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James Coburn

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Date of birth:31 August 1928
Birth Place: Laurel, Nebraska, USA

Biography

  A capable, rough-hewn leading man, whose toothy grin and lithe lanky body made him the perfect tough-guy villain in numerous supporting roles in Westerns and action films, James Coburn came to prominence as the lead in the popular James Bond-spy spoof, "Our Man Flint" (1965) and its 1967 sequel, "In Like Flint". Coburn also produced and starred in the comedy-thriller "The President's Analyst" (1967), made through his Panpiper Productions.

Coburn grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton and acted in college before making his professional stage debut at the La Jolla Playhouse opposite Vincent Price in "Billy Budd". By the early 1950s, he was in New York, where he studied with Stella Adler and worked behind-the-scenes in TV commercials while also acting on some live TV, including "Studio One". Coburn was back in L.A. by the late 50s, working on "Wagon Train" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", but after almost a decade with his professional actors' cards, he had not clicked. Little by little, Hollywood discovered him as a villain, and in 1959 he played such in "Face of a Fugitive" and "Ride Lonesome" on the big screen, adding "The Magnificent Seven" in 1960. In 1963, he portrayed an Australian POW who successfully reaches freedom in Spain in "The Great Escape" but was back as a villain, this time as one of the mob out to get Audrey Hepburn's late husband's money in "Charade" (1964). He was still playing supporting roles like the one-armed scout for Charlton Heston in "Major Dundee" (1965) until he turned into a spirited hero in "Our Man Flint", playing the lead spy for an organization called Z.O.W.I.E, launching his career as a leading man. The films were the precursers for the hugely popular "Austin Powers" movies decades later.

In the 70s, Coburn moved into whodunits, including "The Carey Treatment" (1972), in which he was a doctor trying to clear a friend, and "The Last of Sheila" (1973), an ensemble piece in which he was the power broker who calls the potential suspects together for games on his yacht. Though Coburn's box office appeal tapered and he suffered from the debilitating effects of a 10-year battle with severe rheumatoid arthritis , he found lucrative work in the 80s doing TV commercials, particularly in Japan. By the late 80s, he returned in character parts: a cattle rancher after Billy the Kid in "Young Guns II" (1990); the mysterious and deadly agent leading "The Candy Bars" in "Hudson Hawk" (1991); the scrooge who wants to shut down St. Francis Academy in "Sister Act II: Back in the Habit" (1993);and the philanthropist who may or may not give $10 million for Sherman Klump's (Eddie Murphy) research in the 1996 remake of "The Nutty Professor". He offered what many felt was the performance of his career, though, in a striking turn as the abusive, alcoholic father of Nick Nolte in Paul Schrader's "Affliction" (1998), a role which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Television credits followed: "The Cherokee Kid," "The Second Civil War," "Proximity" for HBO, and Hallmark Hall of Fame's "Noah's Ark."

Coburn also had several attempts at TV series. He was a gambler in "Klondike" (NBC, 1960-61), one of the beachcombing action stars of "Acapulco" (NBC, 1961), and the host of the occult series "Darkroom" (ABC, 1981-82). He also appeared in the TV miniseries "The Dain Curse" (CBS, 1978) and the TV-movie "Sins of the Father" (NBC, 1985). But, for the most part, his TV output has been sporadic since his film career clicked with the "Flint" movies. Coburn, however, has hawked Schlitz beer in TV commercials, done voice-overs, and also frequently narrated commercial documentaries, including the 1996 award-winning "Arctic Kingdom: Life at the Edge" (NBC) and "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days" (2001).

