James Sloyan

Early years

Sloyan left the United States at an early age to live abroad in Rome, Capri, Milan, Switzerland, and Ireland. Sloyan's career in show-business began upon his return to the United States, in 1957, where Sloyan received a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Sloyan's acting career was interrupted in 1962, when he was drafted into the United States Army during its operations in Vietnam.

Television career

Sloyan's television career has included brief performances on day-time dramas The Young and the Restless, General Hospital and Ryan's Hope, and guest appearances on such prime-time series as Baywatch, Quantum Leap, The X-Files, MacGyver, Party of Five, Matlock, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, among numerous others. In addition, he appeared in the television movies Blind Ambition, Billionaire Boys Club and My Son Is Innocent.

Sloyan has also appeared in a number of science fiction television series, including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, in which he portrayed Barnard "Barney" Smith in the episode "The Plot to Kill a City", as well as several roles in the Star Trek franchise. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, he portrayed Alidar Jarok (a defecting Romulan admiral) in "The Defector", and Alexander Rozhenko (Worf's son) as an adult in the future, in "Firstborn". In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, he portrayed the Bajoran scientist Mora Pol and Odo's "father" in the episodes "The Begotten" and "The Alternate". The Star Trek: Voyager episode entitled "Jetrel" featured Sloyan as the title character.

Film career

Sloyan is featured in the opening sequence of The Sting. "Mottola", Sloyan's character, was used to illustrate the concept of a "griftee" in the film, in a variation on the pigeon drop scam, having been "cleaned by two grifters" who "...tied into [Sloyan's Character] on 47th...played the switch for him, then blew him off to a cab on 49th." Sloyan's character in the movie was eventually murdered by the film's antagonist.

He has also played roles in The Traveling Executioner (1970), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), and Xanadu (1980).

Commercial career

Sloyan has been used as a voice-over actor for Sprint Nextel long distance services, and in film trailers for movies such as Jumper, The Shadow and How to Make an American Quilt.

Sloyan was also "the voice of Lexus", having performed voice-overs in American television advertisements for Lexus (a division of Toyota Motor Corporation) since the make's introduction to the American market. In 2009, he was replaced as the "voice of Lexus" by actor James Remar. Sloyan now voices ads for Mitsubishi.

Personal life

Sloyan and wife, Deirdre Lenihan, an actress, have been married since 1973. They are the parents of actor Dan Sloyan and actress Samantha Sloyan.