James Hetfield
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1963-08-03 (61 years old)
Place of Birth
Downey, California, USA
James Hetfield
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.
Known For
Acting
Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album
as Self - Metallica
Metallica: from the off
as Self
(2025)
Metallica Saved My Life
as Self
(2025)
(2024)
The Thicket
as Simon Deasy
(2024)
(2023)
(2023)
(2023)
(2023)
(2022)
Ennio
as Self
(2022)
(2022)
(2022)
(2022)
(2022)
(2022)
Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
as SELF
(2021)
(2021)
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)
as vocals, guitars
(2021)
(2021)
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)
as vocals, guitars
(2021)
(2021)
Metallica - Wherever We May Roam
as vocals, guitars
(2021)
(2021)
(2021)
(2021)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019
as Himself - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
(2020)
(2020)
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
as lead vocals, guitar
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
Flying V
as Self
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2019)
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
as Officer Bob Hayward
(2019)
(2019)
(2019)
(2019)
Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019
as James Hetfield
(2019)
(2019)
(2018)
Sad Hill Unearthed
as Self - Musician
(2017)
(2017)
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
as Self (archive footage)
(2017)
Cum On Feel The Noize
as Self
(2017)
(2017)
(2017)
(2017)
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
as Vocals, Guitars
(2017)
(2017)
(2016)
(2016)
(2016)
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
as Voice & Rithm Guitar
(2016)
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
as Vocals, guitars
(2016)
Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2016)
Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey
as Himself, Narrator
(2015)
Mission to Lars
as Himself
(2015)
Metallica: Rock in Rio USA 2015
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2015)
(2015)
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2015)
Metallica: [2015] X Games
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2014)
(2014)
Metallica: Masters of Metal
as Himself
(2014)
(2014)
'Tallica Parking Lot
as James Hetfield (voice)
(2014)
(2014)
Metallica: This Monster Lives
as Himself
(2014)
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
as Vocals, Guitars
(2014)
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
as Himself
(2014)
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
as Himself
(2013)
Metallica: Through the Never
as Himself
(2013)
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
as Self - Vocals, Guitars
(2013)
(2013)
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2013
as Self - Vocals, Guitars
(2012)
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(2012)
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
as Self
(2012)
Metallica: Rock in Rio
as Vox, Guitars
(2012)
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2012)
Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2012)
(2012)
Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2012)
(2011)
Absent
as Himself
(2011)
(2011)
(2011)
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
as Vocal, Guitar
(2010)
(2010)
Lemmy
as Self
(2010)
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
as Guitars
(2010)
Metallica: Fan Can 6
as Vocals, Guitars
(2010)
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
as James Hetfield
(2010)
Metallica - The Big 4 Live in Sofia
as Vocals, guitars
(2009)
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(2009)
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(2009)
Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(2009)
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
as Vocals, Guitars
(2009)
Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009
as Himself - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
(2008)
(2008)
(2008)
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2008)
METALLICA the Complete Story
as Himself
(2008)
(2008)
(2008)
Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2007)
(2007)
Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007
as Singer,Guitar
(2007)
Metallica - Live Earth
as Himself
(2007)
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
as Himself
(2006)
The Darwin Awards
as Self
(2006)
(2006)
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
as Vocalist, Guitarrist
(2006)
Metallica: Live in Seoul 2006
as Vocals, Guitars
(2006)
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
as Vocals, Guitars
(2006)
Metallica: Fan Can 5
as Vocals, Guitars
(2005)
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
as Self (segments "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said")
(2005)
Hard Rock Treasures
as Self
(2004)
(2003)
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
as Himself
(2003)
Metallica: MTV Icon
as Himself
(2001)
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(2000)
Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(1999)
(1999)
Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – S&M
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
(1999)
Metallica: Making of S&M
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
(1999)
Metallica: Woodstock '99
as Self
(1999)
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(1998)
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
as Self
(1998)
Metallica: Live Covers
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(1996)
Metallica: Fan Can 1
as Self
(1995)
The History of Rock 'n' Roll
as Self
(1995)
Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
(1994)
(1994)
Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994
as Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
(1993)
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
as Self - Guitar, Vocals
(1993)
Metallican Vid
as Himself (Rhythm/Lead Vocal)
(1993)
Metallica: [1993] Mexico City, Mexico
as Vox, Guitars
(1993)
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
as Vox, Guitars
(1993)
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
as Vox, Guitars
(1992)
(1992)
(1992)
(1992)
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
as Vox, Guitars
(1992)
Metallica: Live at San Diego
as Himself
(1991)
(1990)
(1989)
Metallica - Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(1989)
(1989)
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
as Vox, Guitars
(1989)
(1989)
2 of One
as Himself (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocal)
(1988)
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
as Self - Vocals, Guitars
(1987)
Metallica - Cliff 'Em All
as Himself (Guitarist / Vocalist)
(1986)
Metallica: [1986] Detroit, Michigan
as Vox, Guitars
(1986)
Metallica - Roskilde Festival
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(1986)
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
as Vox, Guitars
(1986)
Metallica: [1986] Nagoya, Japan
as Vox, Guitars
(1986)
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
as Self - Vocals, Guitar
(1985)
(1985)
Metallica - Metal Hammer Festival
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(1985)
Metallica: [1985] Day on the Green
as Vox, Guitars
(1983)
Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983
as Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
(1983)
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
as Vox, Guitars
(1972)
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
as Self
Crew
(2019)
(2017)
(2014)
'Tallica Parking Lot
Writer
(2013)
Metallica: Through the Never
Writer, Original Music Composer
(2012)
(1999)
(1999)