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.
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.
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External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0381723
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q484302
Facebook: No data
Instagram: https://instagram.com/papa_het
X: No data
Filmography (Movies)
Ozzy: No Escape from Now
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2025
Back to the Beginning: Ozzy's Final Bow
Character:Self
Release Date:05/07/2025
Metallica: Studio Shit + U.K. Shenanigans
Character:Self
Release Date:13/06/2025
Metallica: Polar Beach Party
Character:Self
Release Date:13/06/2025
Metallica: Poor Swedish Me '96
Character:Self
Release Date:13/06/2025
Metallica: On the Air (Music Videos + TV Appearances)
Character:Self
Release Date:13/06/2025
Metallica Saved My Life
Character:Self
Release Date:11/06/2025
Metallica: Helping Hands Concert & Auction
Character:Self
Release Date:19/12/2024
The Thicket
Character:Simon Deasy
Release Date:05/09/2024
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 2
Character:Himself
Release Date:20/08/2023
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live from Texas - Night 1
Character:Himself
Release Date:18/08/2023
Metallica: M72 World Tour Live in Amsterdam - Night 2
Character:Self
Release Date:24/05/2023
Metallica: 72 Seasons - Global Premiere
Character:Self
Release Date:13/04/2023
Metallica Presents: The Helping Hands Concert
Character:Self
Release Date:16/12/2022
Metallica - Global Citizen Festival 2022
Character:
Release Date:24/09/2022
Metallica at Lollapalooza 2022
Character:self
Release Date:31/07/2022
Metallica Live Hellfest 2022
Character:SELF
Release Date:26/06/2022
Metallica Download Festival Germany
Character:
Release Date:24/06/2022
Metallica: Campo Argentino de Polo
Character:
Release Date:30/04/2022
Ennio
Character:Self
Release Date:17/02/2022
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 2)
Character:vocals, guitars
Release Date:19/12/2021
Metallica: 40th Anniversary - Live at Chase Center (Night 1)
Character:vocals, guitars
Release Date:17/12/2021
Metallica: Wherever We May Roam
Character:vocals, guitars
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - Live At Frankenhalle, Nuremberg, Germany - November 29th, 1992
Character:
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica Outtakes
Character:
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark - August 10th, 1991
Character:Self
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - Live At Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium - July 4th, 1993
Character:
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - The Black Album - Music Videos + Halfin’s Home Movies
Character:
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica - Live at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark August 10, 1991 + Bonus Shit
Character:Self
Release Date:10/09/2021
Metallica: Live in Lincoln, Nebraska - September 6, 2018
Character:Himself
Release Date:24/05/2021
MoPOP Founders Award 2020 Honoring Alice in Chains
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/2020
Metallica Helping Hands Concert & Auction: Live & Acoustic From HQ
Character:Himself
Release Date:14/11/2020
Metallica - The All Within My Hands Helping Hands Concert & Auction
Character:
Release Date:14/11/2020
Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away
Character:Self
Release Date:23/10/2020
Flying V
Character:Self
Release Date:11/09/2020
Metallica: Live in Mexico City, Mexico - March 3, 2017
Character:Himself
Release Date:24/08/2020
Metallica: Live at Yankee Stadium - Bronx, New York - September 14, 2011
Character:Himself
Release Date:17/08/2020
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - June 13, 2004
Character:Himself
Release Date:10/08/2020
Metallica: Live in Dallas, Texas - August 3, 2000
Character:Himself
Release Date:03/08/2020
Metallica: Live in Berlin, Germany - June 6, 2006
Character:Himself
Release Date:20/07/2020
Metallica: Live in Lisbon, Portugal - June 28, 2007
Character:Himself
Release Date:06/07/2020
Metallica: Live in Bogotá, Colombia - May 2, 1999
Character:Himself
Release Date:29/06/2020
Metallica: Live in Madrid, Spain - May 31, 2008
Character:Himself
Release Date:22/06/2020
Metallica: Live in Melbourne, Australia - March 1, 2013
Character:Himself
Release Date:15/06/2020
Metallica: WorldWired Tour - Live in Manchester, England - June 18, 2019