Toward the end of his career Coburn became a familiar figure in non-fiction television and movies, recalling his collaborations with filmmakers and co-stars from his past, an able raconteur with a host of stories about friends such as Steve McQueen, Bruce Lee, John Sturges and Akira Kurosawa. He also used those trademark menacing vocals to excellent effect in the Disney/Pixar animated feature "Monsters, Inc." (2001), playing Monsters, Inc. CEO Henry J. Waternoose III. While his Oscar win did not eliminate Coburn's penchant for slumming frequently in B-level material (Disney's insipid 2002 sled dog comedy "Snow Dogs," for example), the canny actor proved he did have one more fine performance in him, playing a WWII veteran following the trail of the weapon that killed his daughter in director Alan Jacobs' "American Gun," a film that was making the festival circuit at the time of the actor's death in 2002.

from movies.yahoo.com

Filmography

  American Gun (2002) .... Martin Tillman
Snow Dogs (2002) .... James 'Thunder Jack' Johnson
... aka Chiens des neiges (Canada: French title)
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (voice) .... Henry J. Waternoose III
The Man from Elysian Fields (2001) .... Alcott
Walter and Henry (2001) (TV) .... Charlie
Yellow Bird (2001) .... Rev. Increase Tutwiler
Texas Rangers (2001) (voice) (uncredited) .... Narrator
Proximity (2001) .... Jim Corcoran
World's Scariest Ghosts: Caught on Tape (2000) (TV) .... Host
Intrepid (2000) .... Captain Hal Josephson
... aka Deep Water (USA: video title)
Missing Pieces (2000) (TV) .... Atticus Cody
"Dale's All Stars" (2000) TV Series .... Hemself
The Good Doctor (2000) .... Dr. Samuel Roberts

"Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story" (1999) (mini) TV Series .... Morris Gunn
Noah's Ark (1999) (TV) .... Peddler
... aka Arche Noah - Das größte Abenteuer der Menschheit (Germany)
Payback (1999) (uncredited) .... Justin Fairfax
Mr. Murder (1998) (TV) .... Drew Oslett, Sr.
... aka Dean Koontz's Mr. Murder (USA: complete title)
"Stories from My Childhood" (1998) TV Series (voice)
... aka Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories from My Childhood (USA: complete title)
Affliction (1997) .... Glen Whitehouse
Keys to Tulsa (1997) .... Harmon Shaw
The Second Civil War (1997) (TV) .... Jack Buchan
The Cherokee Kid (1996) (TV) .... Cyrus B. Bloomington
Okavango: Africa's Savage Oasis (1996) (TV) .... Narrator
The Nutty Professor (1996) .... Harlan Hartley
Eraser (1996) .... Chief Beller WITSEC
Skeletons (1996) .... Frank Jove
Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder (1995) (TV) .... Jeffery Winslow
The Avenging Angel (1995) (TV) .... Porter Rockwell
C.E.O. (1995) (VG) .... Dwight Owen Barnes
... aka A4 Networks (Europe: English title: new title)
The Set Up (1995) .... Jeremiah Cole
Greyhounds (1994) (TV)
Maverick (1994) .... Commodore Duvall, Owner of Riverboat Lauren Belle/Poker Championship Host
Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice (1994) (TV) .... Jeffrey Winslow
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) .... Mr. Crisp
The Hit List (1993) (TV) .... Peter Mayhew
Christmas Reunion (1993) (TV) .... Santa
Deadfall (1993) .... Mike/Lou
Mastergate (1992) (TV) .... Major Manley Battle
"The Fifth Corner" (1992) TV Series .... Dr. Grandwell
True Facts (1992) (TV)
... aka National Lampoon's True Facts (USA: complete title)
Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 (1992) (TV) .... Jim Hathaway
... aka A Thousand Heroes
Hudson Hawk (1991) .... George Kaplan
"Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990) TV Series (voice) .... Looten Plunder (1990-1993)
... aka The New Adventures of Captain Planet (USA: fourth season title)
Young Guns II (1990) .... John Chisum
... aka Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory (UK)
Tåg till himlen (1990) .... Gregorius
... aka Train to Heaven (USA)

Call from Space (1989)
"The Edge and Beyond" (1988) TV Series .... Narrator
Death of a Soldier (1986) .... Maj. Dannenberg
Sins of the Father (1985) (TV) .... Frank Murchison
Draw! (1984) (TV) .... Sam Starret
Martin's Day (1984) .... Lt. Lardner
Malibu (1983) (TV) .... Tom Wharton
Digital Dreams (1983) (TV)
"Darkroom" (1981) TV Series .... Host
Looker (1981) .... John Reston
Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981) (TV) .... Henry Bellamy
... aka Valley of the Dolls
High Risk (1981) .... Serrano
... aka Gringos, Los (Mexico)
Mr. Patman (1980) .... Patman
... aka Crossover (USA: video title)
Loving Couples (1980) .... Walter
The Baltimore Bullet (1980) .... Nick Casey
Superstunt II (1980) (TV)

