James Hetfield
Known for: Acting
Born: August 3, 1963
Place of birth: 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.
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Filmography
197 movies · 23 TV shows, newest first
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Metallica: M72 Tour - Budapest, Day 2
2026
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Metallica: M72 Tour - Budapest, Day 1
2026
7.0
Di'Anno: Iron Maiden's Lost Singer
2025
8.4
Ozzy: No Escape from Now
2025
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Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow
2025
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Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans
2025
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Metallica: Polar Beach Party
2025
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Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96
2025
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Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)
2025
NR
Metallica Saved My Life
2025
5.5
Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction
2024
6.4
The Thicket
2024
6.8
On the Roam
2024
9.0
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 2
2023
8.5
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 1
2023
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Metallica: M72 World Tour Live in Amsterdam - Night 2
2023
7.3
Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere
2023
4.8
Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert
2022
8.0
Metallica - Global Citizen Festival 2022
2022
7.9
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
2022
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Metallica at Lollapalooza 2022
2022
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Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
2022
NR
Metallica Download Festival Germany
2022
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Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo
2022
8.3
Ennio
2022
7.0
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)
2021
8.0
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)
2021
6.0
Metallica: Wherever We May Roam
2021
8.0
Metallica - Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Outtakes
2021
6.0
Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies
2021
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Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10th, 1991
2021
6.0
Metallica - Live At Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium - July 4th, 1993
2021
6.0
Metallica - Live At Frankenhalle, Nuremberg, Germany - November 29th, 1992
2021
8.0
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit
2021
NR
Metallica: Live in Lincoln, Nebraska - September 6, 2018
2021
9.0
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
2020
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Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction: Live & Acoustic From HQ
2020
8.3
Metallica - The All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction
2020
7.3
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
2020
7.5
Flying V
2020
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Metallica: Live in Mexico City, Mexico - March 3, 2017
2020
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Metallica: Live at Yankee Stadium - Bronx, New York - September 14, 2011
2020
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Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - June 13, 2004
2020
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Metallica: Live in Dallas, Texas - August 3, 2000
2020
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Metallica: Live in Berlin, Germany - June 6, 2006
2020
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Metallica: Live in Lisbon, Portugal - June 28, 2007
2020
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Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999
2020
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Metallica: Live in Madrid, Spain - May 31, 2008
2020
7.0
Metallica: Live in Melbourne, Australia - March 1, 2013
2020
10.0
Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019
2020
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Metallica: Live in Salt Lake City, Utah - January 2, 1997
2020
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Metallica: Live in Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014
2020
7.1
History 101
2020
10.0
Metallica: Live in Chicago, Illinois - August 12, 1983
2020
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Metallica: Live in Nickelsdorf, Austria - June 10, 2012
2020
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Metallica: Live in Muskegon, Michigan (November 1, 1991)
2020
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Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
2020
10.0
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
2020
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Hypnotizing Power: The Story of Master of Puppets
2020
8.7
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2
2019
8.0
Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019
2019
8.5
Metallica - Live in Berlin 2019
2019
7.3
Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story
2019NR
Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019
2019
10.0
Live Metallica: Barcelona, Spain - May 5, 2019
2019
7.0
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
2019
7.0
Sad Hill Unearthed
2018
9.7
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
2017
10.0
Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017
2017
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Metallica - Live from Edmonton, Canada - August 16, 2017
2017
8.0
Metallica - Live at Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA - August 12, 2017)
2017
6.1
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
2017
5.4
Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago
2017NR
Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017
2017
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Metallica WorldWired North American Tour 2017
2017
8.0
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
2017
5.1
Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly
2017
7.0
Cum On Feel The Noize
2017
10.0
Metallica: Making of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
201610.0
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
2016
10.0
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
2016
6.8
Skylanders Academy
2016
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Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey
201610.0
Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley
2016
10.0
Metallica: The Night Before
2016
7.8
Billions
2016
5.7
Mission to Lars
2015
7.5
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
2015
6.1
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015NR
Randy Johnson: The Big Picture
201510.0
Metallica: [2015] X Games
2015
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Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
2015
7.2
Metallica: Masters of Metal
20148.5
