Creator / James Coburn

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I'll kidnap a thousand children before I describe James Coburn here!

James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American actor born in Laurel, Nebraska whose screen career lasted more than forty years.

A tall, lanky, gravel-throated fellow frequently seen in "man of action" roles, Coburn began his career in television (predominantly on Western series) before becoming one of the preeminent movie stars of The '60s when he starred as superspy Derek Flint in In Like Flint and Our Man Flint. This Star-Making Role was just the hallmark of a long, distinguished career. However, said distinguished career was not without its challenges; in his early fifties, Coburn began to suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis, especially in his hands, which limited his ability to use them (these effects are clearly visible in many of his later roles). Eventually, he managed to mitigate his physical pain well enough to appear in films more frequently.

Coburn and fellow actor Robert Vaughn were longtime best friends, although to their mutual regret they only worked together once, in The Magnificent Seven (1960). Vaughn, who knew how much Coburn loved The Seven Samurai, recommended him for the role of Britt (who was based on Kyuzo, Coburn's favorite character from Samurai) to director John Sturges.

Coburn was married to Beverly Kelly, with whom he had two children, and then to Paula Murad. He died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 74 while he was listening to music in his home.

Filmography on TV Tropes:

Tropes associated with James Coburn's roles include:

• Anti-Hero: He was regarded as one of Hollywood's most dependable actors for this sort of character.
• Baritone of Strength: His mellifluous baritone voice was characterized by its natural virility and vitality, but it could command the mightiest army when he was in the mood (perhaps especially in The Magnificent Seven, where he proved he could move mountains with a whisper). The older he got the more sonorous his voice became and the more gravel his throat picked up, something he used to his advantage in his later, often more sophisticated roles, perhaps most notably as the villainous Henry J. Waternoose III in Monsters, Inc. (2001).
• Cheshire Cat Grin: His broad, narrow-eyed grin lent an air of mischievous charm to many of his roles.
• Icy Blue Eyes: His crystalline blue eyes could covey an understated but disarming gaze at times.
• Lean and Mean: His tall, lanky frame served as an asset to his tough guy persona.
• Lovable Rogue: He was best known for his roguish, often unscrupulous but almost invariably charming portrayals of tough guys and men of action.
• Prematurely Grey-Haired: Although he otherwise looked his age, his hair started turning grey when he was in his late thirties, and he had a head full of white hair by the time he was fifty.
• Silver Fox: His grizzled hair did nothing to diminish his sex appeal.
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: He stood at an imposing height of 6'2'', had dark brown hair and was regarded as one of the most handsome actors of his type.