James Hetfield

Acting

1963-08-03 · Downey, California, USA

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

Di'Anno: Iron Maiden's Lost Singer

2025 · Movie

Ozzy: No Escape from Now

2025 · Movie

Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow

2025 · Movie

Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)

2025 · Movie

Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96

2025 · Movie

Metallica: Polar Beach Party

2025 · Movie

Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans

2025 · Movie

Metallica Saved My Life

2025 · Movie

Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction

2024 · Movie

The Thicket

2024 · Movie

On the Roam

2024 · Series

Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 2

2023 · Movie

Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 1

2023 · Movie

Metallica: M72 World Tour Live in Amsterdam - Night 2

2023 · Movie

Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere

2023 · Movie

Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert

2022 · Movie

Metallica - Global Citizen Festival 2022

2022 · Movie

Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head

2022 · Series

Metallica at Lollapalooza 2022

2022 · Movie

Metallica Live Hellfest 2022

2022 · Movie

Metallica Download Festival Germany

2022 · Movie

Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo

2022 · Movie

Ennio

2022 · Movie

Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)

2021 · Movie

Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)

2021 · Movie

Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit

2021 · Movie

Metallica: Wherever We May Roam

2021 · Movie

Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies

2021 · Movie

Metallica - Live At Frankenhalle, Nuremberg, Germany - November 29th, 1992

2021 · Movie

Metallica - Live At Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium - July 4th, 1993

2021 · Movie

Metallica - Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Outtakes

2021 · Movie

Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10th, 1991

2021 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Lincoln, Nebraska - September 6, 2018

2021 · Movie

MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains

2020 · Movie

Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction: Live & Acoustic From HQ

2020 · Movie

Metallica - The All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction

2020 · Movie

Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away

2020 · Movie

Flying V

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Mexico City, Mexico - March 3, 2017

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Yankee Stadium - Bronx, New York - September 14, 2011

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - June 13, 2004

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Dallas, Texas - August 3, 2000

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Berlin, Germany - June 6, 2006

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Lisbon, Portugal - June 28, 2007

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Madrid, Spain - May 31, 2008

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Melbourne, Australia - March 1, 2013

2020 · Movie

Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Salt Lake City, Utah - January 2, 1997

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014

2020 · Movie

History 101

2020 · Series

Metallica: Live in Chicago, Illinois - August 12, 1983

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Nickelsdorf, Austria - June 10, 2012

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Muskegon, Michigan (November 1, 1991)

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015

2020 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Slane Castle

2020 · Movie

Hypnotizing Power: The Story of Master of Puppets

2020 · Movie

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2

2019 · Movie

Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019

2019 · Movie

Metallica - Live in Berlin 2019

2019 · Movie

Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story

2019 · Movie

Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019

2019 · Movie

Live Metallica: Barcelona, Spain - May 5, 2019

2019 · Movie

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

2019 · Movie

Sad Hill Unearthed

2018 · Movie

Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington

2017 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017

2017 · Movie

Metallica - Live from Edmonton, Canada - August 16, 2017

2017 · Movie

Metallica - Live at Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA - August 12, 2017)

2017 · Movie

Carpool Karaoke: The Series

2017 · Series

Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago

2017 · Movie

Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017

2017 · Movie

Metallica WorldWired North American Tour 2017

2017 · Movie

Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017

2017 · Movie

Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly

2017 · Movie

Cum On Feel The Noize

2017 · Movie

Metallica: Making of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct

2016 · Movie

Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos

2016 · Movie

Metallica: Live from The House of Vans

2016 · Movie

Skylanders Academy

2016 · Series

Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey

2016 · Movie

Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley

2016 · Movie

Metallica: The Night Before

2016 · Movie

Billions

2016 · Series

Mission to Lars

2015 · Movie

Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015

2015 · Movie

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015 · Series

Randy Johnson: The Big Picture

2015 · Movie

Metallica: [2015] X Games

2015 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015

2015 · Movie

Metallica: Masters of Metal

2014 · Movie

Metallica Live at Blizzcon

2014 · Movie

Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II

2014 · Movie

'Tallica Parking Lot

2014 · Movie

Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014

2014 · Movie

The Hunt

2014 · Series

Metallica: This Monster Lives

2014 · Movie

Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning

2014 · Movie

Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"

2014 · Movie

Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica

2013 · Movie

Metallica: Through the Never

2013 · Movie

Surfing Your Dreams

2013 · Movie

Metallica: Quebec Magnetic

2012 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival

2012 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Orion Music And More 2012 (1st Night)