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
2014
7.4
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
20146.4
'Tallica Parking Lot
2014
NR
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
2014
NR
The Hunt
2014
5.8
Metallica: This Monster Lives
201410.0
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
2014
10.0
Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"
2014
7.5
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
2013
6.8
Metallica: Through the Never
201310.0
Surfing Your Dreams
2013
8.1
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
201210.0
Metallica: Live at Orion Music And More 2012 (1st Night)
2012
8.2
Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival
2012
7.9
Metallica: The Black Album
2012
10.0
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
2012NR
Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012
20128.5
Metallica: Rock in Rio
2012
5.5
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
20126.1
Metallica: The 30th Anniversary Event
2011
7.1
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
2011
2.7
Absent
2011
NR
The Big 4
20116.9
Metallica: Fan Can 6
2010
8.3
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
2010
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Metallica: The Big 4 Live in Sofia
2010
8.5
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
2010
6.0
Metallica: Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)
2010
7.6
Lemmy
2010
7.9
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
20098.5
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
2009
NR
Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen
2009
10.0
Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009
2009
8.0
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
2009
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METALLICA the Complete Story
2008
9.0
Metallica: Making Magnetic
200810.0
Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival
2008
10.0
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
2008
7.0
Aural Amphetamine: Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash
200810.0
Metallica Touring Europe
2008NR
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
200710.0
Metallica - Live Earth
2007
2.0
Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007
2007
5.5
The Darwin Awards
2007
9.2
Seven Ages of Rock
2007
NR
Rock Milestones: Metallica: Master of Puppets
2007
7.7
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
2006
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Metallica Korea
2006
7.6
Metalocalypse
200610.0
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
200610.0
Metallica: Fan Can 5
2006
6.8
Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life
2006
5.1
De Wereld Draait Door
2005
7.8
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
2005
9.0
Hard Rock Treasures
2005
7.0
American Dad!
2005
6.8
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005
7.1
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004
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Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
2003
9.5
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
2003
7.5
Metallica: MTV Icon
2003
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
6.3
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
2001NR
Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland
2000NR
Metallica: Live in Baltimore
2000
5.4
Woodstock '99
2000
8.7
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M
1999
7.0
Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – S&M
1999
NR
Metallica: Making of S&M
1999
NR
Metallica: Woodstock '99
1999
7.3
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
1999NR
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
1999
7.8
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
1998
10.0
Metallica: Live Covers
1998
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Metallica: Poor East Asian Me - Live at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul, South Korea
1998
7.7
Classic Albums
1997
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Metallica: Fan Can 1
1996NR
Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret
1995
NR
Metallica: Woodstock '94
1994
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Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994
1994
7.8
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
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Metallican Vid
1993NR
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
1993NR
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
1993
NR
Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico
1993NR
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
1992
8.2
For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow
1992
5.6
Later... with Jools Holland
1992
7.8
Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
1992
8.5
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
1992
9.0
Metallica: Live at San Diego
1992
8.6
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
1992
10.0
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
1992
7.7
Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock
1991NR
Metallica: [1990] Zwolle, Netherlands
1990
9.0
Heavy Metal Heaven Hosted by Elvira
1989
8.0
The Simpsons
1989
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Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989
1989
NR
Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre
1989
8.5
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
1989
NR
Metallica: Newark, Delaware
1989NR
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
1989
NR
2 of One
1989
7.0
MTV Rockumentary
1989NR
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
1988
7.7
Metallica: Cliff 'Em All
1987NR
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
1986
NR
Metallica: Nagoya, Japan
1986
NR
Metallica - Roskilde Festival
1986NR
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
1986
NR
Metallica: Detroit, Michigan
1986
NR
Metallica: Metal Hammer Festival
1985
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Metallica: Day on the Green
1985
10.0
Metallica: Ride The Lightning
1985
7.9
MTV Video Music Awards
1984
8.5
Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983
1983NR
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
1983
10.0
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
1972
NR
Metallica: Sick Out Of Studio 2007 Oslo
—
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Metallica - The Big 4 Live in Gothenburg, Sweden
—
NR
Metal Massacre: The Story of the Legendary Album
—NR
Metallica: from the off
—
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Metallica at Raadi Airfield Estonia in Tartu
—![Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw342%2F1EgjQW1qQqbq9b6sCa39qua7VCy.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
NR
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic [Full EP LIVE at the Fillmore]
—
NR
Metallica: 40th Anniversary Shows Live at Chase Center 2021
—
NR
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge
—
5.5
Live Earth: A Concert for a Climate in Crisis
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