詹姆斯生于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶市。受教于洛杉矶加利福尼亚大学。后进入电视界，第一次参加演出的电视系列片是《汽车加油站》。之后，又参加其他电视剧的演出。1969年他以在着电视系列片《马库斯·韦尔比医学博士》中扮演罗伯特·扬的助手而获艾美奖。1963年从影，在许多影片中扮演主角和配角。1976年在影片《盖博和郎白》中塑造了好莱坞三、四十年代大明星克拉克·盖博的形象，颇受注意。至今仍作品不断。他还曾在80年代末90年代初推出过自己的电影导演作品。

晚年的詹姆斯·布洛林

詹姆斯·布洛林本来可以成为第一个出演007的美国男星，007第13集《八爪女》，原本传出罗杰·摩尔将辞演，製片公司积极寻找接棒者，经过了好几轮的试镜，敲定影视双栖演员詹姆斯·布洛林成为新一代007，双方甚至签下契约，这是美国男星有史以来最有机会接下邦德一角的时刻。然而正式拍片时，罗杰·摩尔改变心意回笼，詹姆斯·布洛林只好拿着赔偿金回到美国电视圈。詹姆斯·布洛林演出邦德的片段，只留在那一卷卷的试镜带中。

滑稽表演/滑稽戏/舞娘俱乐部(台) Burlesque (2010)

王牌售车员 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

Last Will (2009)

A Fonder Heart (2009)

Streisand: Live in Concert (2009)

Bitter/Sweet (2009)

哈维的最后机会/大爱晚成(台)/爱·不太迟(港) Last Chance Harvey (2008)

Mysterious (2008)

詹姆斯·布洛林饰演的里根总统

城市入侵者/迷城探秘 Lost City Raiders (2008)

The American Standards (2007)

狩猎派对/狩猎聚会/波士尼亚春晓/突入波士尼亚的春天 The Hunting Party (2007)

Gays on Strike: The Truth Behind Wedding Wars (2007)

Reinventing the Wheelers (2007)

藉口/假象 The Alibi (2006)

Legends Ball (2006)

婚礼如战场/婚礼之争 Wedding Wars (2006)

"The Contender" (2005)

孤家寡妇 Widow on the Hill (2005)

For God's Sake, Get Out! (2005)

"Favouritism" Julian Clary's Showbiz Hissy Fits (2005)

AFI's 100 Years, 100 'Movie Quotes': The Greatest Lines from American Film (2005)

地球湮没之惊涛大曆险/超级飓风之世界末日 Category 7: The End of the World (2005)

The 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards (2004)

101 Biggest Celebrity Oops (2004)

101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments (2004)

新郎上错床 A Guy Thing (2003)

Identity Crisis: The Making of a Master (2003)

The Reagans (2003)

安东尼·菲舍尔/冲出逆境/心海怒啸/安东尼费雪/光荣时刻 Antwone Fisher (2002)

逍遥法外/神鬼交锋(台)/捉智双雄(港)/猫鼠游戏 Catch Me If You Can (2002)

变装大师/伪装大师 The Master of Disguise (2002)

Timeless: Live in Concert (2001)

毒品网路/天人交战(台)/毒网(港) Traffic (2000)

Children of Fortune (2000)

Skyscrapers: Going Up (2000)

Inside 'Octopussy' (2000)

Body Human 2000: Love, Sex & the Miracle of Birth (1999)

To Love, Honor & Betray (1999)

Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)

A Marriage of Convenience (1998)

America's Great Parks (1998)

Savate (1997)

Lewis & Clark & George (1997)

再见美国 Goodbye America (1997)

The Haunted Sea (1997)

引爆点 My Brother's War (1997)

Aroma del Copal, El (1997)

"Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" (1997)

夜惊惶 Blood Money (1996)

坎城人 Cannes Man (1996)

惊爆九重天 Hijacked: Flight 285 (1996)

Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season (1996)

To Face Her Past (1996)

The Expert (1995)

Schwarze Fluch - Tödliche Leidenschaften, Der (1995)

Terminal Virus (1995)

Tracks of a Killer (1995)

Indecent Behavior II (1994)

Parallel Lives (1994)

Relative Fear (1994)

A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994)

The Visual Bible: Acts (1994)

We the People (1994)

谋杀异象 Visions of Murder (1993)

Gunsmoke: The Long Ride (1993)

Paper Hearts (1993)

衣食住行 Gas, Food Lodging (1992)

City Boy (1992)

The Sands of Time (1992)

Twin Sisters (1992)

And the Sea Will Tell (1991)

泰德与维纳斯 Ted and Venus (1991)

暗箭难防 Back Stab (1990)

西域三剑客 Bad Jim (1990)

Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990)

The Earth Day Special (1990)

High Score (1990)

Voice of the Heart (1990)

终点线 Finish Line (1989)

The Ultimate Challenge (1989)

"Roseanne" (1988)

Deep Dark Secrets (1987)

Hold the Dream (1986)

Intimate Encounters (1986)

荒唐小混蛋奇遇记 Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues (1985)

大饭店 Hotel (1983)

Cowboy (1983)

White Water Rebels (1983)

大饭店 "Hotel" (1983)

The Ambush Murders (1982)

Mae West (1982)

High Risk (1981)

"Entertainment Tonight" (1981)

Night of the Juggler (1980)

鬼哭神嚎 The Amityville Horror (1979)

魔羯星一号/魔蝎星一号 Capricorn One (1978)

Steel Cowboy (1978)

幽灵号恐怖车 The Car (1977)

Gable and Lombard (1976)

未来世界/血洗乐园/机器人世界 Westworld (1973)

Class of '63 (1973)

詹姆斯·布洛林

Trapped (1973)

劫机 Skyjacked (1972)

Short Walk to Daylight (1972)

Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)

"Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969)

勾魂手 The Boston Strangler (1968)

The Cape Town Affair (1967)

谍海飞龙/谍报飞龙 Our Man Flint (1966)

神奇旅程/联合缩小军 Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Way... Way Out (1966)

Dear Brigitte (1965)

流浪记 John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965)

战俘快车/战俘列车/列车大逃亡 Von Ryan's Express (1965)

假凤求鸾 Goodbye Charlie (1964)

Take Her, She's Mine (1963)

白宫风云/白宫群英/西翼风云 (0)

引爆点 My Brother's War (1997)

"The Young Riders" (1989)

大饭店 "Hotel" (1983)

Escape (2009)

The American Standards (2007)

We the People (1994)