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Character actor Anthony James was born on July 22, 1942 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Unusually tall (6' 6½) and lanky, with a rough, pockmarked face, a lean, stringy build, and an extremely intense screen presence, James was often cast in Westerns as scary, sleazy villains. He was especially memorable as the racist diner counterman in the outstanding In the Heat of the Night (1967). Other noteworthy parts include a gay hitchhiker in the cult classic Vanishing Point (1971), a priest in The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972), an outlaw in High Plains Drifter (1973), a deranged psycho in The Teacher (1974), the chauffeur from hell in the chiller Burnt Offerings (1976), and the vicious leader of a gang of ferocious barbarians in the science fiction film Ravagers (1979).

James was hilarious in a rare change-of-pace good guy role as a heroic cannibal (!) in the post-nuke sci-fi romp World Gone Wild (1987), and also parodying his evil persona in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991). Among the many television shows in which he appeared in guest roles were Married... with Children (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1987), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Simon & Simon (1981), The A-Team (1983), Riptide (1984), The Fall Guy (1981), Hunter (1984), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Quincy, M.E. (1976), Charlie's Angels (1976), Vega$ (1978), Starsky and Hutch (1975), S.W.A.T. (1975), Ironside (1967), Hawaii Five-O (1968), Bonanza (1959), Gunsmoke (1955) and The Big Valley (1965).

James's last film appearance to date was as the owner of a seedy bordello in Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992). After quitting acting in the early 1990s, he pursued a successful career as an artist. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries in such major cities as New York, Boston and Miami.

(1988) Music video: Appeared in the <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm1640140/?ref_=nmwrk">Poison</a> music video for &quot;Fallen Angel&quot;. NOTE: He played the sleazy business manager / boyfriend of a model he manages and later betrays.

(1980) TV commercial: Hubba Bubba bubblegum with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0852305/?ref_=nmwrk">Dub Taylor</a>.

(1984) TV commercial: Midas Muffler with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0395448/?ref_=nmwrk">Lee Horsley</a> and <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0856377/?ref_=nmwrk">Robert Tessier</a> .

(1994) Book: &quot;Language of the Heart&quot;. NOTE: It was a book of his paintings and poetry.

Other works

Anthony James

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