James Coburn Biography (1928-2002)



Full name, James Coburn, Jr.; born August 31, 1928, in Laurel, NE; died of aheart attack, November 18, 2002, in Beverly Hills, CA. Actor and producer. Though Coburn first made his mark acting in Western films, his career began onthe stage. In about 1950 Coburn made his stage debut in a production of Billy Budd. He then spent some years studying his craft and appearing in television commercials before making his film debut in 1959 as a villain in Ride Lonesome. A succession of supporting roles soon followed, includingThe Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and another turn as avillain in Face of a Fugitive. Though Coburn starred in the televisionseries Klondike from 1960 to 1961, his breakthrough role as a leadingcharacter came in 1965 with the film Our Man Flint, in which Coburn appeared as a spy. He also appeared in the film's sequel, In Like Flint. In 1967 Coburn received his first producer credits with the films The President's Analyst and Waterhole Number 3. Though Coburn appeared from time to time on television, his primary focus was the big screen, and hestarred in a host of films, including Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Midway, and The Muppet Movie in the 1970s and Looker, Death of a Soldier, and Call from Space in the 1980s. Though debilitating rheumatoid arthritis somewhat curtailed Coburn's acting efforts in the 1980s, he recovered and appeared in several memorable films in the 1990s. He starred as a cattle rancher in Young Guns II, a corporate mogul in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, and a wealthy donor in the remake of The Nutty Professor. Coburn's most critically acclaimed performance, and one that resulted in an Academy Award for best supporting actor, came in 1998 in Affliction, in which he played an abusive father. In the final years of his career, Coburn appeared on television in the miniseries Noah'sArk and in the films The Man from Elysian Fields, Monsters, Inc., and Snow Dogs. His final film appearance was in American Gun.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
actor, producer
Birth Details
August 31, 1928
Laurel, Nebraska
Death Details
November 18, 2002
Beverly Hills, California, United States

Further Reference

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