James Harper (born 8 October 1948; age 76) portrayed Rao Vantika in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first season episode "The Passenger".
Film work[]
Harper's film debut was the 1976 drama The Time of Your Life (with Norman Snow and Nicolas Surovy). In the 1980s Harper appeared in Firstborn (1984, with Terri Garr and Peter Weller) and Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989, with Jerry Rector, Camille Saviola, Frank Military and Mike Starr). Next for Harper that same year was his first telefilm Manhunt: Search for the Night Stalker (with Jake Dengel and Angela Paton). Harper concluded the decade with Blaze (1989, with Jerry Hardin).
In the 1990s, Harper appeared in Switch (1991, with Lily Mariye, Faith Minton and Robert Towers). That year also, Harper was seen in the thriller Servants of Twilight (with Bruce Greenwood, Patrick Massett and Carel Struycken). Harper's next movies were telefilms that year, starting with The Ernest Green Story (with Avery Brooks and Tina Lifford) and Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back (with Michael Krawic and Tim Ransom). In 1994 Harper was seen in Witch Hunt (alongside Clifton Collins, Jr., Christopher Darga, John Durbin, J. Patrick McCormack and Steve Susskind). In 1995, Harper appeared in If Someone Had Known (with Randy Oglesby and Jennifer Savidge). Harper worked opposite Irene Tsu in the adult-themed telefilm Widow's Kiss (1996). That year Harper also returned to the big screen first in One Tough Bastard reuniting with Clifton Collins, Jr. and also series guest Jeff Kober and Neal McDonough, followed by Down Periscope (starring Kelsey Grammer, with Toby Huss and Patton Oswalt). Harper then appeared in Armageddon (1998, co-written by J.J. Abrams, with J. Patrick McCormack, Jeff Austin, Brian Brophy, Jim Fitzpatrick, Googy Gress, Anthony Guidera, John Mahon, Matt Malloy, Jason Isaacs, Andy Milder, Marshall R. Teague, Lawrence Tierney and Peter White). Next was Lansky (1999, with Francis Guinan, Peggy Jo Jacobs, Michael Krawic, Kenneth Meseroll, Robert Miano, Bert Remsen, David Selburg and Tom Towles). That year, Harper appeared in The Insider (with Bruce McGill, Christopher Plummer and Vyto Ruginis).
Ushering in Harper's 21st century resume was lending his voice to the video game Diablo 2 (2000, with Paul Eiding, Frank Gorshin, Brian George, Castulo Guerra, Nina Minton and Ed Trotta). In 2001, Harper appeared in Squint (with Sam Hennings and Daniel Roebuck). In 2005, Harper achieved his first short film role in Psychic Driving (with Christopher Curry). Harper's next short was 2008's A Woman in the West (with Larry Cedar and Paula Malcomson), and Into the Unknown (2009, with Kelly Connell).
In 2010, Harper again lent his voice to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, with Paul Eiding and Armin Shimerman, with Michael Dorn, Robin Atkin Downes, Jason Marsden and Debra Wilson.
Television[]
In 1974, Harper worked in a Great Performances television production of William Shakespeare's "King Lear" with René Auberjonois, Franklyn Seales and Paul Sorvino.
1989 television guest roles[]
- Freddy's Nightmares (starring Robert Englund, with Frank Kopyc)
- Guns of Paradise episode "A Gathering of Guns" (with Charles Napier, Ray Walston and Time Winters)
- Dallas (with Joey Aresco, Ron Canada, Paul Eiding, Craig Richard Nelson and Andrew Prine)
- Beauty and the Beast (starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, with Edward Laurence Albert, Stephen McHattie, Armin Shimerman and Clement von Franckenstein)
1990s television guest roles[]
- Matlock (directed by Robert Scheerer, with Samantha Eggar)
- L.A. Law (1990, starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake, with Diana Muldaur, James Avery and Rif Hutton)
- Tour of Duty (1990, starring Dan Gauthier and with Patrick Kilpatrick)
- Quantum Leap (1990, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell, with J.G. Hertzler)
- Life Goes On (1991, starring Bill Smitrovich)
- Tequila and Bonetti (1992, starring Charles Rocket, directed by James Whitmore, Jr. and featuring Dennis Cockrum and Tim Russ)
- Sisters (1992, starring Ashley Judd)
- Deadly Games (1996, starring Christopher Lloyd with Mike Starr)
- Renegade (1993, starring Branscombe Richmond with Patrick Massett)
- The Burning Zone series premiere (1996, starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
- Frasier (1998, starring Dan Butler and Kelsey Grammer with Patrick Kerr)
- Profiler (1999, with Bradley Pierce and Lawrence Pressman)
- Chicago Hope (1999, starring Jayne Brook, with Mark L. Taylor)
2000s television guest roles[]
- NYPD Blue (2001, starring Gordon Clapp)
Harper was also seen as Jordan Lovell on General Hospital: Night Shift co-starring with Ray Proscia in the late summer and early autumn of 2007.