Hetfield as the 87th greatest guitarist of all time. This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by contributors. Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Filmography
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Musical Guest
2015
Series
The Simpsons
William Rieflin (voice)
1989
Series
American Dad!
James Hetfield (voice)
2005
Series
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Series
Billions
Metallica
2016
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
Series
MTV Video Music Awards
Self
1984
Series
Classic Albums
Self - Guitarist, Vocalist, Metallica
1997
Series
De Wereld Draait Door
Self
2005
Series
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Self
2017
Series
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
Series
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
James Hetfield (voice)
2022
Series
Metalocalypse
Fan #1 (voice)
2006
Series
Metalocalypse
Sniper (voice)
2006
Series
Metalocalypse
Troll (voice)
2006
Series
Metalocalypse
Lorkey (voice)
2006
Series
Later... with Jools Holland
Self
1992
Series
History 101
Self (archive footage)
2020
Series
Skylanders Academy
Wolfgang (voice)
2016
Series
Seven Ages of Rock
Self
2007
Film
Ennio
Self
2022
Film
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Officer Bob Hayward
2019
Film
The Thicket
Simon Deasy
2024
Series
MTV Rockumentary
1989
Film
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2008
Film
Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017
2017
Series
Heavy Metal Heaven Hosted by Elvira
Himself - Metalica
1989
Film
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2012
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
Vocals, Guitars
2006
Film
Woodstock '99
2000
Film
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
Vocals, Guitars
2014
Film
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
Vocal, Guitar
2011
Series
Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis
Self
Film
The Darwin Awards
Self
2007
Film
Sad Hill Unearthed
Self - Musician
2018
Film
Metallica: Through the Never
Self
2013
Metallica: Rock in Rio
Vox, Guitars
2012
Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017
2017
Film
Metallica: Ride The Lightning
Self
1985
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
Self - Vocals, Guitar
1986
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Self
1999
Film
Absent
Self
2011
Film
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
2009
Film
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M
Self
1999
Film
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
Vocals, Guitars
2017
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
Vox, Guitars
1992
Film
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
Self
2003
Film
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit
Self
2021
Film
Metallican Vid
Self - Rhythm/Lead Vocal
1993
Film
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Self
2004
Film
Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow
Self
2025
Film
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Self
1992
Film
Ozzy: No Escape from Now
Self
2025
Film
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Metallica: 40th Anniversary Shows Live at Chase Center 2021
Film
Metallica Korea
2006
Film
Metallica: Wherever We May Roam
vocals, guitars
2021
Film
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
Self
2012
Film
Metallica Saved My Life
Self
2025
Series
The Big 4
Self
2011
Film
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
Vocalist, Guitarrist
2006
Film
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2001
Film
Lemmy
Self
2010
Film
Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
Self
2022
Series
The Hunt
Self - Narrator (voice)
2014
Film
Di'Anno: Iron Maiden's Lost Singer
Self
2025
Film
Metallica: Detroit, Michigan
Vox, Guitars
1986
Film
Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019
2019
Film
Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock
1991
Film
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
Self - vocals, guitars
2016
Film
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
Guitars
2010
Film
Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
Self
1992
Film
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
Self
1998
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
Vox, Guitars
1993
Film
Metallica: Woodstock '99
Self
1999
Film
Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo
2022
Film
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2
Self
2019
Film
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
Self
2010
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
Vox, Guitars
1983
Film
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
Self (segments "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said")
2005
Metallica: [2015] X Games
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2015
Film
Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre
Self
1989
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
Vox, Guitars
1993
Film
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
Self
2003
Film
Metallica: Woodstock '94
1994
Film
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
lead vocals, guitar
2020
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
Self
2007
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
Self
2014
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
Vox, Guitars
1989
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
Vox, Guitars
1986
Film
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Self
1992
Film
Metallica: Live at San Diego
Self
1992
Film
Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96
Self
2025
Film
Cum On Feel The Noize
Self
2017
Film
Metallica: The Black Album
2012
Film
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
Self - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
2009
Film
Metallica: Masters of Metal
Self
2014
Film
Metallica: Newark, Delaware
Self
1989
Film
2 of One
Self (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocal)
1989
Film
Metallica: Poor East Asian Me - Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea
Self
1998
Film
Metallica: MTV Icon
Self
2003
Metallica - Live Earth
Self
2007
Film
Metallica: Polar Beach Party
Self
2025
Film
Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album
Self - Metallica
Film
Metallica: Nagoya, Japan
Vox, Guitars
1986
Film
Metallica: Live Covers
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
1998
Metallica Touring Europe
2008
Film
Metallica: Day on the Green
Vox, Guitars
1985
'Tallica Parking Lot
Self (voice)
2014
Film
Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)
Self
2025
Film
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
1989
Film
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
Self
1972
Film
Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction
Self
2024
Film
Hard Rock Treasures
Self
2005
Film
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
Self
2014
Film
Mission to Lars
Self
2015
