James Hetfield
Acting • Born 1963-08-03
Biography
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
215 credits
Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007
Movie • 2007
Singer,Guitar
Metallican Vid
Movie • 1993
Self - Rhythm/Lead Vocal
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Movie • 2004
Self
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M
Movie • 1999
Self
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
Movie • 2009
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Wherever We May Roam
Movie • 2021
vocals, guitars
Metallica - Live At Frankenhalle, Nuremberg, Germany - November 29th, 1992
Movie • 2021
Metallica - Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Outtakes
Movie • 2021
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10th, 1991
Movie • 2021
Self
Metallica - Live At Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium - July 4th, 1993
Movie • 2021
Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies
Movie • 2021
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit
Movie • 2021
Self
The Thicket
Movie • 2024
Simon Deasy
Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere
Movie • 2023
Self
Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017
Movie • 2017
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
Movie • 2009
Self - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Cum On Feel The Noize
Movie • 2017
Self
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
Movie • 1998
Self
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
Movie • 1992
Self - Guitar, Vocals
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
Movie • 2010
Guitars
Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
Movie • 1992
Self
Metallica: Cliff 'Em All
Movie • 1987
Self - Guitarist / Vocalist
METALLICA the Complete Story
Movie • 2008
Self
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)
Movie • 2021
vocals, guitars
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)
Movie • 2021
vocals, guitars
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
Movie • 2003
Self
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
Movie • 1972
Self
Metallica: Fan Can 6
Movie • 2010
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
Movie • 2006
Vocalist, Guitarrist
Metallica: Sick Out Of Studio 2007 Oslo
Movie
Self
Metallica Touring Europe
Movie • 2008
Lemmy
Movie • 2010
Self
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
Movie • 2011
Vocal, Guitar
Ennio
Movie • 2022
Self
Metallica: Live at Orion Music And More 2012 (1st Night)
Movie • 2012
Metallica: The 30th Anniversary Event
Movie • 2011
Self
Metallica: MTV Icon
Movie • 2003
Self
Aural Amphetamine: Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash
Movie • 2008
Self
Metallica: Making Magnetic
Movie • 2008
Absent
Movie • 2011
Self
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
Movie • 2012
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: [1990] Zwolle, Netherlands
Movie • 1990
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 1
Movie • 2023
Self
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 2
Movie • 2023
Self
Metallica - The Big 4 Live in Gothenburg, Sweden
Movie
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live in Amsterdam - Night 2
Movie • 2023
Self
Metallica: Through the Never
Movie • 2013
Self
Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey
Movie • 2016
Self / Narrator
Rock Milestones: Metallica: Master of Puppets
Movie • 2007
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
Movie • 2007
Self
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
Movie • 2013
Self - Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival
Movie • 2012
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo
Movie • 2022
Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story
Movie • 2019
Self
Surfing Your Dreams
Movie • 2013
Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
Movie • 2014
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica at Lollapalooza 2022
Movie • 2022
self
Hard Rock Treasures
Movie • 2005
Self
Metallica - Global Citizen Festival 2022
Movie • 2022
Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
Movie • 2022
Self
Metallica Download Festival Germany
Movie • 2022
Metallica: Masters of Metal
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert
Movie • 2022
Self
'Tallica Parking Lot
Movie • 2014
Self (voice)
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica: The Night Before
Movie • 2016
Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album
Movie
Self - Metallica
Metallica: Rock in Rio
Movie • 2012
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
Movie • 1993
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
Movie • 2006
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
Movie • 1993
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
Movie • 1992
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
Movie • 1989
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: Day on the Green
Movie • 1985
Vox, Guitars
Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983
Movie • 1983
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
Movie • 1983
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret
Movie • 1995
Self - Guitar, Vocals
Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival
Movie • 2008
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Movie • 1999
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live Covers
Movie • 1998
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico
Movie • 1993
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland
Movie • 2000
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: [2015] X Games
Movie • 2015
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley
Movie • 2016
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: from the off
Movie
Self
Metallica: Detroit, Michigan
Movie • 1986
Vox, Guitars
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
Movie • 1986
Vox, Guitars
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
Movie • 2012
Self
Metallica: Newark, Delaware
Movie • 1989
Self
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
Movie • 1989
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
Movie • 2016
Voice & Rithm Guitar
Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly
Movie • 2017
Narrator
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
Movie • 1988
Self - Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: This Monster Lives
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
Movie • 2015
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
Movie • 2016
Self - vocals, guitars
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Movie • 1992
Self
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
Movie • 2017
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Fan Can 5
Movie • 2006
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
Movie • 2008
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
Movie • 2005
Self (segments "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said")
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
Movie • 2001
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Movie • 2019
Officer Bob Hayward
Metallica: Woodstock '99
