[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_coburn.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:315:Coburn in his '60s heyday.]]

->''"It was the desire to do the complete thing. I only took taking acting lessons because my whole thing, really, was to direct. But my first jobs were acting jobs."''

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-voiced 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 TheSixties when he starred as superspy Derek Flint in ''Film/InLikeFlint'' and ''Film/OurManFlint''. This StarMakingRole was just the hallmark of a long, distinguished career. However, this distinguished career was not without its challenges. Still in his prime, Coburn began to suffer from debilitating arthritis, especially in his hands, which limited his ability to use them (The effects of it in his hands are clearly visible in many of his later roles). Coburn eventually recovered enough to resume his busy career.

Coburn and fellow actor Creator/RobertVaughn were longtime best friends. (although they only worked together once, much to their mutual regret, in ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960''), which Vaughn had recommended Coburn to the director, as he knew how much Coburn had loved ''Film/TheSevenSamurai''.

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.

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!!Filmography on TV Tropes:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Film roles]]
* ''Film/RideLonesome'' (1959) as Whit
* ''[[Film/TheMagnificentSeven1960 The Magnificent Seven]]'' (1960) as Britt
* ''Film/HellIsForHeroes'' (1962) as Cpl. Frank Henshaw
* ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' (1963) as Louis Sedgwick
* ''Film/{{Charade}}'' (1963) as Tex Panthollow
* ''Film/TheAmericanizationOfEmily'' (1964) as Lt. Cmdr. Paul "Bus" Cummings
* ''Film/MajorDundee'' (1965) as Samuel Potts
* ''Film/OurManFlint'' (1966) as Derek Flint
* ''Film/InLikeFlint'' (1967) as Derek Flint
* ''Film/ThePresidentsAnalyst'' (1967) as Dr. Sidney Schaefer
* ''Film/AFistfulOfDynamite'' (1971) as John Mallory
* ''Film/AReasonToLiveAReasonToDie'' (1972) as Col. Pembroke
* ''Film/PatGarrettAndBillyTheKid'' (1973) as Pat Garrett
* ''Film/TheLastOfSheila'' (1973) as Clinton
* ''Film/TheInternecineProject'' (1974) as Prof. Robert Elliot
* ''Film/BiteTheBullet'' (1975) as Luke Matthews
%%* ''Film/HardTimes'' (1975) as Spencer "Speed" Ward
* ''Film/SkyRiders'' (1976) as Jim [=McCabe=]
* ''Film/{{Midway|1976}}'' (1976) as Capt. Vinton Maddox
* ''Film/TheLastHardMen'' (1976) as Zach Provo
* ''Film/CrossOfIron'' (1977) as Sergeant Rolf Steiner
* ''Film/CaliforniaSuite'' (1978), cameo AsHimself
* ''Film/{{Goldengirl}}'' (1979) as Jack Dryden
* ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' (1979) as owner of El Sleezo Café
* ''Film/{{Looker}}'' (1981) as John Reston
* ''Film/{{Draw}}'' (1984) as Sam Starret
* ''Film/YoungGunsII'' (1990) as John Simpson Chisum
* ''Film/HudsonHawk'' (1991) as George Kaplan
* ''Film/SisterAct2BackInTheHabit'' (1993) as Mr. Crisp
* ''Film/{{Maverick}}'' (1994) as The Commodore, who is hosting the big poker tournament Maverick is trying so hard to get into.
* ''Film/{{Eraser}}'' (1996) as WITSEC Chief Arthur Beller
* ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'' (1996) as Harlan Hartley
* ''Film/TheCherokeeKid'' as Bloomington
* ''Film/{{Affliction}} (1998)'' as Glen Whitehouse; Something of a {{deconstruction}} of his tough guy image from earlier films, his performance as Creator/NickNolte's abusive elderly father netted him an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward as best supporting actor.
* ''Film/{{Payback}}'' (1999) as Fairfax, an AffablyEvil man who happens to be one of the top leaders of TheSyndicate.
* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' (2001) as Henry J. Waternoose III (voice)
* ''Film/SnowDogs'' (2002) as James "Thunder Jack" Johnson
%%* ''Film/AmericanGun'' (2002) as Martin Tillman (final role)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Television roles]]
* ''Series/WagonTrain'' (1 episode, 1958) as Ike Daggett
* ''Series/AlfredHitchcockPresents'' (2 episodes, 1958–59) as Andrews/Union Sergeant
* ''Series/TheRifleman'' (2 episodes, 1958–61) as Cy Parker/Ambrose
* ''Series/BlackSaddle'' (1 episode, 1959) as Niles
* ''Series/TheMillionaire'' (1 episode, 1959) as Lew Bennett
* ''Series/{{Bat Masterson|1958}}'' (2 episodes, 1959–60) as Poke Otis/Leo Talley
* ''Series/HaveGunWillTravel'' (2 episodes, 1959–60) as Jack Harvey/Sledge
* ''Series/WantedDeadOrAlive'' (3 episodes, 1959–60) as Henry Turner/Jesse Holloway/Howard Catlett
* ''Series/{{Laramie}}'' (2 episodes, 1959–61) as Finch/Gil Spanner
* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'' (3 episodes, 1959–62) as Pete Jessup/Ross Marquette/Elmer Trace
* ''Series/PeterGunn'' (1 episode, 1960) as Bud Bailey
* ''Series/{{Lawman}}'' (2 episodes, 1960) as Blake Carr/Lank Bailey
* ''Series/TheUntouchables'' (1 episode, 1961) as Dennis Garrity
* ''Series/{{Cheyenne}}'' (1 episode, 1961) as Kell
* ''Series/PerryMason'' (2 episodes, 1961–62) as Donald Fletcher/Gen. Addison Brand
* ''Series/{{Rawhide}}'' (1 episode, 1962) as Col. Briscoe
* ''[[Series/Combat1962 Combat!]]'' (1 episode, 1963) as Cpl. Arnold Kanger
* ''Series/{{The Twilight Zone|1959}}'' ([[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S5E7TheOldManInTheCave 1 episode]], 1963) as Maj. French
* ''Series/Route66'' (1 episode, 1964) as Hamar Neilsen
* ''Series/{{The Defenders|1961}}'' (1 episode, 1964) as Earl Chafee
* ''Series/TheFallGuy'' (1 episode, 1981) {{as Himself}}
* ''Series/{{Darkroom}}'' (1981–82) as Host
* ''Series/FaerieTaleTheatre'' (1 episode, 1984) as The Gypsy
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' (1990–92) as Looten Plunder (voice)
* ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' (1 episode, 1992) as Cyrus Ramsey
* ''Series/PicketFences'' (1 episode, 1995) as Walter Brock
* ''Series/{{Profiler}}'' (2 episodes, 1997) as Charles Vanderhorn
* ''Series/VengeanceUnlimited'' (1 episode, 1999) as Boone Paladin
* ''Series/{{Arliss}}'' (1 episode, 2002) as Slaughterhouse Sid Perelli
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Director]]
* ''Series/TheRockfordFiles'' (1 episode, 1977)
[[/folder]]

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!!Tropes associated with James Coburn include:
* CoolOldGuy: He aged into an example of this and SilverFox.
* SlasherSmile: His broad grin was well-suited to this when he played villainous or {{antihero}}ic roles.
* SpeechImpediment: His deep, calm voice had a noticeable lisp.

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