Character:Himself - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Release Date:08/06/2020
Metallica: Live in Salt Lake City, Utah - January 2, 1997
Character:Himself
Release Date:01/06/2020
Metallica: Live in Lima, Peru - March 20, 2014
Character:Himself
Release Date:25/05/2020
Metallica: Live in Chicago, Illinois - August 12, 1983
Character:Himself
Release Date:18/05/2020
Metallica: Live in Nickelsdorf, Austria - June 10, 2012
Character:Himself
Release Date:11/05/2020
Metallica: Live in Muskegon, Michigan (November 1, 1991)
Character:
Release Date:27/04/2020
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
Character:vocals
Release Date:20/04/2020
Metallica: Live at Slane Castle
Character:lead vocals, guitar
Release Date:23/03/2020
Hypnotizing Power: The Story of Master of Puppets
Character:Self
Release Date:04/03/2020
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2
Character:Himself
Release Date:09/10/2019
Metallica : Live in Moscow 2019
Character:
Release Date:21/07/2019
Metallica - Live in Berlin 2019
Character:
Release Date:06/06/2019
Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story
Character:Self
Release Date:31/05/2019
Live Metallica: Stade de France, Paris - mai 12, 2019
Character:James Hetfield
Release Date:12/05/2019
Live Metallica: Barcelona, Spain - May 5, 2019
Character:
Release Date:05/05/2019
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Character:Officer Bob Hayward
Release Date:02/05/2019
Sad Hill Unearthed
Character:Self - Musician
Release Date:19/10/2018
Linkin Park and Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:27/10/2017
Metallica: Live in Paris, France - Sept 8, 2017
Character:
Release Date:08/09/2017
Metallica - Live from Edmonton, Canada - August 16, 2017
Character:vocals
Release Date:16/08/2017
Metallica - Live at Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA - August 12, 2017)
Character:
Release Date:12/08/2017
Who the Fuck Is That Guy?: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago
Character:Self
Release Date:21/07/2017
Metallica - Live at Rock on the Range, Columbus 2017
Character:
Release Date:21/05/2017
Metallica: Lollapalooza Brazil 2017
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:25/03/2017
Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly
Character:Narrator
Release Date:03/02/2017
Cum On Feel The Noize
Character:Self
Release Date:28/01/2017
Metallica: Making of Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
Character:
Release Date:25/11/2016
Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct Videos
Character:Voice & Rithm Guitar
Release Date:18/11/2016
Metallica: Live from The House of Vans
Character:Vocals, guitars
Release Date:18/11/2016
Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey
Character:Himself, Narrator
Release Date:14/09/2016
Metallica: [2016] Rasputin Music, Berkeley
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:16/04/2016
Metallica: The Night Before
Character:
Release Date:06/02/2016
Mission to Lars
Character:Himself
Release Date:25/09/2015
Metallica: Rock in Rio 2015
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:19/09/2015
Randy Johnson: The Big Picture
Character:
Release Date:31/07/2015
Metallica: [2015] X Games
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:06/06/2015
Metallica: Live in Munich, Germany - May 31, 2015
Character:
Release Date:31/05/2015
Metallica: Masters of Metal
Character:
Release Date:11/12/2014
Metallica: Masters of Metal
Character:Himself
Release Date:11/12/2014
Metallica Live at Blizzcon
Character:Himself
Release Date:08/11/2014
Made in Japan: The Rise of Deep Purple Mk II
Character:Himself
Release Date:12/09/2014
'Tallica Parking Lot
Character:James Hetfield (voice)
Release Date:25/07/2014
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2014
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:08/06/2014
Metallica: This Monster Lives
Character:Himself
Release Date:02/06/2014
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
Character:Himself
Release Date:02/03/2014
Hit the Lights: The Making of Metallica "Through the Never"
Character:Self
Release Date:28/01/2014
Metallica: Freeze 'Em All - Live in Antarctica
Character:Self - Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:23/12/2013
Metallica: Through the Never
Character:Himself
Release Date:25/09/2013
Surfing Your Dreams
Character:
Release Date:28/01/2013
Metallica: Quebec Magnetic
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:10/12/2012