2012 · Movie

Metallica: The Black Album

2012 · Movie

Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012

2012 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012

2012 · Movie

Metallica: Rock in Rio

2012 · Movie

Anton Corbijn Inside Out

2012 · Movie

Metallica: The 30th Anniversary Event

2011 · Movie

Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011

2011 · Movie

Absent

2011 · Movie

The Big 4

2011 · Series

Metallica: Fan Can 6

2010 · Movie

The Big Four: Live in Sofia

2010 · Movie

Metallica: The Big 4 Live in Sofia

2010 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Sonisphere

2010 · Movie

Metallica: Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)

2010 · Movie

Lemmy

2010 · Movie

Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City

2009 · Movie

Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009

2009 · Movie

Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen

2009 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009

2009 · Movie

Metallica: Français pour une nuit

2009 · Movie

METALLICA the Complete Story

2008 · Movie

Metallica: Making Magnetic

2008 · Movie

Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival

2008 · Movie

Metallica - Rock AM Ring

2008 · Movie

Aural Amphetamine: Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash

2008 · Movie

Metallica Touring Europe

2008 · Movie

Metallica: Up Close and Personal

2007 · Movie

Metallica - Live Earth

2007 · Movie

Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007

2007 · Movie

The Darwin Awards

2007 · Movie

Seven Ages of Rock

2007 · Series

Rock Milestones: Metallica: Master of Puppets

2007 · Movie

Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004

2006 · Movie

Metallica Korea

2006 · Movie

Metalocalypse

2006 · Series

Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006

2006 · Movie

Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life

2006 · Movie

Metallica: Fan Can 5

2006 · Movie

De Wereld Draait Door

2005 · Series

The Work of Director Anton Corbijn

2005 · Movie

Hard Rock Treasures

2005 · Movie

American Dad!

2005 · Series

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

2005 · Series

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

2004 · Movie

Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5

2003 · Movie

Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals

2003 · Movie

Metallica: MTV Icon

2003 · Movie

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

2003 · Series

Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica

2001 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Baltimore

2000 · Movie

Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland

2000 · Movie

Woodstock '99

2000 · Movie

Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M

1999 · Movie

Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra ‎– S&M

1999 · Movie

Metallica: Making of S&M

1999 · Movie

Metallica: Woodstock '99

1999 · Movie

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

1999 · Movie

Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria

1999 · Movie

Metallica: Cunning Stunts

1998 · Movie

Metallica: Live Covers

1998 · Movie

Metallica: Poor East Asian Me - Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea

1998 · Movie

Classic Albums

1997 · Series

Metallica: Fan Can 1

1996 · Movie

Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret

1995 · Movie

Metallica: Woodstock '94

1994 · Movie

Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994

1994 · Movie

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

1994 · Series

Metallican Vid

1993 · Movie

Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland

1993 · Movie

Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile

1993 · Movie

Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico

1993 · Movie

Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands

1992 · Movie

For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow

1992 · Movie

Later... with Jools Holland

1992 · Series

Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica

1992 · Movie

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

1992 · Movie

Metallica: Live at San Diego

1992 · Movie

Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992

1992 · Movie

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

1992 · Movie

Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock

1991 · Movie

Metallica: [1990] Zwolle, Netherlands

1990 · Movie

Heavy Metal Heaven Hosted by Elvira

1989 · Series

The Simpsons

1989 · Series

Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989

1989 · Movie

Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre

1989 · Movie

Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989

1989 · Movie

Metallica: Newark, Delaware

1989 · Movie

Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY

1989 · Movie

2 of One

1989 · Movie

MTV Rockumentary

1989 · Series

Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon

1988 · Movie

Metallica: Cliff 'Em All

1987 · Movie

Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada

1986 · Movie

Metallica: Nagoya, Japan

1986 · Movie

Metallica - Roskilde Festival

1986 · Movie

Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY

1986 · Movie

Metallica: Detroit, Michigan

1986 · Movie

Metallica: Metal Hammer Festival

1985 · Movie

Metallica: Day on the Green

1985 · Movie

Metallica: Ride The Lightning

1985 · Movie

MTV Video Music Awards

1984 · Series

Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983

1983 · Movie

Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone

1983 · Movie

Deep Purple: Made In Japan

1972 · Movie

Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis

Series

Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album

Movie

Metallica at Raadi Airfield Estonia in Tartu

Movie

Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge

Movie

Metallica - The Big 4 Live in Gothenburg, Sweden

Movie

Metallica: Sick Out Of Studio 2007 Oslo

Movie

Metallica: 40th Anniversary Shows Live at Chase Center 2021

Movie

Metallica: from the off

Movie

Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]

Movie