Anthony James (actor)
| Anthony James | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James Anthony July 22, 1942 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1967–92 |
Anthony James (born James Anthony, July 22, 1942)[1]:48 is an American character actor. He specialized in playing creepy, sleazy villains in films and television, many of them Westerns.[2]
Early life
James was born James Anthony in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 1942, the only child of Greek immigrants George Anthony (1893–1951) and Marika Palla (1913–2008). He later reversed the order of his given name and surname for his acting career.[1]
Career
James made several guest appearances on the CBS-TV western series Gunsmoke during the series' run, appearing in different roles, most often playing the character of Elbert Moses. Other shows he has guest-starred on include: Hawaii Five-O; The High Chaparral; Bonanza; The Rookies; Buck Rogers in the 25th Century; Holmes and Yo-Yo; Quincy, M.E.; and CBS's Beauty and the Beast.
James has also appeared in a number of major feature films. His first major role was as Ralph, the diner counterman in 1967's In the Heat of the Night. Subsequent film appearances included P.J. (1968) and ...tick...tick...tick... (1970). James is also known for his role as one of the lynch mobsters in High Plains Drifter (1973), as well as the films Burnt Offerings[3] (1976), Blue Thunder (1983), Nightmares (1983), and The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991).
James also appeared in Poison's 1988 music video for their song "Fallen Angel."[1]:139
He retired from acting in the early 1990s with his last film role in Clint Eastwood's 1992 Oscar-winning western, Unforgiven.[2] He has since concentrated on painting.[4] In 1994, he published a book of art and poetry, Language of the Heart. His autobiography, Acting My Face, was published in 2014.[2]
Select filmography
- In the Heat of the Night (1967) - Ralph
- P.J. (1968) - Bartender-Assailant (uncredited)
- Sam Whiskey (1969) - Cousin Leroy
- ...tick...tick...tick... (1970) - H.C. Tolbert
- Vanishing Point (1971) - First Male Hitchhiker
- The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972) - Nathaniel
- High Plains Drifter (1973) - Cole Carlin
- The Teacher (1974) - Ralph Gordon
- Hearts of the West (1975) - Lean Crook
- Burnt Offerings (1976) - The Chauffeur
- Victory at Entebbe (1976) - Gamal Fahmy
- Return from Witch Mountain (1978) - Sickle
- Texas Detour (1978) - Beau Hunter
- The Fifth Floor (1978) - Derrick
- Ravagers (1979) - Ravager Leader
- Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981) - Raymond
- Wacko (1982) - Zeke
- Blue Thunder (1983) - Grundelius
- Nightmares (1983) - Store Clerk (segment "Terror in Topanga")
- World Gone Wild (1987) - Ten Watt
- Mortuary Academy (1988) - Abbott Smith
- Slow Burn (1989) - Renzetti
- The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) - Hector Savage
- Unforgiven (1992) - Skinny Dubois (final film role)
References
- 1 2 3 James, Anthony (2014). Acting My Face. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781617039850.
The union already had an actor named James Anthony and would not let me use Jimmy or Jim Anthony, so rather than change my name... I just reversed it to Anthony James.
- 1 2 3 Thomas, Nick (April 21, 2014). "Anthony James: so good at being bad". The News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ↑ "'Burnt Offerings' Is an Outstanding Terror Movie". The New York Times. September 30, 1976.
- ↑ "Anthony James - Artist". Renjeau Galleries. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
External links
- Anthony James (I) on IMDb
- Interview with Anthony James – The Spectrum, March, 2016.