Metallica: Live at Orion Music And More 2012 (1st Night)
Character:
Release Date:23/06/2012
Metallica: Live in Orion Music Festival
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:23/06/2012
Metallica: The Black Album
Character:
Release Date:20/06/2012
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2012
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:02/06/2012
Metallica: Live at Rock im Park 2012
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:01/06/2012
Metallica: Rock in Rio
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:25/05/2012
Anton Corbijn Inside Out
Character:Self
Release Date:22/03/2012
Metallica: The 30th Anniversary Event
Character:Self
Release Date:24/12/2011
An Evening with Lou Reed & Metallica - Live at Rockpalast
Character:
Release Date:11/11/2011
Metallica: Rock In Rio 2011
Character:Vocal, Guitar
Release Date:25/09/2011
Absent
Character:Himself
Release Date:05/09/2011
Metallica: Fan Can 6
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:26/11/2010
The Big Four: Live in Sofia
Character:Guitars
Release Date:29/10/2010
Metallica: The Big 4 Live in Sofia
Character:Vocals, guitars
Release Date:29/10/2010
Metallica: Live at Sonisphere
Character:James Hetfield
Release Date:22/06/2010
Metallica: Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)
Character:Self
Release Date:01/06/2010
Lemmy
Character:Self
Release Date:15/03/2010
Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:24/11/2009
Metallica: Hall of Fame 2009
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:20/10/2009
Metallica: Fan Can Six Copenhagen
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:27/07/2009
Metallica: Live in Copenhagen, Denmark - July 22, 2009
Character:Himself - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Release Date:22/07/2009
Metallica: Français pour une nuit
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:06/07/2009
METALLICA the Complete Story
Character:Himself
Release Date:27/10/2008
Metallica: Making Magnetic
Character:
Release Date:12/09/2008
Metallica: [2008] Rock en France Festival
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:14/08/2008
Metallica - Rock AM Ring
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:07/06/2008
Aural Amphetamine: Metallica and the Dawn of Thrash
Character:Self
Release Date:15/04/2008
Metallica Touring Europe
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2008
Metallica: Up Close and Personal
Character:Himself
Release Date:13/08/2007
Metallica - Live Earth
Character:Himself
Release Date:07/07/2007
Metallica - Sick of the Studio Tour - LIVE in Wien 2007
Character:Singer,Guitar
Release Date:05/07/2007
The Darwin Awards
Character:Self
Release Date:25/06/2007
Rock Milestones: Metallica: Master of Puppets
Character:
Release Date:10/04/2007
Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004
Character:Vocalist, Guitarrist
Release Date:04/12/2006
Metallica: Rock AM Ring 2006
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:03/06/2006
Metallica: Fan Can 5
Character:Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:01/01/2006
Heavy Metal: Louder Than Life
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2006
The Work of Director Anton Corbijn
Character:Self (segments "Hero of the Day" and "Mama Said")
Release Date:13/09/2005
Hard Rock Treasures
Character:Self
Release Date:08/08/2005
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Character:Self
Release Date:10/06/2004
Metallica: St. Anger Rehearsals
Character:Himself
Release Date:30/06/2003
Metallica: MTV Icon
Character:Himself
Release Date:06/05/2003
Classic Albums: Metallica - Metallica
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:06/11/2001
Metallica: [2000] Baltimore, Maryland
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:04/07/2000
Metallica: Live in Baltimore
Character:Self - Vocals/Guitar
Release Date:04/07/2000
Metallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M
Character:Self
Release Date:31/12/1999
Metallica With Michael Kamen Conducting The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra – S&M
Character:Self - Guitar, Vocals
Release Date:23/11/1999
Metallica: Making of S&M
Character:Self - Guitar, Vocals
Release Date:23/11/1999
Metallica: Woodstock '99
Character:Self
Release Date:24/07/1999
Metallica: [1999] Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:11/06/1999
Metallica: Cunning Stunts
Character:Self
Release Date:08/12/1998
Metallica: Live Covers