Film
Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly
Narrator
2017
Film
Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago
Self
2017
Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2012
Film
Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story
Self
2019
Film
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
Self
2020
Film
For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow
1992
Film
Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico
Vox, Guitars
1993
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
Voice & Rithm Guitar
2016
Film
Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life
Self
2006
Film
Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999
Self
2020
Film
Metallica: Cliff 'Em All
Self - Guitarist / Vocalist
1987
Film
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
Self - Vocals, Guitars
1988
Film
Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
2009
Film
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
Self - Guitar, Vocals
1992
Film
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
2012
Metallica: Live in Baltimore
Self - Vocals/Guitar
2000
Surfing Your Dreams
2013
Film
Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies
2021
Film
Live Metallica: Barcelona, Spain - May 5, 2019
2019
Film
Metallica: Making of S&M
Self - Guitar, Vocals
1999
Film
Metallica - Live At Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium - July 4th, 1993
2021
Film
Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert
Self
2022
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
Vocals, Guitars
2009
Film
Metallica - Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Outtakes
2021
Film
Metallica: Live in Muskegon, Michigan (November 1, 1991)
Self
2020
Metallica: Fan Can 6
Vocals, Guitars
2010
Film
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
Self - Vocals, Guitars
2013
Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2016
Film
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
Self
2020
Film
Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"
Self
2014
Film
Metallica - Live At Frankenhalle, Nuremberg, Germany - November 29th, 1992
2021
Film
Metallica: Live in Madrid, Spain - May 31, 2008
Self
2020
Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret
Self - Guitar, Vocals
1995
Metallica: The 30th Anniversary Event
Self
2011
Film
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 1
Self
2023
Film
Metallica - The All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction
2020
Randy Johnson: The Big Picture
2015
Film
Metallica Download Festival Germany
2022
Film
Metallica - Roskilde Festival
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
1986
Film
Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019
Self - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
2020
Film
Metallica: The Big 4 Live in Sofia
Vocals, guitars
2010
Film
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 2
Self
2023
Film
Metallica: Metal Hammer Festival
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
1985
Film
METALLICA the Complete Story
Self
2008
Metallica: from the off
Self
Film
Metallica - Live in Berlin 2019
2019
Metallica: [1990] Zwolle, Netherlands
1990
Film
Metallica: Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)
Self
2010
Film
Metallica: This Monster Lives
Self
2014
Film
Metallica: Live at Yankee Stadium - Bronx, New York - September 14, 2011
Self
2020
Film
Metallica - Live from Edmonton, Canada - August 16, 2017
vocals
2017
Film
Aural Amphetamine: Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash
Self
2008
Film
Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere
Self
2023
Film
Metallica: Live in Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014
Self
2020
Film
Rock Milestones: Metallica: Master of Puppets
2007
Film
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)
vocals, guitars
2021
Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2000
Film
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
vocals
2020
Film
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)
vocals, guitars
2021
Film
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2015
Film
Metallica: The Night Before
2016
Film
Metallica: Live in Chicago, Illinois - August 12, 1983
Self
2020
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
Self
2014
Film
Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction: Live & Acoustic From HQ
Self
2020
Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2008
Film
Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
2012
Film
Flying V
Self
2020
Film
Metallica - Global Citizen Festival 2022
2022
Film
Metallica: Live in Lincoln, Nebraska - September 6, 2018
Self
2021
Film
Metallica - Live at Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA - August 12, 2017)
2017
Film
Metallica at Raadi Airfield Estonia in Tartu
Self
Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019
Self
2019
Film
Metallica: Live in Salt Lake City, Utah - January 2, 1997
Self
2020
![Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w185/1EgjQW1qQqbq9b6sCa39qua7VCy.jpg)
Film
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]
Metallica: Live at Orion Music And More 2012 (1st Night)
2012
Film
Metallica: Making of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
2016
Film
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10th, 1991
Self
2021
Film
Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
1983
Film
Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
1994
Film
Metallica: Live in Nickelsdorf, Austria - June 10, 2012
Self
2020
Film
Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
1989
Film
Metallica: Fan Can 1
Self
1996
Film
Metallica at Lollapalooza 2022
self
2022
Film
Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey
Self / Narrator
2016
Film
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - June 13, 2004
Self
2020
Film
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
Self
2015
Film
Metallica: Sick Out Of Studio 2007 Oslo
Self
Film
Metallica: Live in Mexico City, Mexico - March 3, 2017
Self
2020
Film
Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – S&M
Self - Guitar, Vocals
1999
Film
Metallica - The Big 4 Live in Gothenburg, Sweden
Film
Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009
Self - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
2009
Film
Metallica: Live in Berlin, Germany - June 6, 2006
Cast
2020
Metallica: Fan Can 5
Vocals, Guitars
2006
Film
Metallica: Live in Lisbon, Portugal - June 28, 2007
Self
2020
Film
Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans
Self
2025
Film
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live in Amsterdam - Night 2
Self
2023
Film
Metallica: Live in Melbourne, Australia - March 1, 2013
Self
2020
Film
Metallica: Making Magnetic
2008
Film
Metallica: Live in Dallas, Texas - August 3, 2000
Self
2020
Film
Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007
Singer,Guitar
2007
Film
Hypnotizing Power: The Story of Master of Puppets
Self
2020