Goldengirl (1979) .... Jack Dryden
The Muppet Movie (1979) .... El Sleezo Cafe Owner (Special Guest Star)
Firepower (1979) .... Jerry Fanon/Eddie
California Suite (1978) (uncredited) .... Pilot in Diana Barrie's film on airplane
... aka Neil Simon's California Suite
"The Dain Curse" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Hamilton Nash
... aka Dashiell Hammett's 'The Dain Curse'
Midway (1976) .... Capt. Vinton Maddox
... aka Battle of Midway (UK)
... aka The Battle of Midway (USA: video title)
The Last Hard Men (1976) .... Zach Provo
Sky Riders (1976) .... Jim McCabe
Cross of Iron (1976) .... Hauptmann Stransky
... aka Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz (West Germany)
Hard Times (1975) .... Spencer 'Speed' Weed
... aka The Streetfighter (UK)
Bite the Bullet (1975) .... Luke Matthews
The Intercine Project (1974) .... Robert Elliot
... aka G (West Germany)
... aka Mann stellt eine Falle, Ein (West Germany)
... aka Schwarze Panther, Der (West Germany)
The Last of Sheila (1973) .... Clinton Green
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) .... Sheriff Pat Garrett
Harry in Your Pocket (1973) .... Harry
Ragione per vivere e una per morire, Una (1972) .... Col. Pembroke
... aka A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (USA)
... aka Dicke und das Warzenschwein, Der (West Germany)
... aka Horde des salopards, La (France)
... aka Massacre at Fort Holman
... aka Razón para vivir y una para morir, Una (Spain)
... aka Sie verkaufen den Tod (West Germany)
... aka Une raison pour vivre, une raison pour mourir (France)
The Honkers (1972) .... Lew Lathrop
The Carey Treatment (1972) .... Dr. Peter Carey
... aka Emergency Ward
Giù la testa (1971) .... John Mallory
... aka A Fistful of Dynamite (UK) (USA: alternative title)
... aka C'era una volta la rivoluzione (Italy)
... aka Duck, You Sucker (USA)
... aka Once Upon a Time... the Revolution
Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) .... Jeb
... aka Blood Kin
... aka The Seven Descents of Myrtle

Hard Contract (1969) .... John Cunningham
Candy (1968) .... Dr. A.B. Krankheit
... aka Candy e il suo pazzo mondo (Italy)
Duffy (1968) .... Duffy
The President's Analyst (1967) .... Dr. Sidney Schaefer
Waterhole #3 (1967) .... Lewton Cole
... aka Waterhole No. 3
... aka Waterhole Three (UK)
In Like Flint (1967) .... Derek Flint
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966) .... Eli Kotch
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) .... Lt. Christian
Our Man Flint (1966) .... Derek Flint
The Loved One (1965) .... Immigration Officer
A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) .... Zac
Major Dundee (1965) .... Samuel Potts
The Americanization of Emily (1964) .... Lt. Cmdr. 'Bus' Cummings
... aka Emily (USA: reissue title)
Kings of the Sun (1963) (uncredited) .... Narrator
The Man From Galveston (1963) .... Boyd Palmer
Charade (1963) .... Tex Panthollow
The Great Escape (1963) .... Flying Officer Louis 'The Manufacturer' Sedgwick
Hell Is for Heroes (1962) .... Cpl. Henshaw
"Acapulco" (1961) TV Series .... Gregg Miles
The Murder Men (1961) .... Arthur Troy
"Klondike" (1960) TV Series .... Jeff Durain (1960-1961)
The Magnificent Seven (1960) .... Britt

Face of a Fugitive (1959) .... Purdy
Ride Lonesome (1959) .... Whit
"The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca" (1958) TV Series .... Jack, gang leader
... aka Elfego Baca

Links

 
Absolutenow.com: James Coburn - James Coburn Pictures

James Coburn - Ultimate resources for pictures, wallpapers and biography

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