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:24/11/1998
Metallica: Fan Can 1
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1996
Metallica: [1995] Loud But Secret
Character:Self - Guitar, Vocals
Release Date:23/08/1995
Metallica: Woodstock '94
Character:
Release Date:13/08/1994
Metallica: Live in Mountain View, CA - July 22, 1994
Character:Self - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:22/07/1994
Metallican Vid
Character:Himself (Rhythm/Lead Vocal)
Release Date:01/07/1993
Metallica: [1993] Basel, Switzerland
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:20/06/1993
Metallica: [1993] Santiago, Chile
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:04/05/1993
Metallica: Mexico City, Mexico
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:01/03/1993
Metallica: [1992] Den Bosch, Netherlands
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:07/12/1992
For Those About to Rock - Monsters In Moscow
Character:
Release Date:14/10/1992
Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica
Character:Self
Release Date:12/08/1992
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
Character:Self
Release Date:22/04/1992
Metallica: Live at San Diego
Character:Himself
Release Date:14/01/1992
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, San Diego 1992
Character:Self - Guitar, Vocals
Release Date:13/01/1992
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1992
Metallica: Live Moscow - Monsters of Rock
Character:
Release Date:28/09/1991
Metallica: [1990] Zwolle, Netherlands
Character:
Release Date:16/05/1990
Metallica - Live in Irvine, California - September 23, 1989
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:23/09/1989
Metallica: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre
Character:Self
Release Date:15/09/1989
Metallica: Live Shit - Binge & Purge, Seattle 1989
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:29/08/1989
Metallica: Newark, Delaware
Character:Self
Release Date:07/08/1989
Metallica: [1989] Middletown, NY
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:14/07/1989
2 of One
Character:Himself (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocal)
Release Date:06/06/1989
Metallica - Live at Hammersmith Odeon
Character:Self - Vocals, Guitars
Release Date:10/10/1988
Metallica: Cliff 'Em All
Character:Himself (Guitarist / Vocalist)
Release Date:17/11/1987
Metallica: [1986] Toronto, Canada
Character:Self - Vocals, Guitar
Release Date:09/12/1986
Metallica: Nagoya, Japan
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:17/11/1986
Metallica - Roskilde Festival
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:06/07/1986
Metallica: [1986] Uniondale, NY
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:28/04/1986
Metallica: Detroit, Michigan
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:04/04/1986
Metallica: Metal Hammer Festival
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:14/09/1985
Metallica: Day on the Green
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:31/08/1985
Metallica: Ride The Lightning
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1985
Metallica - Kill 'Em All in Chicago 1983
Character:Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Release Date:12/08/1983
Metallica: [1983] Kiss the Stone
Character:Vox, Guitars
Release Date:19/03/1983
Deep Purple: Made In Japan
Character:Self
Release Date:30/04/1972
Television Appearances
Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
Character:James Hetfield (voice)
History 101
Character:Self (archive footage)
Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Character:Self
Skylanders Academy
Character:Wolfgang (voice)
Billions
Character:Himself
The Hunt
Character:Self - Narrator (voice)
The Big 4
Character:Himself
Seven Ages of Rock
Character:Self
Metalocalypse
Character:Fan #1 (voice)
Metalocalypse
Character:Sniper (voice)
Metalocalypse
Character:Troll (voice)
Metalocalypse
Character:Lorkey (voice)
De Wereld Draait Door
Character:Self
American Dad!
Character:James Hetfield (voice)
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Character:Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self
Classic Albums
Character:Self - Guitarist, Vocalist, Metallica
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Character:
Later... with Jools Holland
Character:Self
The Simpsons
Character:William Rieflin (voice)
MTV Rockumentary
Character:
MTV Video Music Awards
Character:Self
Saturday Night Live
Character:Self - Musical Guest
Images