Movie • 1999
Self
Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago
Movie • 2017
Self
Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – S&M
Movie • 1999
Self - Guitar, Vocals
Metallica - Live Earth
Movie • 2007
Self
Metallica: Making of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
Movie • 2016
Sad Hill Unearthed
Movie • 2018
Self - Musician
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
Movie • 2009
Vocals, Guitars
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
Movie • 2012
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life
Movie • 2006
Self
Live Metallica: Barcelona, Spain - May 5, 2019
Movie • 2019
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2
Movie • 2019
Self
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
Movie • 2014
Self
Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre
Movie • 1989
Self
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
Movie • 2017
Self (archive footage)
Metallica at Raadi Airfield Estonia in Tartu
Movie
Self
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
Movie • 2010
Self
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
Movie • 2020
lead vocals, guitar
Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017
Movie • 2017
Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019
Movie • 2019
Self
Metallica - Live at Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA - August 12, 2017)
Movie • 2017
![Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/1EgjQW1qQqbq9b6sCa39qua7VCy.jpg)
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]
Movie
Mission to Lars
Movie • 2015
Self
Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009
Movie • 2009
Self - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
Movie • 2020
vocals
Metallica - Live from Edmonton, Canada - August 16, 2017
Movie • 2017
vocals
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
Movie • 2015
Self
Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012
Movie • 2012
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live in Muskegon, Michigan (November 1, 1991)
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Nickelsdorf, Austria - June 10, 2012
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Chicago, Illinois - August 12, 1983
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Ride The Lightning
Movie • 1985
Self
Metallica: Metal Hammer Festival
Movie • 1985
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live in Salt Lake City, Utah - January 2, 1997
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Melbourne, Australia - March 1, 2013
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019
Movie • 2020
Self - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Metallica: Live in Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live at San Diego
Movie • 1992
Self
Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994
Movie • 1994
Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
An Evening with Lou Reed & Metallica - Live at Rockpalast
Movie • 2011
Metallica: Nagoya, Japan
Movie • 1986
Vox, Guitars
Metallica - Roskilde Festival
Movie • 1986
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: The Black Album
Movie • 2012
Metallica: Woodstock '94
Movie • 1994
Metallica: Live in Lisbon, Portugal - June 28, 2007
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)
Movie • 2010
Self
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Movie • 1992
Self
Metallica: Live in Mexico City, Mexico - March 3, 2017
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Berlin, Germany - June 6, 2006
Movie • 2020
Cast
Metallica: Live at Yankee Stadium - Bronx, New York - September 14, 2011
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Madrid, Spain - May 31, 2008
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - June 13, 2004
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Dallas, Texas - August 3, 2000
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction: Live & Acoustic From HQ
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica - The All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction
Movie • 2020
Flying V
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Making of S&M
Movie • 1999
Self - Guitar, Vocals
Metallica - Live in Berlin 2019
Movie • 2019
Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989
Movie • 1989
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019
Movie • 2019
Metallica: Live in Lincoln, Nebraska - September 6, 2018
Movie • 2021
Self
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
Movie • 2020
Self
2 of One
Movie • 1989
Self (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocal)
Hypnotizing Power: The Story of Master of Puppets
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: Fan Can 1
Movie • 1996
Self
Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen
Movie • 2009
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock
Movie • 1991
Randy Johnson: The Big Picture
Movie • 2015
Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction
Movie • 2024
Self
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
Movie • 2020
Self
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
Movie • 1986
Self - Vocals, Guitar
Metallica: The Big 4 Live in Sofia
Movie • 2010
Vocals, guitars
The Darwin Awards
Movie • 2007
Self
Metallica Saved My Life
Movie • 2025
Self
Metallica: 40th Anniversary Shows Live at Chase Center 2021
Movie
Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans
Movie • 2025
Self
Metallica: Polar Beach Party
Movie • 2025
Self
Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96
Movie • 2025
Self
Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)
Movie • 2025
Self
Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow
Movie
Self
Metallica: Live in Baltimore
Movie • 2000
Self - Vocals/Guitar
For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow
Movie • 1992
Ozzy: No Escape from Now
Movie • 2025
Self
Di'Anno: Iron Maiden's Lost Singer
Movie • 2025
Self
Woodstock '99
Movie • 2000
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge
Movie
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
William Rieflin (voice)
Metalocalypse
TV • 2006
Fan #1 (voice)
De Wereld Draait Door
TV • 2005
Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
TV • 2005
Self
The Hunt
TV • 2014
Self - Narrator (voice)
Classic Albums
TV • 1997
Self - Guitarist, Vocalist, Metallica
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
Skylanders Academy
TV • 2016
Wolfgang (voice)
Later... with Jools Holland
TV • 1992
Self
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
TV • 2017
Self
Metalocalypse
TV • 2006
Lorkey (voice)
Metalocalypse
TV • 2006
Troll (voice)
Metalocalypse
TV • 2006
Sniper (voice)
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self
Billions
TV • 2016
Self
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
TV • 1994
History 101
TV • 2020
Self (archive footage)
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Musical Guest
American Dad!
TV • 2005
James Hetfield (voice)
The Big 4
TV • 2011
Self
Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis
TV
Self
Seven Ages of Rock
TV • 2007
Self
MTV Rockumentary
TV • 1989
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
TV • 2022
James Hetfield (voice)